My Rocket flare-tip has the "II" marking...inside of base plate has "Patent Pending" instead of British patent number... ...while my HD is unmarked...
I also have an "S" stamped on a razor, but it's on an Army Tech in a bakelite case. It's on the bottom of the bottom plate. Left side on this picture, if you can see it. I've looked and still haven't found any references on it.
Looking again at my English and USA made Super Speeds, the Mild, Medium and Heavy English ones have the 'I', 'II' and 'III', but the USA ones don't.
Looking through my razors, the only one I can find with the 'S' mark is this: All of my U.K. Super Speed flair tips (not coloured tips) have the 'II' mark.
I've always found that particular style of Tech to be interesting. They seem to only have been made during the War and have the oval slots from the post-War Tech but no shoulder notches (like the pre-War Tech). I read a supposition once that they may have been made under some kind of subcontract to Gillette with the 'S' possibly denoting the source.
Interesting. I think my WWII Tech with the 'S' is actually a Contract Tech head with a Bakelite handle. I hope Mr Razor doesn't mind my reproducing this: Look at the head and see the 'S'. That is exactly like mine, but I don't have the cool handle. Notice also the oval slots whereas the 41-45 'Camouflage' version has triangular slots. So, perhaps John Ruschmeyer has hit the nail on the head with his proposition that the 'S' means an outsourced item?
Well, this arrived today: It has the 'S' stamped onto the guard plate but has oval rather than the triangular guard slots. I have a reference that oval guard slots were post 1947, does anyone know if that's correct?
Hi, I have this Contract Tech set that was dated by the seller from the blades that were with it originally as 1945. It has the S stamped on it, and the oval slots. I hope this helps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I suspect that it is more correct to say that the post-War ones have oval slots *and* corner notches since it appears that oval slots apparently found their way into some wartime versions.
That's a beauty you don't see very often! The Brit TV Special is the only one left on my acquire list (to complete my collection).
Interesting. I just got a Flare Tip Rocket and it does have the A stamped on the underside of the blade bed. However, unlike described here, this one has the very distinct pointed end British end caps as shown in the attached photos. This razor weighs right at 60 grams. This razor incidentally was shipped to me from Canada if that sheds any light at all.
I have a 40s style with the S rather than II. I have never got my hands on an English Blue Tip so I don't know if it is that head, or if it is something else