Gillette Safety Razors

[Horn_Spanker 524]

About three years ago I got into the "wet shaving" movement and bought my first safety razors (Merkur 33c, Edwin Jagger 89, Fatip Piccolo, Merkur Futur, Muhle R41).  Then I started collecting the vintage Gillette razors. 

I present to you what I have found over these three years.  All these are mine, if at some point if I need to show an example that's not mine, I will note it.  

In 1903 Gillette was formed and started production.  They really didn't get going until 1904.  I present to you my 1906 "Single Ring" Gillette:

I know under that tarnish is silver, but I decided not to erase 112 years of patina.  If you ever find a "double ring", buy it, very rare.

(I've been drinking, so bear with me)

[Horn_Spanker 524]

From about 1921 to 1928 Gillette produced what is known as the "Old Type".

You see how they were plated with gold, nickel, and the bottom is silver.  Notice the ball handle, it will continue into the next generation.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

The 1930s produced the "New" razor design.  (my favorite)

Notice how Gillette still used the ball handle since I'm sure they still had surplus, then started with the fatter bar handle.

Sometimes Gillette would introduce weird shit, like these "Goodwill" New types.

[TXs 226]

Nice, I have a few fat boys and slims, with a few new types. The Fat Boy feels the best, but I think the slim gives the better shave. 

 

I'll have to dig out the rest.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

The 1940s were all about the "Techs".  Tons of these were produced!  If you find an old razor at a flea market, it'll probably be a Tech.  People that shave with them, love them.  The first pic is my oldest, notice how the slots in the guard are kinda triangle shaped, these were the first and are called "Pre-War Techs".  Later ones had rectangular holes.  They started out with the fat handle, but later ones had one piece ball end handles.

 

Here is a comparison of the two ball handles used through history.  The larger ball on the "Old Type" is three pieces pressed together.  Most came apart over the years.  The smaller ball handle on the Tech is a one piece handle.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

The house I grew up in was built in the late 1800s.  At some point in the early 20th century, someone added a medicine cabinet to the upstairs bathroom that had a slot inside where you disposed of old razor blades.  Shit fascinated me.   They just fell into the wall space.  

[Prepuce of Doom 21110]

This "hobby" utterly bewilders me. There were a ton of dudes who were really into it on a cigar forum I used to post on. They were all middle aged and older, not just hipster dilettantes. 

It seems like it might as well be boutique deodorant, or collecting and using vintage toothbrushes, or getting stoked about trimming your toenails. I'm sure I'm missing the point and overlooking the type of enjoyment and satisfaction that people get from it, but if it takes even 30 seconds longer to go through this type of ritual each morning, I would rather spend it sleeping in.

I'm not at all knocking it - I really enjoy the weird (to me) shit that people are into. I am just totally perplexed by the "shaving enthusiast" thing is all.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4979]

Yeah, I use a safety razor with feather blades to shave and soap and brush and all that, but I don't get the whole collecting or obsessing over this or that shave oil business. To each his own I guess. I'd imagine it is something that is cheap enough if you are just collecting the old razors. The other stuff gets pricey pretty quick though.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

A cheap hobby.  Why collect Hot Wheel cars, coins, stamps?

Even thought the Techs continued through to the 70s, the "TTO" (twist to open) razors started to appear in the late 40s, and throughout the 50s.  You probably remember your grandfathers using these, twist the bottom and the butterfly doors would open.  They were called "Super Speeds" and evolved into two different designs.  They started with the straight TTO knob.

And then evolved into the flare TTO knob.  90% had the nickel knob, but a few came with red tip (more aggressive) and a blue tip (milder).

What I've been showing are the basic highly produced "working man's" razors, but Gillette did make specialty through the years.  Aristocrats, Senators, Executives,  Sheratons, Milords, etc.  Here's a 1953 President I found that looked like it had been in a shower for 60 years, just caked with soap scum and mildew.  It turned out to be rhodium!

[Horn_Spanker 524]

The late 50s saw the beginning of the "Adjustable".  The Fatboy makes it's appearance, or as Gillette calls it, the 195 (because it sold for $1.95).  I would estimate that the Fatboy is the most desirable Gillette as of today?

