Mvltiplex

[efsk]

Actually five blades, but only sharpened on one side.
For years I've been yearning after a Mvltiplex razor. Saw a few pictures, and just knew I needed one. Preferably, one with a dome to store it in.
Fascinating razor really, multiple blades in a complicated construction: blade-plate-blade-plate and so on, with really tight tolerances that made producing these rather expensive: apparently, so I've read, not everything fitted right, so a lot of production-loss. I have one handle that just will not fit right, kind of proves it. This made the razor not the biggest success, although it was marketed internationally and advertising claimed folk like Marconi had one. Kind of amazing he didn't have a mustache.
Handles are either simple or decorated, thin or thick, apparently eight different types exist. I've three: two models, one of them in silver and in gold. Topcap is either smooth or has an integrated nut with which it can be fastened to the base of the above mentioned dome. There should be a three-blade-version as well.
Patented by mr Pelizzola, 8 nov 1928 in Italy, 1930 in Germany and Switzerland, 1933 in the US.

My first one arrived despite some DHL-difficulties. Looks like Nickel, a Potemkin Stairway of a razor. Five blades, each of which stepped backwards from the previous one. Two thin bolts with nut underneath. Blades and plates are numbered, Blades have multiple holes, and black arrows pointing to the right hole for its position. This way they only had to produce two types of blade instead of five. (Dis)Assembly shows how tight everything fits. There really is no room for just the slightest error.Baseplate is attached to the handle, bolts to the topcap.

 

[efsk]

Then my second Mvltiplex came. This one had a few trackingissues with DHL, was delivered correctly however.
Razor arrived in original shipper, which confuses me: the razorbrand is Mvltiplex. It says so on the razor, on the blades, on the NOS bladepack that came with it. The shipper however calls it a Multiplex, which according to Waits' Compendium is an entirely different brand.
The shipper is rather thick cardboard, stapled together, with English text. When you open it, a brass dome appears. Wiggling a bit, and the top comes off: a gilded razor shows itself, upside down, screwed onto the base.
Some careful turning, and there the razor is, in all its fabulous gold sheen. Fat handle, decorated, Medusa-head on the bottom. Bascally like the razor in the threadstarter, except the basepate is a seperate plate, not attached to the (simpler) handle. Like mentioned before: the topcap has a built-in (built-on) nut, that you use to screw it onto the dome-base. According to the instructions, of which I got xeroxes, storing in the (closed) dome is for travelpurposes only.

 

[efsk]

The two above Mvliplexes came with a number of spare parts. Sufficient to build a third razor. This has the Medusa--handle in silver, with OC-baseplate.

 

[efsk]

Here's the happy family, with the instruction-xeroxes, and some extra spare parts:

 

[gvw755]

Shouldn't this be under the multi-blade razor section?

If given the choice to shave with this or a Gillette Fusion, I'm not sure which I would choose.

 

[sɐǝɹpu∀]

Shouldn't this be under the multi-blade razor section?

If given the choice to shave with this or a Gillette Fusion, I'm not sure which I would choose.

Five individual Single Edge blades - I'm happy with it being in the SE category.
I have handled one of these once and I'd be thrilled to shave with one. A Fusion bores me.
The only problem is that you wouldn't have five sharp vintage blades.

 

[efsk]

Found another one, this one, too, in a dome. The dome itself is aluminum, with nice curves along the bottom of the top-part. The basepart is just too tight: the razor won't turn nicely when screwing it in or out, and when screwed in, it is just a bit tilted. Dome is nicely perforated, I suspect for drying but may be decorative as well.
Razor itself came to me with only blades 1 and 3, and the interesting, to me, thing is these are different model blades than those with the earlier shown models Mvltiplex. Handle, too, is different: it is a fat handle with a simple knob. Other than the Medusaheaded handles, this one has the baseplate (plate 5) integrated, as has the thin handle that started the thread.

 

[gvw755]

This razor always amazes me! Did you ever shave with any of yours? Seems that this would be perfect for someone wanting to transition from a multi blade Gillette Fusion.

 

[efsk]

I'd need more packages of NOS-blades before attempting that.

 

[efsk]

A to me new model is this Mvltiplex. Same aluminium dome as the previous one, but this razor only has one screwpost, near the handle. This means it also needs a guidingpost, of which it has two, and a different model blade than the two types shown before. And indeed: rectangular blades with three holes, a unique blade per position. Time (I think) has blackened the blades, so am not sure if they're numbered, but they all have one logical position. Plates between the blades have been too rigurously cleaned by a previous owner, and possibly because of that no number is visible there, either.
Will need to spend some time to make it Ooh! Shiney! again.

 

[efsk]

And another one, where I'm not sure how to convey my enormous enthusiasm about the piece to you. 1398 grams in weight, huge, all parts except the screws marked 17, although in the cap it's scratched instead of stamped, and the blades measure 16/8 a piece. Here it is: the unbelievable Mvltiplex Display Razor

 

[efsk]

We're a happy family!

 

[gvw755]

Have you shaved with the big one yet?

 

[efsk]

Found it a bit difficult to maneuver under the nose. Also, when shaving the throat-area you must take care to not accidentally shave your nipples.