Early Vintage-Perma Sharp Blades

TomG

Gentleman Shaver from WA ...
2020 Charity Auction Winner
Joined
May 22, 2016
Location
Perth
I've just scored a box of Vintage Perma-Sharp blades (NOS), and have done a wee bit of research on same.
Here are some photos:

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The back of the box is marked Perma-Sharp Mentone, Victoria. However, the blade is marked "Made in Gt. Britain". The price on the box is marked in pre-decimal currency, dating it to pre-1966.
Hence, whilst these blades were sold in Australia, I postulate that this blade was made in Perma-Sharp's East Kilbride factory in Scotland, during the period 1962-1965, and is a predecessor of the highly regarded "Scottish Perma-Sharp" blade of the mid to late 1960's.

Have trawled some other Forums for information (thanks to TSR and B&B). The following post is instructive:

perma%20sharp%20post%20B%20and%20B%20130723_zpsrjfgfvdx.jpg


I find this article very interesting, in that it states that Scottish Perma-Sharp employed some of the engineers that developed the original stainless steel blades for Wilkinson Sword. See the following photo of these early Wilkie blades:

wilkie%20triple%20life%20blade_zpsgdfmpflr.jpg

Note that these first stainless Wilkies are marked Triple Life, as are the early Perma-Sharps in question.

There are subsequent variants of the Scottish Perma-Sharp blade during the 1960's and early 1970's, some of which as seen in the following photos:

scottish%20perma%20sharp5_zpseityfxwo.jpg

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scottishpermas_zpshabt4hip.jpg


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See below an advertisement from the Sydney Morning Herald dated 22 Aug 1965:

perma%20sharp%20ad%20Syd%20Morn%20Herald%20650822_zpsht8xz407.jpg

Note that the price listed is the same as my box of blades. However, whilst the box and the label are very similar, the box in this ad does not have the "Triple Life" marking.

Regarding the employee testing of the blades, this indeed seems to be true, as evidenced in the following article from a US newspaper (Evening Independent) dated 23 April, 1964.

perma%20sharp%20Evening%20Independent%20Morn%20Herald%20640423_zpskejdiu1q.jpg


A shout out to @Snooze, who also scored a box of these blades. And thanks to @Nightguard, who has some of the later Scottish Perma-Sharps, and provided a photo for this post.

Would be very happy for others to contribute, I think @Mark1966 and @Monsta_AU have some experience with this range of blades.

Cheers,

TomG
 
Great post @TomG - extremely thorough research(y)

I managed to find a bit of similar information from the other forums and that convinced me to have a punt and buy the box. They weren't expensive and hopefully will be OK. Although I gather some of the early stainless steel blades had some quality control issues. They arrive tomorrow so will try them out over the weekend!

The current Permasharps are my usual daily driver in modern DE blades, and they are pretty amazing.

Interested to hear what info others may have on these vintage blades.
 
Also would I be correct in assuming that if the packet says "rinse only, do not wipe " then the blades have a coating of some kind on them eg teflon or similar to improve the smoothness?
 
$10 the lot.
I mean, you yourself admitted they were at best second hand.
 
Great research @TomG !!!

I can't contribute anything - I have some of these (Stainless Perma Sharp Supreme?) but cannot even recall what they shave like. Must get one out soon.
 
Enjoy them boys, shopuld be excellent shaves in them
 
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