Don't know why, but the Fatboy only lasted about four years and was replaced with the Slim in the early 60s.  

In my opinion, the Slim was the end.  All this time Gillette made the razors out of brass which could be re-plated and polished.  In the late 60s and through the 70s, Gillette introduced the "Super Adjustable" aka "Black Beauty" in anodized aluminum.  Can't do anything with it.

[G650 14278]

15 hours ago, Horn_Spanker said:

The 1940s were all about the "Techs".  Tons of these were produced!  If you find an old razor at a flea market, it'll probably be a Tech.  People that shave with them, love them.  The first pic is my oldest, notice how the slots in the guard are kinda triangle shaped, these were the first and are called "Pre-War Techs".  Later ones had rectangular holes.  They started out with the fat handle, but later ones had one piece ball end handles.

 

Here is a comparison of the two ball handles used through history.  The larger ball on the "Old Type" is three pieces pressed together.  Most came apart over the years.  The smaller ball handle on the Tech is a one piece handle.

I'm all about the Tech. 

 

More of a straight guy than DE, but have several Gillettes, probably my favorite is a Red Tip tbh.

[TXs 226]

I've got a red tip tech somewhere that gives a good shave

[TwiceHorn 31586]

On 4/19/2018 at 9:50 PM, Judge Roybeanbag said:

The house I grew up in was built in the late 1800s.  At some point in the early 20th century, someone added a medicine cabinet to the upstairs bathroom that had a slot inside where you disposed of old razor blades.  Shit fascinated me.   They just fell into the wall space.  

Yeah, my parent's house, built in 1950, had cabinets with those.  Kinda freaked me out.

[TwiceHorn 31586]

On 4/19/2018 at 9:56 PM, Prepuce of Doom said:

This "hobby" utterly bewilders me. There were a ton of dudes who were really into it on a cigar forum I used to post on. They were all middle aged and older, not just hipster dilettantes. 

It seems like it might as well be boutique deodorant, or collecting and using vintage toothbrushes, or getting stoked about trimming your toenails. I'm sure I'm missing the point and overlooking the type of enjoyment and satisfaction that people get from it, but if it takes even 30 seconds longer to go through this type of ritual each morning, I would rather spend it sleeping in.

I'm not at all knocking it - I really enjoy the weird (to me) shit that people are into. I am just totally perplexed by the "shaving enthusiast" thing is all.  

 

On 4/19/2018 at 10:02 PM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Yeah, I use a safety razor with feather blades to shave and soap and brush and all that, but I don't get the whole collecting or obsessing over this or that shave oil business. To each his own I guess. I'd imagine it is something that is cheap enough if you are just collecting the old razors. The other stuff gets pricey pretty quick though.

It's a superior way to shave, really, using any decent cream or soap.  Oil is good shit, too.  And it's vastly cheaper than the latest Fusion XXXL Intergalactic 17 blade, heated, vibrating head razor machine.

 

As far as collecting, they're just another little machine or tool.  Like watches, or knives or whatever.  I don't collect them, but they do interest me a little bit and I don't have a single question as to why people collect them.

[Deej 76972]

Yeah, my parent's house, built in 1950, had cabinets with those.  Kinda freaked me out.

The house I grew up in was built in the early 50s and had that slot in the master bath medicine cabinet. When my parents remodeled in the late 80's, there were razor blades stacked behind the wall almost halfway to the medicine cabinet.

[Apep 645]

On 4/19/2018 at 9:56 PM, Prepuce of Doom said:

This "hobby" utterly bewilders me. There were a ton of dudes who were really into it on a cigar forum I used to post on. They were all middle aged and older, not just hipster dilettantes. 

It seems like it might as well be boutique deodorant, or collecting and using vintage toothbrushes, or getting stoked about trimming your toenails. I'm sure I'm missing the point and overlooking the type of enjoyment and satisfaction that people get from it, but if it takes even 30 seconds longer to go through this type of ritual each morning, I would rather spend it sleeping in.

