Schick Krona: All but forgotten

Gillette, it seems, has ruled the twist-to-open double-edge razor scene since its introduction in 1934 with the one-piece, open comb Aristocrat. But there was one that, performance-wise, gave King Camp's razor a real run for the money. It wasn't all pretty gold-plated (although there *is* a gold-plated version), nor did it have fancy knurling on the handle. In fact, it was rather plain and unassuming...

 First-generation Schick Krona

Nickel & Gold

There's not a whole lot of information about the Krona. Like Gillette, there are markings under the bottom plate. Mine is marked as such...

...a "1" over an "M" on the left, and another "1" over "5" on the right. It was thought that the "M" stood for the plant of manufacture (Milford, CT), but the true meaning is still unknown. I did find this plausible bit of information on one of the better-known shaving forums:

• ca. 1964-65: original design with short metal knob, two-ply center bar, labelled with code M-5 and "Made in U.S.A" plus either a "SCHICK" or a triangle logo, blank doors, approximate weight 55-g.
• ca. 1966: design revised with long metal knob, two-ply center bar, often labelled with code 6-M, "3-2" or "4-2", and "Made in U.S.A" plus either a "SCHICK" or a triangle logo, blank doors, approximate weight 50-g.
• ca. 1966: as above, but grey instead of black and branded EVERSHARP with eagle logo.
• ca. 1967-68: design revised for 1967 patents, plastic knob, one-ply center bar, often labelled with code 1-M, "PATENTS PENDING", doors stamped "Schick - Schick" or "Schick - Krona" or "Schick - (blank)", approximate weight 38-g.
• ca. 1968-76 or later: plastic knob, one-ply center bar, various codes, doors stamped "Schick - Schick" or "Schick - Krona" or "Schick - (blank)", approximate weight 38-g.

Of course, this is not a definitive explanation, but it *is* one of the few sources of information on the Krona I've been able to find. The only 100% accurate, can't be denied, set in stone *fact* about the Krona is this:

It is one helluva razor. 

The blades that came with mine were early production "Plus-Platinum", marked "18" over "K", which is just as big of a mystery as the razor's markings. I seriously doubt they have anything to do with the date of manufacture, as I had ordered some later-production blades marked "17" over "R". These are *great* blades; smooth, sharp, Teflon-coated masterpieces. In fact, I have a package of three more 5-packs in my hand I just took out of my mailbox...

The top dispenser is what I received with my razor. According to my source, it's dated late '60's - early '70's. The font used on the blades changed in 1971, and in 1976, the phrase "with exclusive TEFLON coating" was first used. The bottom pack is the latest production, having dropped the "TEFLON" and added "Fits all Double Edge Razors". They are still the (reportedly) same great blade.

Another blade worth trying are the Super Chromiums...

...not quite on the same level as the Plus-Plats, but still worth keeping a few on hand. (Yet another version, the "Krona-Chrome", is available, but I've not tried it...yet.) I had my best shave ever last night with my '50 Gillette Super Speed and a Plus-Plat, so who knows? The Super might turn out to be the blade of choice for my '41 Ranger Tech. But I digress...

(Note: All of the NOS blades I've purchased had to be removed from the dispenser, separated (a pointy-blade X-acto knife works great), and cleaned with soapy water. Schick apparently used some type of preservative, a light oil perhaps, that turned to glue over time. Not a difficult task, but they would not slide out in the normal manner otherwise.)

The Krona is long, about 3/4" longer than a Super Speed, not quite 1/4" longer than a Slim adjustable. I thought having that long of a handle would be awkward (like the Super Adjustable 109), but on the contrary...it felt well-balanced and easy to use. Some folks say the handle is plastic, but from the feel of it, I'm inclined to agree that it's a resin-coated metal (brass, I'll wager). I didn't find it slippery in the least, although the TTO knob could be a bit grippier. It's not as readily available as a Gillette, and from what I've noticed, that's reflected in the prices of better condition razors. Still, one can be had for less than the price of a '40s Super Speed. An under-rated and under-appreciated razor worth keeping in your rotation.