Gillette Rocket, the refined DE.

I'm so glad I caught this thread before all the photos disappeared.

The "bucket of razors" was a great photo.
Would be worth a few grand nowadays.

On my vintage Gillette journey the Rocket HD / 58 & Aristocrat Jr 's have ended up in my top 10 razors.

See below for the old photos

https://web.archive.org/web/2012012.../threads/gillette-rocket-the-refined-de.8590/

 

i will say.in my opinion the 1960's slim head all brass flare tips both u.s and rocket versions were the most efficient non adjustable razors to date.i have not tried the mid variant or square baseplate style black handle flare tip razors yet.

 

Thanks for the link -- I didn't think to look there.

Night and day difference with the pics. Now more things make sense, though I've only read the 1st page, not all 25+.

By mid variant, do you mean a flare-tip without a black handle? For the all-brass non-black-handles, I thought there were the ones with the high profile head, and then the ones with the low-profile head. What's the mid variant?

I was thinking of getting a flare-tip with the low profile head. There doesn't seem to be a concensus on the date they were introduced, but is it safe to say that if there are no rings on the tip, then it has the low-profile head? I've heard 1958, 1960, or 1962. Very puzzling.

It's amazing how sellers can show 10 pics but still not show what you're looking for. Very hard to tell usually if the head is low profile. If we can pinpoint the quarter/year, then we can go by that.

So many listings show razors I wouldn't even touch with my hand, let alone shave with them! And so many farkakte sellers don't even take the 100-year-old used blade out -- they actually advertise this as a selling point that you're getting an old rusty blade!


Thanks

 

black handled mid baseplate variant...slim profile head flare tip started around 1962.

 

Thanks.
I've seen flare-tips without the rings on the tip from 1960 or so. Do no rings on the tip guarantee low profile head? (I know, there are no guarantees in life.)

Many sellers think most vintage Gillettes are "rare", so they wouldn't know a slim head from a hole in the ground, so no use asking them. I guess they didn't notice the 4,000+ other listings for vintage Gillettes, either.

 

fine rocket collection.

 

Yes, but I thought those flare-tips were not rockets.

 

All depends on who you talk to ...... To be safe, I call them English super speeds, but to be real safe call them Gillettes

 

Lordy these razor names are getting confusing. The overlap bw British & US names and the addition of many other thrown around names….my rockets are starting to fizzle. ‘Gillettes’ does indeed cover it though. Being Canadian I can be forgiven for calling most of them Rockets. We have the coolest case after all. Rumor round these parts is the cases came out of the Montreal Gillette plant in honour of Rocket Richard, a kick ass super star NHLr playing for the Montreal Canadiennes at the time. He was scoring like a demon in 49/50 and 50/51 and the razor was put out to take advantage of the hype, I mean, honor the player. Montreal’s primary color is red on white, so the red on clear was essentially the Canadiens team colors. I have never found written/published support for this yet though. Fun stuff.

 

And why is the one in a Rocket case not called a rocket? I chose this rather silly name, Rocketman, around 2006 because a Rocket in a red styrene case was my choicest razor at the time. Not a lot of imagination I agree, but, I still shave with that original Rocket. Still call it a Rocket, and if I need to find it I think “where’s that darn ….…” well you know.

 

rockets rock..

 

yes.but.. again..do we need to do this again..

 

Nah, just breaking your...

But as much as we say "that's not the right name", there is no way to change hundreds of posts across the internet calling them "rockets." It would be hard enough going forward to get people to not call them "rockets."

And I thought rocket was the monicker because of how the TTO knob launches into the handle when twisted -- but what do I know? But I think that is what it has become to mean.

 

I thought you were either an Elton John fan or a Roger Clemens fan...

The ones in the case in that pic are rockets. It's the flare-tips with what I call the "rocket mechanism" that aren't. To me, the TTO knob launches into the handle like a rocket when it is turned. Plus, that flare-tip shape reminds me of a rocket, although I wouldn't call an American flare-tip a rocket. Nor would I call it a "flair" tip.

 

just arrived...x-1 canadian rocket.



after a good scrub.been sitting for decades,very tarnished.





note the no "made in"​

 

so does the case have “made in canada” or, what makes it Canadian? I have never seen this color case here. Thnx​

 

case has montreal canada with a 1954 on it.possible canadian market flare tip perhaps.?

rocket deluxe gold set has blue case with same..

 

That is certainly a Canadian made case. Thank you. I dont see hardly any of that american style SS around. I have seen a few without ‘made in’ info and assumed they were American made. Huh. Thanks for posting

 

What about mine that really isn't a rocket, but is a flare tip with the telescoping TTO knob that launches the tip into the handle like a rocket launching? (Wouldn't it be easier to just call it a "flare-tip Rocket" and not be tarred and feathered for calling it that?) It has the British patent info on the plate, but no "made in" info.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175913659389