I'm not at all knocking it - I really enjoy the weird (to me) shit that people are into. I am just totally perplexed by the "shaving enthusiast" thing is all.  

The hobby should not be surprising. The vast majority of us probably did not learn to shave with safety razors. When we first start using them, there is a period of searching for what works best for us. So the guy with a single long-handle Merkur might cycle through many blades, soaps, and other disposable equipment in his search. Some guys take it one more step and cycle through razors and brushes. I never did.

When I was unemployed a few years back, I bought my first safety razor. (It really is much cheaper, and, once you get used to it, it takes roughly the same time as shaving with a ten-bladed monstrosity.) Except for buying a smaller version for travel, I've stayed with the same razor. I've gone through a number of blades and soaps over the years, but it didn't take long to find what works best. I think this might be the best explanation: Because you can find so many quality razors in thrift stores and at garage sales, (and because soaps and blades are cheap), unemployed Millennials were able to indulge in this hobby. (It's no surprise DE shaving took off at the same time as hipster beards.) The employed could also indulge in it to a greater degree. 

[miguelito 11321]

Fuck everything, we're going to 5 blades.

[Okie State 3848]

Pretty cool you have all those. I switched to a safety razor a few years ago and will never switch back. I'd pick up one of the old Gillettes if I ran across one.

[Buzzrock 14950]

I look at those things and I just imagine cuts everywhere. Probably because the first time I saw one was in the scene in The Wall when Pink shaves off his eyebrows and bleeds all over.

[heso 2816]

I’d be interested to hear what yinz guys favorite soaps are. I’m looking for something to try.

[GringoSalado 1652]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I look at those things and I just imagine cuts everywhere. Probably because the first time I saw one was in the scene in The Wall when Pink shaves off his eyebrows and bleeds all over.

I recently switched to a safety razor from a 5-bladed whatever. I shave in the shower, no mirror (and no special brush, soap, oils or whatever), and my first few attempts were not unlike that scene. But my cost is about $1/week, so I got that going for me.

Edited June 27, 2018 by GringoSalado

[G650 14278]

48 minutes ago, heso said:

I’d be interested to hear what yinz guys favorite soaps are. I’m looking for something to try.

It depends on mood really. But in my old age I've gotten lazy and just use D.R. Harris. It lathers very, very well in any water type.

The Speick Shave stick stick is my go to for travel. Fuck Arko.

 

[G650 14278]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I look at those things and I just imagine cuts everywhere. Probably because the first time I saw one was in the scene in The Wall when Pink shaves off his eyebrows and bleeds all over.

I actually heard One of My Turns on the radio today.

[Buzzrock 14950]

I recently switched to a safety razor from a 5-bladed whatever. I shave in the shower, no mirror (and no special brush, soap, oils or whatever), and my first few attempts were not unlike that scene. But my cost is about $1/week, so I got that going for me.

I have a beard so I only shave a small part of my face and only a couple times per week. I dry the blade after each use so disposables last me a long time. I can’t use the cheap plastic disposables though, they shred my face.

[GringoSalado 1652]

4 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

 

I have a beard so I only shave a small part of my face and only a couple times per week. I dry the blade after each use so disposables last me a long time. I can’t use the cheap plastic disposables though, they shred my face.

 

I started shaving in the shower because I ran out of shaving cream in college, but kept doing it because it eliminated all my razor burn problems. But you can't see what you are doing.

[Superhero 8856]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I look at those things and I just imagine cuts everywhere. Probably because the first time I saw one was in the scene in The Wall when Pink shaves off his eyebrows and bleeds all over.

Once you learn not to go sideways, it’s as easy as using the Gillette Blade Runner 2048 (TM) or equivalent.

During the week, I’m too lazy to lather up, so I shave in the shower with some lavender body wash. You don’t need a mirror. Just feel your face to know where you missed a spot. The only time I look in the mirror is to make sure the sideburns are even.

re blades. I tried a variety pack. I know people rave about Feathers, and they ARE really sharp; but I thought they gave a rough shave and don’t last long. There was a blade made in Pakistan (Treet?) that gave the smoothest shave, but also didn’t last long. I thought the Gillettes was the most balanced between smoothness and longevity.

