Metropolis

[Snowbeard]

Hi Everyone.

The razor most of us recognize as "Metropolis" is this one, with the curved handle. This one just sold on Ebay for $432.00 U.S. I was only able to download this one photo of it but it shows what I wanted. It came in a cardboard box with the brand name NIBA on it and the words "The Perfect Safety Razor" in English and Italian. The instructions on the box said " Lather yourself well and use the razor slightly inclined after immersing it in warm water. The same procedure to be adopted for the counter-beard, care should be taken to loosen the screw a little". This is the first one I've seen where the razor itself was branded. Photos I've seen of previous ones were not branded (if I recall correctly). I include another photo of this curved Metropolis razor, for your reference, courtesy of Il Rasoio.com (grazie mille!), without the branding.

There are at least two other versions of Metropolis. This next version is usually, in my experience, branded as a "Benz" razor. But here it's branded as Metropolis (my own). I've also seen this particular razor branded as "Radar" and "C.A.V.A.". The brand names Metropolis, Radar and Benz are all associated with one Paolo Baenziger of Bologna, Italy.

Finally, I found this version of Metropolis on the Internet (Worthpoint):

 

[Snowbeard]

When I said "The brand names Metropolis, Radar and Benz are all associated with one Paolo Baenziger of Bologna, Italy" I think I may have misstated it.

I do believe that the names Benz and Radar are associated with Baenziger.

"Metropolis" may not be, except in my own mind.

The first two razors shown here are both branded Metropolis. The second one seems to be able to be tied pretty easily to Baenziger since it's really mostly known as a Benz. To me, that ties the first curved or twisted Metropolis to Baenziger as well. I say all this because its always been a bit of a mystery who made the twisted Metropolis. Now we have a twisted Metropolis that's branded. That's helped move things along I think.