S&W Blade Saver

pharman · #1 09-26-2012, 10:43 PM

Picked up a S&W blade saver at a recent gunshow. Pretty interesting item. It's a device for holding safety razor blades so that they can be sharpened like straight razors. As pictured on page 391 of Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson 3rd edition. Is there any collector interest in these? Value? Standard Catalog says $100. Is this realistic? This one is in fairly good condition with good S&W markings. Anyone else have one of these or collect them? Thanks for your help....

Qball · #2 09-27-2012, 05:21 AM

Collecting razors, safety razors, blades and parefanalia is fun

And not nessesary expesive.
(Hey... i'm not called Qball for nothing

)

Yes i have a Smith&Wesson blade saver to

Don't remember the cost of it though, i think i got it in a trade.

(Found the ad, i paid $45 plus shipping)

pharman · #3 09-27-2012, 08:37 AM

Hey Qball....NICE collection...thanks for responding to my query...I appreciate that!

kennyb · #4 09-27-2012, 05:47 PM

i have a couple buried somewhere in the safe...wondered how those guys worked!

JSR III · #5 09-27-2012, 06:10 PM

There are 3 different models IIRC. Labeled with roman numerals I II and III. There was also a plastic or bakealite (sp?) type material case that is more rare and collectible than the blade savers.

When things got tough for the company, the Wessons looked into many different things to make money. They made dishwashers and even flush valves for toilets at one time.

opoefc · #6 09-27-2012, 08:46 PM

Prices paid for minty Bladesavers at recent gun shows, are: Models I and III , $35 - $65, Model II, $120-$175, Add $50 if the white celluloid case is included, and the original red cardboard box of 10 Bladesavers, $ $750 - $1,000. Ed
( PS: What's also challenging is to find the types of period blades that fit each of the Bladesaver models, and the leather strop to sharpen them, that says S&W on it!. )

Club Gun Fan · #7 10-20-2012, 12:00 PM

( PS: What's also challenging is to find the types of period blades that fit each of the Bladesaver models, and the leather strop to sharpen them, that says S&W on it!. )[/QUOTE]

Ed, I never question your knowledge, but, I have three strops that I bought from a retired S&W employee. I also purchased a 1/2 case of #2s. None of the strops have S&W on them. Do you have one that does?

opoefc · #8 10-20-2012, 02:39 PM

Don, Question me anytime! There's two things that happen to S&W collectors my age! They are (1) Loss of short term memory, and (2) Loss of short term memory! I don't currently have a razor strop with S&W's stamp on it, but they do exist. I know this because back in the 60s, or thereabouts, the Numrich catalog came out with a listing of Blade Savers for sale. I called them and bought their entire inventory for my gun shows material. When I received the shipment, there were 1/2 doz., or so, leather strops included. 2 of these strops had S&W markings. I may be incorrect, but I think the S&W logo was stamped on the metal part, not on the leather. That inventory is long gone now, having been sold off at gun shows and at our annual meetings. Maybe Roy or Peter has one of there? Ed.

PS: This this off the theme of this thread a little, but how many S&W collectors know that S&W made bayonet scabbards for Indian War US Springfield 45-70 Trap door rifles issued in the Spanish American war? And how to identify them from other makers, as they are not marked as a S&W product? I know you probably have a barrel full in your collection, Don ! Ed.

Club Gun Fan · #9 10-20-2012, 03:54 PM

Ed
I don't have a scabbard. I was told they were welded. The scabbards made at the Armory were rolled.
My stropps don't have any metal.

opoefc · #10 10-20-2012, 09:42 PM

Don, Maybe I'm misremebering, but I'm pretty sure there was a metal piece attached to one end that allowed you to hook the strap to something while you stroked the razor, or are yours the small type that lay flat? The ones I recall were about a foot long, perhaps. Post a picture of yours.

Yes, the S&W scabbards were hammer welded, leaving a wavy mark the length of the scabbard, which identifies the scabbard as a S&Ws. Others were rolled, as you mention. The contract with the US Army was for 15,000 scabbards, however the war ended before the order was completed and the contract was cancelled. Only a few thousand were made. They were polished and blued.
Ed.

JSR III · #11 10-24-2012, 08:58 AM

Again as I have said before, with S&W collecting, "You just don't know what you don't know"!!!

Club Gun Fan · #12 10-24-2012, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by opoefc

Don, Maybe I'm misremebering, but I'm pretty sure there was a metal piece attached to one end that allowed you to hook the strap to something while you stroked the razor, or are yours the small type that lay flat? The ones I recall were about a foot long, perhaps. Post a picture of yours.

Yes, the S&W scabbards were hammer welded, leaving a wavy mark the length of the scabbard, which identifies the scabbard as a S&Ws. Others were rolled, as you mention. The contract with the US Army was for 15,000 scabbards, however the war ended before the order was completed and the contract was cancelled. Only a few thousand were made. They were polished and blued.
Ed.

Ed.
Mine are the small type. All three are exactly like the one shown in Roy's book. I will try to get a picture in the next few days.

I am pretty sure a friend of mine has a S&W scabbard. What would it be worth?
Don

dltvette · #13 10-24-2012, 01:22 PM

Here is my little collection of the S&W Blade Savers made to safely hold your "Safety Razor Blades" while sharpening them on a razor strap in the same manner as a straight razor. They made three types marked I, II & III. Types I & II were for the two types of double edge blades then in use, and type III was for single edge blades.
Shown are the three types manufactured, a GEM Damaskeene Stropper ( the extra one is 13" long & metal end is marked VALET AUTOSTROP, a Gillette razor (back marked, K REG US PAT OFF 2 GILLETTE MARCAS REGS), a pack of VALET Auto Strop Blades, (Autostrop Safety Razor Co. Inc. New York, U.S.A. Patents Nos. 1,088,220 - 1,639,335) and a copy of the original advertisement for the Blade Saver showing directions for use.

Dave

dltvette · #14 10-24-2012, 01:48 PM

Here are two of the type I. One in the white and one blue. Close-up of the one in white. I could not add these photo's in the last post.
Dave