The First International Shaving Collectibles Meeting was held on October 9-10, 2004, in West Chester, Ohio, USA. Meeting participants, including many spouses, came from Canada, England, France, Alabama, Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. Participants' photos and eBay user names appear below. Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.

Betty Dial gave a presentation on razor blades, describing many of the beautiful graphics on their wrappers that make them so desirable. She traced the history of blades from plain wax wrappers to the more colorful paper covers. Rare blades such as the Winchester were also discussed.

Robert Waits discussed his new compendium of safety razors, scheduled to be published on a CD ROM near the end of next year. It will be a much expanded version of his Safety Razor Reference Guide and First Supplement that were published in 1990 and 1992, respectively. The new compendium will feature many color photographs and illustrations as well as enhanced searching capabilities.

Tom Willard gave a presentation on stroppers using his Web site to illustrate the many types of stroppers that have been identified. His site permits the searching of stroppers by name, country of origin, type, and by any words that are entered in the search field. The site has served as a magnet to attract collectors from all over the world.

Participants were treated to goody bags, complements of the Gillette Company and Schick Wilkinson Sword, and door prizes were given away by drawing names.

Throughout the day, many exhibits were available for viewing, and selling and swapping were in evidence. Conversations occurred spontaneously among attendees. There was also a Show and Tell session in the afternoon.

The day ended with a discussion of the direction this group wished to take. The consensus was that a meeting of this kind should take place on a regular basis. Many thought that every other year would be desirable; however, following the meeting, many were leaning toward a meeting next year with biannual meetings to follow. Stay tuned. A decision was also made to develop a Web site specifically for collectors of shaving memorabilia. The site would constitute an organization for collectors, be user-friendly, and attract seasoned, as well as new collectors. The site may be up and running by the first of next year.

The meeting concluded on Sunday with a brunch at the Rosenthals' home. Jerry's collection was available for viewing and informal discussions developed around tea, coffee, salmon, rolls, fruit, cake, and other delectables.

Special thanks are extended to those who contributed to the photos seen below: Jean-Paul Espourteau, Doug Nicot, Jerry Rosenthal, Ed Schmiedeler, and Robert Waits.

Meeting Participants

Jerry Rosenthal banjophd	Herb Sharp herbrazor	Betty Dial dgsbx	Joe Dial dgsbx

Leo Rozov kser	David Freund synsec	Dan Moore razormandan	Tom Willard tvw

Al Zimmer razorcamel	Renzo Jardella safetiesfirst	Jim Andress	Gord Speare gord_sue0cil

Roy Johnson razorman65@cox.net	Doug Nicot dandy-doug	Dave Schmalz	Don Perkins midland19950

Ed Schmiedeler & Fred Theierl esinker; tweedyt	Jean-Paul Espourteau jp.espourteau	Toni & Bob Pride barberbob2	Robert Waits Robert-13

Dave Grant dgrant04

Friday Evening Pre-Meeting Dinner
Bravo Cucina Italiana

Meeting and Displays

Sunday Brunch with The Rosenthals