Shaun2
Forum GOD!
I recently found this completely unused piece of Japanese wet-shaving history in a junk shop in Osaka. Information on these early Japanese single-edge sets is practically non-existent in Western forums, so hopefully, this archive helps fellow enthusiasts.
The Kit & Condition
While the branding explicitly names the "Bon Safety Razor Works, Tokyo, Japan" (originally registered under president Narcizo Urata), this is the pre-unified history of the FEATHER Safety Razor Co.
Mechanical Design Quirk
The Bon Maeet No. 9 was engineered as a premium, localized single-edge variant of the Western Valet AutoStrop mechanical design (specifically mimicking the VC2 blade-holder mechanics). It utilises an internal swinging gear assembly designed to flip and strop a proprietary "Bon Special" single-edge blade flat against a leather strap without removing it from the head. The kit contains an unused, wrapped razor.
Please enjoy!
The Kit & Condition
- Model: Bon Maeet "9 "Jinbai" (陣羽 - meaning "The Vanguard" or "Battlefront" Razor).
- Condition: Complete New Old Stock (NOS). The razor and its components are completely unused and still sealed in their original, fragile 1950s factory cellophane wrappers.
- Case: Bold mid-century presentation design featuring a vibrant red plastic base with a clear acrylic lid stamped: "Bon" MAEET Safety Razor Made in Japan.
- Paperwork & Shipper: Includes the original cardboard outer shipping sleeve (showing a couple of minor tears from decades of storage) and the original Japanese instruction leaflet (fully intact but a bit scrunched up).
While the branding explicitly names the "Bon Safety Razor Works, Tokyo, Japan" (originally registered under president Narcizo Urata), this is the pre-unified history of the FEATHER Safety Razor Co.
- Post-War Roots: Originating from the Japan Safety Razor Co. out of Seki City, the manufacturer launched the specialized "Bon" brand footprint in Tokyo to satisfy domestic demand for high-end luxury shaving tools during the post-war era.
- The 1950 Pinpoint: The transition away from heavy metal travel tins to two-tone red and clear display plastics pins this exact kit to circa 1950. Just three years later, in February 1953, the company officially consolidated all sub-brands under the world-famous FEATHER name.
Mechanical Design QuirkThe Bon Maeet No. 9 was engineered as a premium, localized single-edge variant of the Western Valet AutoStrop mechanical design (specifically mimicking the VC2 blade-holder mechanics). It utilises an internal swinging gear assembly designed to flip and strop a proprietary "Bon Special" single-edge blade flat against a leather strap without removing it from the head. The kit contains an unused, wrapped razor.
Please enjoy!
A quick Google also shows a "7" and an "8", and a double edge. Nice looking razors.