The Real McCoy

Bulawayo City Hall

The Real McCoy

As Mayor of Bulawayo, Abe Menashe visited all the factories in turn to give them publicity.  He visited a school every week to speak to the school assembly and a different church every week to create interest, and get a lot of publicity for himself.

The Real McCoy

Mr. Musset, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, came to see Abe’s Swiss Blade factory.  The machines stamped out the metal, ground, honed and sharpened the blades.  At that time platinum blades were all the rage, promising to hold their edge and give the most comfortable shave.

Phil Gordon, Abe’s partner, got a hold of an old dental x-ray chair and x-ray machine.  It was installed in a small room.  They passed the razor blades past the  the x-ray machine. It bombarded platinum onto the blades.    “It was all a bunch of bullshit!”   But Mr. Musset was suitably impressed.

After the tour of the factory, they sat down to tea.  Mr. Musset said, “You can be proud.  Rhodesia is manufacturing so many things.   But we have to admit  our quality is not as good as overseas.”  He opened the jacket of his suit to display his tie and went on,  “Christian Dior for instance…”

“Excuse me, Mr. Minister.  That tie was made in my factory four hundred yards away.  I’ve got the rights to make Christian Dior from my partner Norky Abrams, the top manufacturing firm in Johannesburg.  I have a tie manufacturer from Germany who knows the tie industry.  We are making dressing gowns also.  I don’t have to pay royalties because we are fighting sanctions in Rhodesia. You know I advised Ian Smith against UDI, but I’m doing very well out of it.”

Phil was a coin collector.  They sold Ian Smith platinum coins minted in Johannesburg.