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Gillette Canada Dating Information

This page documents what we know about Gillette Canada safety razor serial numbers and date codes. Razors made in Montreal often left the factory with serial numbers or date codes. During certain periods some or all models were unmarked. In theory any markings can be be used to establish their manufacturing dates, but at the present time our knowledge of the Canadian markings is spotty.

One estimate is that the Montreal plant made "no more than a few thousand razors in 1906, and then maybe crossed into the 5-digits in 1907. If we assume that the plant was operating at that same production rate six days a week for the entire year, they'd have been turning out somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 razors a year."[1]

See also:

Old Type Serial Numbers

The Montreal plant began low-volume production ca. 1906-04-??, increasing through 1907. Early orders included Pocket Edition sets, some of which are still extant. During WWI most or all of the razors produced for European sale were made in Canada.The serial numbers for known Canadian razors are somewhat spotty and even contradictory. It appears that they sometimes used numbers alone and sometimes used "C" or "PC" as prefixes. While this data does not yet allow us to place a given razor in a given production year, we hope that one day it will. To this end we try to classify each razor as closely as possible.

Full Serial NumberNumber OnlyModelKnurlingCollarStudsLogoMiC StampImage / Notes
PC 56465646Pocketnone-ABCnonoThis could be ca. June 1909, because at that time Gillette Canada was filling its first large pocket edition orders and was having trouble producing patterned parts (cf Peterson, Neil P. Gillette Blade Canadian Edition, July 1918, p31). But it might also be earlier. Perhaps the Canadian serial numbers started in 1908, when the factory moved to St. Alexander Street?
PC 062276227Pocket-punched-downABCpatchnoThin-handled ball end, no stamping on bottom of guard plate, ABC-style cap studs, punched-down collar, latch-closure basketweave case w/ patent dates on bottom, gold Gillette diamond label [Porter].
PC 074417441Pocketstandardpunched downABCpatchnoFrom B&B/sledog plain gold case ABC set razor has end handle nut design http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...Pocket-Edition
PC 075097509Pocketsmooth ball----Pocket edition with smooth ball and asymmetrical studs; basket-weave case with signature logo on underside and 1907 Russian patent: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ette-Open-Comb
PC 1918319183Pocketsmooth ball----Pocket edition with smooth ball; scroll-work case with 1907 Russian patent: Gillette Canada serial numbers
C 1028610286Single Ringstandard-bullet-noNumber on barrel: Canadian Razor
C 1320913209PocketSmooth ball



B&B Azawhak , http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...07#post5994607
C 1651316513PocketSmooth ball



Photos in thread.
03917739177Single RingStandard-bulletPatch
Standard Case, Contributed by Roderick
C 6798567985Single RingStandard
bulletnonoScript logo case, diamond logo blade cases. Photos in thread.
C 7299972999Single RingStandard
bullet
noLower band: Canada Pat Mar7 05. There is no Gillette logo on it. The guide pins are narrow and come to a sharp point. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...95#post5315595
PC 2689126891Pocket-----Pocket edition with gold plate, plain case, and nut-end handle. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...61#post4198261
PC 3471734717Pocket-----Pocket edition with gold plate, plain case, and nut-end handle. Diamond logo on blade case but not on razor case - so late 1908? http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...d-Safety-Razor
PC 4060240602Pocket-----Pocket edition with gold plate, plain case, and nut-end handle. Diamond logo on blade case. Razor case has 1907 Russia patent, no clear image of logo area. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...09#post2080309
PC 4229842298Pockettrue ballpunched-downABC???noGold "true ball-end" handle, no stamping on bottom of guard plate, ABC-style cap studs, punched-down collar, four-rivet shell case w/ patent dates on bottom, match-strike blade case.
PC 5201952019Pocketsmooth ball--???noPhotos in thread.
PC 6395963959Pocket-----Thin-handled ball end, no stamping on bottom of guard plate, ABC-style cap studs, punched-down collar, four-rivet plain case w/ patent numbers on bottom, Gillette diamond logo missing [Porter].
PC 6x1356x135Pocket-----Pocket edition with some missing knurling, case but no mention of logo. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...s-a-funky-head
PC 7456274562Pocket-----Another pocket edition with some missing knurling. Case has rectangle where pasted-on diamond logo once was.
Canadian Old Type confusion
PC 7x0107x010Pocket-punched-downbulletpatchnoThin-handled ball end, no stamping on bottom of guard plate, bullet-style cap studs, punched-down collar, four-rivet plain case w/ patent numbers on bottom, Gillette diamond label missing, match-strike blade case
C 8519685196Single Ringstandard-bulletfullyesSingle ring, possibly in a slightly later Standard Set case? Number on inner barrel. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...n-Standard-Set Also: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...an-Single-Ring
C 9653096530Single
Ring
standard
bullet

