A problem challenge with straight razors is that they require skill to keep sharp. A safety razor on the other hand – be it using double edged, single edged, or even wedge blades – requires a lot less skill. So it is perhaps inevitable that someone will come up with a straight that uses replacable blades. Today we often call them shavettes. But when A V Brokhahne and C Langbein patented an early version back in 1887, they choose a more descriptive name: attachable and detachable back for razor-blades.
Conceptually there is little – if anything – that conceptually differs between their attachable and detachable back and a modern shavette.
There is a holder for the blade. The holder can be swung to rest against a handle. The whole thing looks more or less like a straight. The main differences seems to be the way the blade is secured, and that you would have to remove the blade to fold it.
But first, let us see how the inventors described their idea:
Our invention relates to detachable spring-backs primarily intended for holding the blades of safety-razors—as, for example, such as that for which Letters Patent were granted to F. and O. F. Kampfe, June 15, 1880, No. 228,904; but it is also applicable to the holding of a detachable blade for razors for actual use in shaving. It consists, partly, in the combination of a detachable and attachable spring-back for holding the blade of a razor for stropping the same or for shaving with the same, and a tang attached to said spring-back and pivoted to a handle for conveniently holding the same while stropping or shaving.
And yes, the attachable and detachable back for razor-blades was patented as an third part add-on of sorts to the Kampfe razor.
The Kampfe came with a holder for holding the blade while you stropped it. A holder which almost looks like you could use as a makeshift shavette. Brokhahne and Langbein’s invention aims to replace the blade holder with one that could be used for both stropping and shaving.
Since it was meant to be used with a wedge blade, the blade holder could be a simple piece of shaped steel. The laminated handle was vide enough to fit into the slot. All in all it is of remarkable simple construction, as can be seen in the drawing.
Patent drawing for US patent 377,926
I see no reason why a modern version of this couldn’t be made to fit a GEM-blade. But if I were to make one, I would make a slot in the handle for the blade, so it could stay in the attachable and detachable back.
You can read the full patent for the Attachable and Detachable Back for Razor-Blades over at Google Patents.