gvw755
Well-Known Member
It appears that all of my innovative English made razors come from Sheffield. This is the last in my collection, and probably the most innovative, the Eclipse Red Ring. It was made in the 1930's by James Neill & Co., which also made the Neillite 400 bakelite razor.
The Red Ring was unusual in that the pins that held the blade was on the base plate and there were holes in the cap to secure it, similar to the Knockout. The guard on the base plate was very much like an open comb, however there was a bar across the bottom that held it together. The most unusual feature of the time was that this was a partially adjustable razor, where there was an arrow at the bottom of the handle and markers on the knob so that you could adjust the tension and gap of the head. In most cases, this would allow of a difference of about 1/2 - 1 dial setting on a Progress. There was also a magnet at the bottom of the knob to make handling the razor blade easier, a feature most recently seen on the special edition FdR Merkur Progress.
The razor was also visually distinct where the cap had a Solar Eclipse stamped on it, and the handle had "Eclipse" and "Red Ring" molded in the knurling. Of course there was also the distinct red ring on the bottom portion of the handle, which mine no longer has.
Shaving with the Red Ring is a pure delight. The comb actually works well and the adjuster is just right for a two pass shave.
The Red Ring was unusual in that the pins that held the blade was on the base plate and there were holes in the cap to secure it, similar to the Knockout. The guard on the base plate was very much like an open comb, however there was a bar across the bottom that held it together. The most unusual feature of the time was that this was a partially adjustable razor, where there was an arrow at the bottom of the handle and markers on the knob so that you could adjust the tension and gap of the head. In most cases, this would allow of a difference of about 1/2 - 1 dial setting on a Progress. There was also a magnet at the bottom of the knob to make handling the razor blade easier, a feature most recently seen on the special edition FdR Merkur Progress.
The razor was also visually distinct where the cap had a Solar Eclipse stamped on it, and the handle had "Eclipse" and "Red Ring" molded in the knurling. Of course there was also the distinct red ring on the bottom portion of the handle, which mine no longer has.
Shaving with the Red Ring is a pure delight. The comb actually works well and the adjuster is just right for a two pass shave.