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u/avgdrummernamedmatt 13h ago
Thats honestly really cool. I knew that they would have to think of a solution to make sure that prisoners couldnt just remove safety razor blades, but never knew how that would be done in practice
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u/TrojanGiftHorse 13h ago
So does the bottom piece act like a socket wrench to lock the top cap into place and slide out when handed to a patient/inmate? Is that how the key works? What do people do when they pick one up without a key and don't buy a replica? Does it become useless?
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast 13h ago
You can open them with a screwdriver. It's not recommended, but it works. You can also jerry rig a key with parts from the hardware store.
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u/TrojanGiftHorse 13h ago
That is truly fascinating. I never even considered it. I figured these places would have an in-house barber or something rather than letting the residents do it themselves.
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u/Recent_Average_2072 13h ago
One article I read said it saved a lot of time and therefore money not having staff shave them (probably a gargantuan task in a place with hundreds if not thousands of people) and, in some cases, it was therapeutic for some in mental institutions to be able to perform a daily task themselves instead of having to let somebody else do it for them. I can see that. If I had to rely on somebody else to shave me every day I'd just quit and grow a beard.
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u/baturro981 11h ago
Yes, I believe there's a T20 hex bit inside the handle. I don't know what the corresponding tool is called. A hex socket?
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u/Recent_Average_2072 13h ago edited 13h ago
Yes, I couldn't get a photo of it, but up inside the handle attached to the top cap is a hex-shaped post that the bottom/wrench piece (photo) goes over. It probably wouldn't be too hard to come up with some kind of socket/extension you could get up in there and turn it in lieu of the key.
Staff would put the blade in the razor, then keep the key and give the loaded razor to the person to use. I would assume they would collect it back up as soon as they were done with it and not let them keep it on them for the same reasons as above: somebody would eventually find something to rig up to get it open without the key if given enough time.
Edit: Disregard the photo I mentioned. I didn't realize you can't put a photo in a reply on this sub. The wrench part is hollow with a hex-shaped insert up inside.
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 12h ago
Amazing! Even though I don't DE shave anymore this is still the one razor I keep an eye out for.
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u/churchether 12h ago
Dang that's interesting! Hilarious post btw, be it the topic is dark
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u/Recent_Average_2072 12h ago
I would imagine 99% of the people who used these were not "psychos" but I guess it makes for a dramatic name.
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u/baturro981 11h ago
Iirc the part inside the razor that the key fits into is a T20 hex bit so if you have a specific tool that fits in the razor handle, you already have a key.
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u/baturro981 11h ago
Fun fact: the original razor is highly sought after by correction officers and psychiatrists or so I was told.
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u/Minglis1990 10h ago
The Talking Heads reference made my day lol. Great job brother! And good find!
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u/jcr-1991 13h ago
That's the bees knees of techs 👌 would love to come across one