So to catch up anyone that didn't see my other thread. I discovered a in very good shape Gillette gold ball end tech at an antiques store the other day for a whooping $10! I cleaned it up yesterday with the intent of shaving with it today with some Gillette platinums I purchased. I have been shaving with a straight for a few weeks successfully now do pre and aftercare I kept the same. I used some AoS pre shave oil (I love that stuff). I decided to try out the C.O. Bigelow I picked up Yesterday. I liked that a lot it has a great tingling/cooling sensation to it but not my favorite cream so far. Onto the shave itself. Wow... When people say its a mild razor I finally understand what they mean!! I barely felt like it was shaving and had to get used to finding the blade in the lather during my strokes. Before I finished my cheek I had already decided I want to try a more aggressive razor soon. I did a full three passes and got a nice near bbs shave with a couple of rough spots under one jaw. But I would seriously have to try to cut myself with that tech. I got a touch of razor burn above the corner of my mouth I went over a few times. I didn't know if I should take apart the razor to dry after shaving or just wipe it off. Overall a fairly simple and enjoyable Experience. I don't think it will replace my straight as my main shaver but certainly will be used from time to time or when I travel.
You might want to try a sharper/more aggressive blade. I found myself using a lot of pressure if I had a lesser blade in my Techs and had to upgrade the blade before I got comfortable with it.
Yes, they are mild, but when loaded with a Feather they work really well for me. BTW you are just in time for the upcoming tech week. Lucky you
I had a feeling it was going to be mild coming from straights. I know I've seen some super speeds at other antique stores when I was snooping around for straights so maybe I'll pick one of those up or maybe a fat boy. Tech week? That sounds interesting I'll have to look into that. I'm going on vacation next week and I think I'll bring the tech along for that.
Speaking of SS, my absolute go-to razor is my 1955 SS. Gives me BBS every single time. You can usually get the SS cheap so pick one up next time you see one.
The Soph Gent, I have several SS's, but have only used the blue tip and silver. If you could consider the English Rocket Flair a superspeed, then that's my favorite. I have other older ones, but am not sure what constitutes a superspeed. Was it just a name Gillette started giving their razors starting in the 50's?
The term Super Speed was a name given in the mid forties following the Second World War. We have an excellent thread on this subject by AsylumGuido: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/asylumguidos-guide-to-super-speed-identification.8461/
Although Rockets are very close to Super Speeds the blade gaps and weight differences made them a razor all their own. Gillette used the Rocket name in the U.K. and Commonwealth countries while the Super Speeds were seen in U.S. markets.
Thanks for the info. I will have to try those 40's SS's sitting in the cabinet, now. I do like the light flairs, though.