The Second International Shaving Collectibles Meeting was held on October 8-9, 2005, in West Chester, Ohio, USA. Meeting participants met on Friday, October 7, for an informal dinner at Bravo Cucina Italiana, a nearby restaurant serving fine Italian cuisine. The formal meeting was held all day Saturday at the Indiana Wesleyan University Center in West Chester. On Sunday morning, the meeting concluded with brunch at the Rosenthals.

Dale Justus gave a presentation on US razor blades and promoted the recently completed Made in USA Razor Blades CD that he and his friends produced. The CD contains color illustrations of over 1800 brands of blades and 4000 varieties within those brands. This is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference on American razor blades available today.

Robert K Waits then discussed his newly completed Safety Razor Compendium, available on CD. It is a greatly expanded version of his Safety Razor Reference Guide and First Supplement that were published in 1990 and 1992, respectively. The new compendium features significantly more safety razors, both American and Foreign, beautiful color photographs and illustrations, and enhanced searching capabilities. It also includes women's razors.

Ed Schmiedeler gave an excellent presentation on the Gillette Safety Razor Company and the many and varied razors and promotional items it produced. The company had, and continues to have, great expertise in promotion, advertising, and marketing. Many examples were presented.

Tom Willard then discussed the new Shaving Collectibles Site on the Internet (shaveworld.org) and how it has grown since it was first launched in December of 2004. Even though photos and descriptions of a large number of shaving collectibles are on the Web site, there is certainly room for further growth. Those registered on the site are encouraged to add items from their collections.

Participants were treated to gift bags, complements of the the Gillette Company and Schick Wilkinson Sword, and door prizes were given away. Contributing door prizes were Roy Johnson, Dale Justus, Robert Wilkinson Latham, Jerry Rosenthal, Ed Schmiedeler, Herb Sharp, and Robert Waits. A big thank you to all.

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.

At the end of the day, a consensus was reached to hold another meeting next year around the same time of year. It was felt that West Chester, Ohio, provided a somewhat central location for attendees and was fairly accessible. However, other locations, meeting formats, etc are open for discussion. Those attending, with few exceptions, said they would attend a meeting next year.

Special thanks are extended to those who contributed to the photos seen below: Jean-Paul Espourteau, Ed Schmiedeler, Jerry Rosenthal, and Robert Waits. Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.

Friday Evening Pre-Meeting Dinner
Bravo Cucina Italiana

Meeting and Displays

Sunday Brunch with The Rosenthals