[G650 14278]

I used to use Gillette exclusively, but the med prep Personnas are where it's at.

[dcbc 14539]

On 6/27/2018 at 9:54 AM, heso said:

I’d be interested to hear what yinz guys favorite soaps are. I’m looking for something to try.

I don't experiment too much, but Proraso Green feels the best to me.  The red seemed a bit thinner, but smelled better.  I'm using Arco at the moment.  I like the smell, and it seems to lather up with less. 

I use a wrung out damp brush to collect soap and add a few drops of water to it after I spread the soap around to get a good lather.  I don't lather in a bowl.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4979]

On 6/27/2018 at 3:19 PM, Superhero said:

Once you learn not to go sideways, it’s as easy as using the Gillette Blade Runner 2048 (TM) or equivalent.

During the week, I’m too lazy to lather up, so I shave in the shower with some lavender body wash. You don’t need a mirror. Just feel your face to know where you missed a spot. The only time I look in the mirror is to make sure the sideburns are even.

re blades. I tried a variety pack. I know people rave about Feathers, and they ARE really sharp; but I thought they gave a rough shave and don’t last long. There was a blade made in Pakistan (Treet?) that gave the smoothest shave, but also didn’t last long. I thought the Gillettes was the most balanced between smoothness and longevity.

Feathers last me like six months. But then I have a beard and only shave my neckline one to three times a month or so. I just run hot water over it to get the blade warm and then blow the water off so that it can dry.

[SlingeroGuitaro 189]

I use feathers when I have more than 3-4 days of growth. I throw them away after every use. I find them too aggressive for every day use.  I'll use the Astra platinum blades for every day shaves. Smooth performing and no irritation. I typically pair these with a Merkur Progress adjustable razor.

 

The fine accoutrements soaps are great performers and smell great. Match them with their aftershave and you're golden. 

I also really like razorock croaps, and catie's bubbles as well.

Edited July 1, 2018 by SlingeroGuitaro

[G650 14278]

Razorock stuff is top notch. Cella as well.

[Shenanigans 31]

I use Taylor of Old Bond Street. Sandalwood, cedarwood, and avocado (sounds weird, smells good) are typically the scents I go with.

I get the cream over the soap as it takes less time to get a good thick lather going.

[MAROON 445]

TOBS Eaton College, TOBS Sandalwood, along with Proraso are in my usual rotation.  Merkur with Feather blades and a Geo Trumper badger brush.

[SlingeroGuitaro 189]

I've got a tub of TOBS cedarwood that i've used maybe twice. Irritates my skin so if anyone wants it let me know

 

[dcbc 14539]

Started with a cheap boar brush, but eventually got an inexpensive badger that has lasted me for a couple of years so far.  Just a basic Merkur (shorter handle) off Amazon.  Started with Derby Extra for blades and haven't bothered exploring since they last several shaves (I go about a week on a blade) and don't irritate my skin. 

Witch Hazel followed by, (Hey, check out the old man) Ice Blue Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer. 

What do they say, if it was good enough for Dad.

[SlingeroGuitaro 189]

Check out Whipped Dog brushes. Great quality badger brushes for not a lot of money. Made in Dallas if I remember correctly

[G650 14278]

Whipped Dog definitely makes good stuff.

 

I went through a ton of brushes till I ended up with  a Simpson's M7 silvertip, then I was done. Gave away all my other brushes except for a Duke 3 I use to travel with.

[dcbc 14539]

On 7/3/2018 at 7:43 AM, G650 said:

Whipped Dog definitely makes good stuff.

 

I went through a ton of brushes till I ended up with  a Simpson's M7 silvertip, then I was done. Gave away all my other brushes except for a Duke 3 I use to travel with.

$330 brush!  Surly Elite!

[SlingeroGuitaro 189]

I've got a Simpson's CH2 silvertip. Best brushes on the planet, but absolutely not necessary. 

[G650 14278]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

$330 brush!  Surly Elite!

 

In butterscotch no less.