Has anyone ever definitively determined what the occasional symbols meant on the bottom of '50s era Super Speeds, where the handle joins the blade tray? Sometimes they show up with marks like a captial O; others with what looks like a capital I or possibly a + (can't remember which now). Anyone know what they signified to Gillette?
Are you possibly referring to the date codes, a single letter on one side of the neck and a single number on the other side?
If that is what you are looking at , here is a guide to get you started. There are many other sites that cover these as well. Also Mr Razors site complete with photos. http://www.safetyrazors.net/gil_ser2.htm#1920
My best guess is you are seeing the date code, however, Rockets and some other TTOs have symbols on the bottoms of the heads marking which head type they have. For instance, blue tip Rockets are marked I, regular Rockets are marked II, and red tip Rockets are marked III. There are also ones marked S, and marked A, but I don't entirely understand what those ones mean. I think that the American Superspeeds may be marked in a similar fashion. I think my Bluetip has a o, and my redtip has a +, but I will check when I am home.
Interesting. I've got a 2nd quarter 1955 red tip Super Speed - shameless plug - for sale on my web site and it doesn't have any of these markings. Only has the date code ( A 2), Gillette diamond logo, MADE IN USA, REG. U.S. and PAT. OFF. But no I, II, III, o or + anywhere.
Those are the symbols I'm talking about, not the date codes. I have a blue tip with two o's, one on each side of the handle. Have seen red tips marked with a II, and have seen + elsewhere (maybe a red tip, can't recall), but never have heard what any of them means. If they're unique to the '50s era super speeds, and consistent from model to model, I guess it'd make sense as some kind of code for the plant to distinguish between blue tip/silver tip/red tip and the varying severity of cut.
Like I said, my '55 red tip doesn't have any of these markings.. so it's not consistent but definitely unique. I can understand how to denote aggressiveness, it would be I for the regular SS, II on the blue tip SS and III on the red tip SS... I wonder what the very rare tan tip SS had. IIII?
I happened to get one of those very rare tan tips along with the red...except the tip has turned black on me.
There is no such thing as a tan tip, only Red, Blue and Black. The + and 0 marks near where the handle attaches to the head denote aggressiveness on the Red and Blue tips. However these marks aren't on every Red or Blue tip razor. I have two Red tips with no markings, two Blue tips with 0's and two Black tips with no markings. I believe other models may have had these markings but mostly on UK made razors. Mr Razor can verify that. I generally only collect US made Gillette razors. Len