Number on inner barrel. Probably ca. 1910 or 1911 http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...60#post5111760
PC 101437101437PocketSmooth Ballpunched downbullet-noNo markings (Made in Canada or the diamond logo) on the back/smooth ball/solid handle Canadian model (B&B Sled Dog)
PC 11xx7911xx79Pockettrue ballpunched downbulletprintednoPocket edition with missing knurling; floral case with plain underside, diamond logo, and shipper; blades possibly from 1911. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...mooth-ball-end
PC 11xx9711xx97Pocketsmooth ballpunched downbulletpatchnoBasket pattern two-rivet case, no blade case present. The poorly struck digits may be "73." Found by B&B/JimmyTheCooch: Safety Razor Acquisition Thread.
C
104272
104272Single
Ring
Standard
bullet
noNumber on base plate, lower band- Canada Pat Mar7 05. No Logo
C 141071141071Single Ring-----Number on comb. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...68#post4897268
PC 122134122134Pocket-----Another pocket edition with some missing knurling, serial number faint but definitely six digits starting with "1".
03x1763x176Pocketsmooth ballpunched-upbulletpatchyesPocket edition with some missing knurling, found in No. 502 shell-pattern case with add-on diamond logo. No image of serial number: could have PC prefix. Case is the later two-rivet style. Achim suggests ca. 1915. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...mooth-ball-end
01471914719PocketSmooth Ball
BulletPatch
From B&B Sled Dog thread pics here
141934141934Pocketsmooth ball
bulletpatch
Shell pattern pocket edition http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...Pocket-Edition
153084153084Pocket-punched-upbulletpatchyesThin-handled ball end; "Made in Canada" (left) and large Gillette diamond (right) stamped on guard plate; bullet-style cap studs; punched-up collar; two-rivet shell case w/ nothing on bottom; silver Gillette diamond label; cigarette-pack blade case
173489173489Aristocrat-----Aristocrat with bell-end / flare-end handle, French ivory case. Probably ca. 1916 like http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/Old%20T...e%20handle.JPG, photo at Gillette Canada serial numbers
175702175702Pockettrue ballpunched-upbulletpatchyesGold "true ball-end" handle; "Made in Canada" (left) and large Gillette diamond (right) stamped on guard plate; bullet-style cap studs; punched-up collar; four-rivet plain case w/ patent numbers on bottom; logo label missing; cigarette-pack blade case.
237536237536Pocket-----Reported as a Made in Canada pocket edition with "only numbers".
298370298370Pocketnone
bulletfullyesThin-handled, ball end with no knurling on the ball. Serial number on top of guard plate: 298370. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...48#post5238748 Razor probably mismatched to case.
313825313825Pocketsmooth ball--patchyesPhotos in thread.
314644314644Pocketsmooth ball-bulletpatchyesNo case rivets. Odd overstamp or other mark on guard. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...identified-box
325889325889PocketSmooth ball
BulletPatch
From B&B Sled dog thread Pics here
352368352368PocketSmooth Ball
BulletPatchyesFrom B&B Nick_O thread/Pics here
404543404543Pocket-punched-upbulletfullyesThin-handled ball end; "Made in Canada" (left) and large Gillette diamond (right) stamped on guard plate; bullet-style cap studs; punched-up collar; thick, no-rivet floral case w/ nothing on bottom; silver Gillette diamond label [Porter].
423760423760Pocket-----Another pocket edition with some missing knurling: Gentlemen I defer to your expertise
453587453587Pocketsmooth ballpunched upbulletyesyesThin-handled ball end; "Made in Canada" (left) and large Gillette diamond (right) stamped on guard plate; bullet-style cap studs; punched-up collar. No case available.
486987486987Pocketsmooth ball-bulletpatchyesBasket-weave case, patent numbers on bottom, two rivets. UK source. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ots-of-pics%29
501144501144Single Ringstandardbullet--yesNumber on guard. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...44#post5038868 and http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...87#post5039787
502259502259Pocketsmooth ball-bulletpatch?yesPlain case, plain bottom, no rivets. French source. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ots-of-pics%29
535309535309PocketSmooth Ball
bulletPatchYesEmpire case without sig or Patent info on back/ ABC style patch from from B&B Dakotaev / pics here +here
762030762030Pocket-----Tentatively labelled 1920/21. Case has pasted-on diamond logo.
866901866901Single Ring---fullyesWith diamond-logo combo-set case, so 1909-1910 or later.
900201900201Single Ring-----Single ring with diamond logo under guard plate, in a combination set case with diamond logo inside case. Inspector ticket dated 1910-10-13.

Oddities

We know of a "C 9325" with add-on diamond logo case. That razor might be early Canadian production, but if so the case is probably an interloper.

There was a report of 807177 as an Old Type Big Fellow, possibly modified, no case: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...-few-questions. This seems like an anachronism, or it belongs to a different number series ca. 1920.

Then we have BD223866, a Bull Dog with knurling reversed from handle shaft to knob, probably ca. 1918-20.

Later Old Types

After mid-1921 the Boston, USA plant continued to produce the Old Type razors, but without serial numbers. In Canada the Montreal plant probably did the same.

New Improved Serial Numbers

In mid-1921 Gillette introduced the New Improved. In Canada, the Montreal plant restarted its sequence of serial numbers from 1Z and probably continued until the end of the New Improved line in 1929.

Examples up to 96302Z are extant, and numbers under 100,000 probably indicate 1921 or 1922. Production appears to have included the Big Fellow and Tuckaway models. It is not known if Canadian production exceeded 999999Z, or what happened to the serial numbers if it did.

Production YearSerial NumbersNotes
19211Z-???
1922???
1923???
1924???
1925???
1926???
1927???
1928???
1929???

NEWs

Member Allegrabene posted this Canadian NEW DeLuxe Milady set with the serial number 011139, suggesting that at least the early NEW DeLuxe razors out of Canada were serial numbered, like their American counterparts.

Also, as in American production, Canadian standard NEWs seem not to have been numbered at all.

Techs and TTOs

In 1950 the Boston plant began using a repeating sequence of 25 letters as date codes, starting with V=1950 and omitting Q. After the year-letter was a number for the quarter: 1, 2, 3, or 4. At the moment we do not know if Made in Canada razors followed the same sequence, but it seems probable.

References

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