Best and Worst Gillette DE Razors

I suppose but you've got to love that moniker.

 

Vintage Gillette's brass or brass with nickel, gold or chrome plate prior to Zamak or aluminum for me. As far as SS, Flare 2/3 piece and TTO it varies even within those group models.
Depends on your aggressiveness likes. I keep the mid-major variants and tend to move the mild or super aggressive ones. The variables can also keep it fresh. Closed or open comb be it TTO or 2/3 piece.

 

Favorite/Best - Sheraton
Least Favorite - "worst" 70's super speed with black plastic handle like SA's.

The NEW LC is a great shaver too...

 

I have to say that switching from my Super Adjustable to a shorter handle razor like a Red Tip is confusing (going back and forth every other day). So I'm sticking with my short handle razors for a while... I like my '56 Red Tip a lot and haven't had a bad shave from any Gillette DE yet, but that just means I haven't collected enough!

 

Best : Importe d'Angleterre British Goodwill
Least favorite: Aluminium handle later model Tech S2

Glenn

 

Best: D3 Executive Fatboy. It was my first fatboy and scared me. My heart was literally thumping from all the hype. I was in fear that I was going to open my jugular, bleed out on the bathroom floor and forever be made fun of in the forums after you saw me on the 6 o'clock news. I went at it out of the box on 9, conquering my fear and had a fantastic shave. Typically do three passes...9/5/2 and love the results.

Worst: Zamac Travel Tech. I'm no fan of such a short handle. It's my "checked bag" razor, meaning I won't care when they lose my bag in Boston. When I carry on I bring a fatty and buy blades when I get where I'm going.

Count me in on the fan club.

 

Best Gillette in my collection: Rhodium plated '58 Fat Boy.

Worst (IMHO): Any SS except a Red Tip. I have 4. (Sorry guys, I just don't like 'em.)

 

Thank you! Majorly disappointed in my Tech. But to be fair, I've only got one shave with it since I'm in a 30 day focus with my two Old Types. I've got a couple candidates for favorite waiting for more shaves too -- LC New Fat and Red Tip. Fat Boy is my long time favorite they are trying to unseat.

 

I don't like any Gillette adjustables or any other clamshell TTO razors because of the head geometry and I'm also not impressed with the flair tip slim because it's too mild.

 

Fatboy is great but a tad too heavy for me is all that's wrong with it.

 

Worst: British Aristocrat Jr, 1951. Aluminum razor except for doors. Prone to bad corrosion, inside and out. Also, light as a Feather.
Best Shave: Fatboys, any year.
Best Looking: #15 Aristocrat. Enough said about this one.

 

The Star series weren't bad, but too light weight for me. My favorite is the Super Adjustable (long handle.)

 

Favorite would be the only one I own: 1971 Black Handle SS. That said, the Sheraton and an OC Aristocrat are the only Gillette models I window-shop. Least appealing to me, visually, is the Knack.

 

My favorite is a New Short Comb followed closely by a Long Comb. I never enjoyed the balance of any TTO Gillette.

 

Gillette Tech vary as they area family of razors spanning decades.
Money down a pre-war tech English or Canadian triangular base plate would change your mind. These have thicker top plates that make for a sharper angle on the shave and are more effecient without being aggressive. A must try before Tech judgement.

 

What I find interesting is that, with all the Gillette razors I own, I do not own a Tech. I think that's due to everything I've read about them that I've convinced myself that they're the worst Gillette razors out there. I know that's not fair since I've never tried one, but it's the one razor that some either love or hate. I have not bothered taking the plunge on that one.

 

It's not one razor as shown here. I can find you dozens of posts regarding Tech fans. Typically the pre-war variants. I can't stress enough that the Tech is not just one razor as it's a family of razors made from 1939 to 2008. Available in brass plated in nickel and rhodium being best. Bakelite, plastic, aluminum and pot steel. Three, four piece, thin and thick handles. Made in many different countries. Various weights.
Statements with "I like or don't like Tech's" are too broad without specifying which Tech.

 

I've only got a couple of Techs (English) and I wouldn't be without them. Having said that, of the two I definitely favour the flat bottomed one.

Worst razor in my limited experience was the Wilkinson Sword Classic with which I started DE shaving again last year. They got the head angle wrong for my liking but it spurred me on to buying vintage razors, so not bad.

Regards,
Chris

 

I don't know about the worst, but the best I've used is my 1956 red tip.

 

I am firmly in the Gillette Heavy Tech camp for "Best Razor" award. Having said that, yesterday I used a British Flare Tip Rocket for my Saturday Wildcard Shave and was pleasantly surprised...wonderful razor. Slightly more aggressive than the Heavy Tech...but really nice.