Edison Shaving Machine Serial Database

[long_island_phono]

Given all the discussion about Edison Shaving machines these past few days and seemingly no good information about the nuances of the machines I would like to start a thread dedicated to creating a database of tabletop shaving machine serial numbers and their respective physical characteristics in order to better understand the history of these phonograph companions. Below is my idea for the template for submissions. Let me know if you think anything should be added!

-Jake


Edison Shaving Machine Database Template



Serial #:?

What is/are the patent date/s on the data plate?

Tabletop or Freestanding?

Wooden cabinet, metal or cast iron legs? What color is the finish?

How do you access swarf: door or drawer? Is the swarf door one solid piece or constructed of 4 framing pieces with central slat?

Edison banner or script decal?

Electric, electric converted or hand crank?

Double Cut lever on carriage?

Fancy shaving knife lever or simple rod lever?

Pulley cover on the topworks?

[long_island_phono]

Starting the database off:



Serial #: 9078

August 8, 1905

Tabletop

Wooden cabinet: Golden Oak

How do you access swarf: door

Edison banner decal

Hand crank

Double Cut lever on carriage? Yes

Fancy shaving knife lever

Pulley cover on the top works? Yes

[benjaminh]

Here's another one to add:
Serial #:6479

What is/are the patent date/s on the data plate? August 8, 1905

Tabletop

Wooden cabinet, with antique oak finish.

Shavings accessed via hinged front door (front not present, so I don't know if it had a central panel)

Decal unkown

Handcrank, with no signs of ever having a conversion installed

Double Cut lever on carriage is present

Fancy shaving knife lever

Pulley cover on the topworks? No

I found this one quite odd; I've never seen one of these machines with the hinged front door, with an Antique finish. However, there were no signs of refinishing, and the few patches of decent original finish showed an antique oak finish, not a golden oak which is usual. I'll post on my machine once I've finished the restoration, but right now only the topworks and bedplate frame have been completed...

EDIT: In my original post, I stated that my machine had the hinged front with central panel, and the banner decal. However, this was just an assumption, because I didn't think that any other type of hinged front existed. However when I look at the instructions that Jake posted, there is an image of a wood cased shaving machine with a hinged flat front (without the frame and center panel) and the Edison script decal. I had always assumed that mine had the front with the banner decal and hinged front with the center panel, and I was planning on remaking the front in that design. However, this poses a problem now. Could mine have had the flat front and script decal?

[Lucius1958]

Serial #: 14355

Date on patent plate: Aug. 1, 1905

Tabletop

Cast iron legs

Swarf collection: metal bin

No banner (bin may not be original)

Hand cranked

Double cut lever: Yes, but not sure how effective it is...

Shaving knife lever: cast

Pulley cover on topworks? Yes

Bill

[long_island_phono]

Thanks to Bill and Benjamin for the first few additions to the database!

I found this one quite odd; I've never seen one of these machines with the hinged front door, with an Antique finish. However, there were no signs of refinishing, and the few patches of decent original finish showed an antique oak finish, not a golden oak which is usual. I'll post on my machine once I've finished the restoration, but right now only the topworks and bedplate frame have been completed...

EDIT: In my original post, I stated that my machine had the hinged front with central panel, and the banner decal. However, this was just an assumption, because I didn't think that any other type of hinged front existed. However when I look at the instructions that Jake posted, there is an image of a wood cased shaving machine with a hinged flat front (without the frame and center panel) and the Edison script decal. I had always assumed that mine had the front with the banner decal and hinged front with the center panel, and I was planning on remaking the front in that design. However, this poses a problem now. Could mine have had the flat front and script decal?

It sounds like you may have some sort of transitional example given the dark "Antique" oak finish. In the searches I have done for photos of the table shavers I have yet to see a front door shaver that is entirely flat like the one in the manual. I also have yet to see the cabinet shaver, either version, with a script decal, which further complicates the dating!

[benjaminh]

Could it be that the drawings in the manual are just not entirely accurate? On the closeup of the shaving cutter, it pictures a "V" tipped cutter, which I don't think was ever used, as it would give a "threaded" blank...

[long_island_phono]

Serial #: 3765

August 8, 1905

Tabletop

Wooden cabinet. Dark "Antique" oak finish.

How do you access swarf: drawer

N/A

hand crank

Double Cut lever on carriage? No

Simple rod lever

Pulley cover on the topworks? No

[benjaminh]

I'm not sure that the drawings in Edison manuals and ads can be really used as substantial evidence; the Edison Phonograph Monthly that Rich uploaded, you'll notice a couple things that I believe could be inaccuracies. Two separate pulleys are shown on the main mandrel shaft, whereas all the ones of this model I've seen have one pulley with two grooves, the slot for the motor belt is shown on the right side rather than the left (on the left it wouldn't be visible in the picture), and the pulley on the right that powers the fan, and mandrel shaft, has only two grooves. Are these "errors" to make some parts more visible, or is this a different version of the machine? The flat front could just have been used in the drawing for simplicity sake. If the script decal was ever used, it must have been very late, making the machines rare...

What do you guys think?

[long_island_phono]

I'm not sure that the drawings in Edison manuals and ads can be really used as substantial evidence; the Edison Phonograph Monthly that Rich uploaded, you'll notice a couple things that I believe could be inaccuracies. Two separate pulleys are shown on the main mandrel shaft, whereas all the ones of this model I've seen have one pulley with two grooves, the slot for the motor belt is shown on the right side rather than the left (on the left it wouldn't be visible in the picture), and the pulley on the right that powers the fan, and mandrel shaft, has only two grooves. Are these "errors" to make some parts more visible, or is this a different version of the machine? The flat front could just have been used in the drawing for simplicity sake. If the script decal was ever used, it must have been very late, making the machines rare...

What do you guys think?

I have seen inaccuracies in other Edison catalogs so I think it probably is wise to be very attentive to the details in the drawings. If anything the cataloging of the serial numbers might help deduce which style came first. Judging by Rich's scans it seems the swarf drawer style was first however that leaves me scratching my head as to why Edison would "update" the shaver with the older style oak finish along with cabinet details reminiscent of the Model A Triumph.

The shaver I just picked up at Stantons is the drawer-style and has a serial number in the 3000 block. We have already had a submission for a cast iron-legged shaver in the 14,000 serial block. My research shows that those had script decals. We have 4 submissions so far and if the serial numbers were respective to the sequential production of the shavers then it looks like the ordering is:

swarf drawer---> swarf door---> cast iron legs

I am pondering if at any point in production two of the styles were available at the same time?

[winsleydale]

Here's the data from the shaver I will be picking up at Union (Thank you, Jerry, for taking pictures of the important bits)

Serial # 1862

Patent date August 8 1905
Tabletop
Wooden cabinet in golden oak
Swarf drawer
Banner decal
Hand crank
No double cut lever
Simple rod lever
No pulley cover