The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I am a newbie here & your site looks like the place to ask for help

I purchased a EDISON SHAVING MACHINE the other day My request is, can I purchase blank cylinders to suit & can I record on these cylinders using one of my other machines, GEM, STANDARD & HOME can someone suggest somewhere to purchase the items I require cylinders, recording adapter & other parts

The machine is mounted in a steel cabinet with 2 openings at the front one to collect shavings & the other to store cylinders ??

it has patented August 1905 on the ID plate
any help from anyone will be much appreciated

thank you

FRANK DEAN
AUSTRALIA

You can get the recording head usually on ebay or from an auction or antique store. For the recording blanks, there is a guy that makes blanks in his shed. Heres his website: www.paulmorrismusic.co.uk/
If you live in the U.S. you have to buy them in batches of 12 for $150.

Tips: When recording you want to make sure the phonograph your using has a strong spring so it doesn't record to slow. Also, you might want to put a heat lamp over the record before and during recording to soften the wax because, it's easier to record on soft wax. If you don't heat it up first, when played back, it will make a screeching sound in the recording.

-energ15

Am I right in assuming you have an electric shaver that is actually an "Ediphone" shaver?

If so, these were designed for dictation cylinders (which are a little longer), but they can be used for phonograph cylinders.
I use a Columbia "Dictaphone" shaver myself, although many collectors wont use either of these because they have high speed motors, and dictation cylinders were made with a woven fabric sleeve imbedded in the wax around the inside. This made them far stronger than ordinary wax cylinders.
The high speed is great for getting a nice smooth finish, but without the added strength of the fabric core, ordinary cylinders can sometimes shatter into 100 pieces while you're shaving them.
I've only lost 3 or 4 in the last 30 years, so that's not too bad I guess.
Although I've never been injured in the "explosion", I have had to change my undies afterwards, and I've picked up fragments of cylinder for days

I've bought all my recorders on ebay, and have picked up original blanks there as well.
Brand new blanks can be bought from Paul Morris in England, and occasionally (apparently) from Shawn Borri in USA.
It also appears that Marcel (saxymojo) sells both the blank cylinders & recorders through his Sydney leatherwork business "Gypsy Leather & Suede" in Auburn.

http://www.gypsyleather.com.au/records_cylin.html