In praise of the Super Speed

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by '65 G-Slim, Apr 8, 2017.

  1. brit

    brit in a box

    just purchased ,1956 b-1.had 2 1957 c-1 and sold them to my friend,his birth year razors.loved the way they shave. ss.jpg
     
  2. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    The loose door on the FatBoy is usually a bent comb (guard bar). I believe there are threads on most of the various shaving boards on how to diagnose problems with the various Gillette TTO's. If it's a 40's style Super Speed, with no date, that makes it a 1947-49, and there are various ways to identify it. @mgbbrown on B&B has a thread specifically about the Super Speeds.
     
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  3. drone115b

    drone115b Active Member

    @Bookworm I think a lot of us engage the aggressive razor early on when we start wet-shaving. As our technique improves, we are able to get exceptional shaves from milder and milder razors. I think this is part of the process because we teach new DE shavers not to go over the same spot without cream/soap, but as we get more experience, we all learn how to buff. (Buffing is going over the same spot over and over without cream/soap.) From my point of view, that makes all the difference. Once you can buff, you can use something like a mild vintage Gillette and get as close as a shave as you want. From experience, you know when to stop to prevent the burn.
     
  4. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    @drone115b - My first razor is/was a black handled superspeed from the 80's. I shaved with it for 20 years (still do). Every razor is different, so is every soap, and every blade. So, I can buff, but I try not to do it unless I have to. Heck, I can dry shave my upper lip and chin if necessary. It doesn't mean it's fun :)
     
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  5. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    The weather is starting to warm up so I think it's time the full box beard was turned into a Van Dyke. I need to dig out the NEW, which I keep on hand for exactly this yearly purpose.
     
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  6. Stu929

    Stu929 Well-Known Member

    I love my super speed flare so far. Looking for a 1980 as its my birth year but so far I love my current superspeed.

    Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
     
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  7. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    First, thanks for making me learn the term "buff". With the Weishi, you buff all the time, whether you like it or not. Because it doesn't cut much at a single pass. And it's not just my newbish idea. It appears to be the norm:

    So i think it works opposite too. With a mild razor, you are forced to buff, either you like it or not. But, for me, it's still not enough. I can buff 5 times with Derby and the result will be worse than 2 buffs with Astra SP. :happy102:
    The Weishi needs buffing + sharp blade, if you want to make your life easier. If you want to make your life harder, you wait with the hope to become blade master and cut with one pass with Derby.
     
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  8. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    Or you could get a Super Adjustable and stop horsing around. :)
     
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  9. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    I find it's more a function of the hair growth, at least for me. If I shave daily, then one pass with a SuperSpeed means that I just have to touch up around the chin and nose (which you have to do no matter WHAT razor you use, from what I've seen). If I give it three or four days, then two passes. Today was a WTG/XTG, and then ATG/XTG. (I don't go directly against or with the grain for most of my face. It's unnecessary)

    I didn't beat the williams enough, however. Got a small nick below the Adam's Apple.
     
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  10. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    Mmm, the idea to get an old razor doesn't appeal to me. If i buy an adjustable, i read very good things about Parker Variant. But why rush. I don't mind buffing, as long as i can get a good shave. Being very mild has also the advantage that it is very hard to nick yourself. That's not to underestimate.
     
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  11. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    You could hunt around until you get a NOS - still in package. They come up reasonably often.
     
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  12. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    What's a "NOS"?
     
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  13. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    Apologies. New Old Stock. It means that the original razor is still in the original sealed packaging (mostly sealed in some cases, due to age of the cardboard and glue).
     
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  14. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

  15. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    Ah! I didn't know such items exist. I guess i would have to monitor e-bay (i don't even have an account there, but anyway). I don't think i have enough motivation to do such daily monitoring, but who knows, i may encounter something by pure luck. Thanks, i learnt something new.

    Just curious, is there anything wrong with Parker Variant? I mean, what would be the advantage of an old production Gilette compared to Parker Variant?
     
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  16. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    Several different reasons/advantages, honestly.

    The company behind the Parker Variant doesn't have the infrastructure that most of the older companies did. That leads to cost cutting whenever possible, and a low R&D budget.
    Current razors are often chromed. Older razors are usually nickel plated. Nickel plating is thicker, and usually stronger.
    Current razors are usually zinc, or sintered, and the TTO's are often steel or aluminum, at least for the doors and central screw. Older ones are mostly brass.
    The biggest one is that the Slim Adjustable and the later Super Adjustables were mature technology, and had the bugs worked out of them. (Mostly in the Toggle :p ) Most of the current ones are either copying the older technology, or still working things out a bit.

    That doesn't make the new ones BAD. It just means that many of the old/vintage ones are BETTER. That's it. It's like asking if a Fiat is better than a Citroen. Depends on the purpose.
     
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  17. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    Oh - almost forgot. Chrome plating is no longer as good as it used to be. Especially for zinc, you have to apply a copper plating first, then chrome the copper. The folks that do the copper plating have to use cyanide, and the restrictions have become insane to the point where modern chrome plating is NOT very good over the long term, especially when exposed to 'weather'. (water, ice, salt, etc)
     
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  18. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    I see, thanks. Although, i think that Parkers were supposed to be brass in general, rather than zamak? I also read that FATIP makes brass razors, although not adjustables.
     
  19. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    IMG_0244.JPG
    Okay but would you rather have a Variant or the above beautiful piece of American technology?
     
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  20. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    I don't like black handles. I like shiny handles. It's why i ordered a 2nd chrome plated weishi instead of a gunmetal one. So yes, the Variant is prettier. :)
     

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