Gillette to release NEW DE razor for the holidays

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by jaro, Oct 16, 2019.

  1. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    A few BBs sealed in with melted candlewax did the trick on my last bar handle.
     
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  2. poppi

    poppi Well-Known Member

    Got mine today, showed it to the wife and she promptly took it from me and said, "Christmas present". So guess I won't be trying it till then. After all, SWMBO is the boss
     
  3. xiletero

    xiletero Member

    I took pictures of the R89 , Gillette and RR heads, they all look the same. (Can't upload here as I get the message it's too large).
    R89 and Gillette have a slight weight difference
    Top cap:
    Gillette 14.7g
    Muhle 14.9g
    Base plate:
    Gillette17.4g
    Muhle 18.1g


    Now the head shave report:

    Muhle 89 vs Gillette Heritage

    Warm wet towel x 3

    Proraso Red pre shave

    Proraso Red tub using RazoRock synthetic

    Blades: Gillette 7 O'clock green new on each

    This was a 3 pass shave, it felt good, the R89 felt a bit more efficient on first pass, later probably no difference.

    All in all, an average shave.

    Post: Proraso AS Red

    Proraso Balm

    I chose Proraso thinking most people will probably have those items, I don't use them that much.


    Now my personal opinion: if you have the R89 and just want a razor to shave: don't waste your $$ in this Gillette!


    If you don't have an R89, then I think this is an OK razor....


    If you are a collector....get it....the BOX is nice....reminiscent of the OLD Gillette boxes.


    I do get better shaves from Karve OC "C", Muhle R41 or RR Jaws

    I have the R89 and had not used it since Jan, not biased at all; and I love Gillette vintage Razors...have a few of those.
     
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  4. brit

    brit in a box

    great idea..
     
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  5. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    Some of the negative comments do seem silly, and based on rumor and guesswork rather than fact. The whole 'Zamak is evil' and 'Only shaving soaps with tallow are good' type things are flawed logic from what I have seen. Besides, the Heritage appears to be aimed at mainstream traditional wetshavers rather than wetshaving hobbyists.

    That is the difference between mainstream vs. hobby wetshaving. The hobbyists are looking for $500 stainless steel, rhodium plated unobtanium of which only five are made per year. Otherwise, the razor confers no bragging rights. Mainstream wetshavers, on the other hand, just want a great shave. The Heritage is the same price as the least expensive Edwin Jaggers AND it comes with a really nice travel case. That is a very good deal!

    This razor looks like it will deliver really good shaves and is a bargain, so I ordered one. If the head is from the Muhle R89 / Edwin Jagger DE89, that is a very positive indicator. Thank you, Gillette!

    I went into an Art of Shaving store the other day and asked if they were going to carry it. The sales associates did not know what I was talking about, and seemed very surprised when they looked at it on Amazon. I don't think this is the rumored Gillette safety razor that was supposed to arrive in Art of Shaving stores a few years back.
     
  6. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Not to quibble but a mirror chrome DE89 is $28 shipped from Connaught. Yes the Heritage is a good deal if you attach value to the packaging and collectibility and I certainly don't disparage those who do.



    Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2019
  7. rbilly

    rbilly Well-Known Member

    The rumored AOS gillette razor a few years back was a gillette tech style razor. Apparently they got cold feet back then realizing they could potentially loose blade sales if these razors started catching on so they pulled the plug at the last minute.
     
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  8. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    This whole thread pretty much debunks that theory. Just sayin'...
     
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  9. brit

    brit in a box

    if nothing more., it's great they now have a current razor for sale to use those blades they still sell world wide..if it stays available of course..
     
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  10. Rusty blade

    Rusty blade The Good Humor Man

    I received my Gillette Heritage razor and I must say I am quite pleased. I think they did a great job with this razor. The razor is well made and has nice heft. The box is nice as well and I am so pleased King Gillette signed the case. A nice touch. My only regret is that I didn't order two razors instead of one. One for display and one for use. I hear the first Amazon release sold out. I hope they are planning a second release.
     
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  11. Michael_W

    Michael_W Well-Known Member

    From what all I've heard, the head and base plate are made in Germany — there's some confusion around whether it's Merkur 38, Muhle R89, or Edwin Jagger DE89 — while the handle is made in the U.S. Likely it's all been contracted out, which makes sense given that this is something Gillette isn't as confident will sell well as we traditional shavers are. If the razor does well on the market, then likely we'll see an improved version down the road, and likely an expanded line. Frankly, I find it encouraging that Gillette sees the growing demand for safety razors and is finally catching up to meet it.
     
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  12. Michael_W

    Michael_W Well-Known Member

    Well...! I was going to splurge and buy myself the razor off of Amazon, but when I went to my wish list to add it to my cart, it gave me a message saying that someone had ordered it for me as a gift. I presume it's a Christmas present. I will let you all know how it shaves.
     
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  13. cliffb599

    cliffb599 Well-Known Member

    Lucky You. Enjoy


    Sent from my iPhoneXR using Tapatalk
     
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  14. Weasel640

    Weasel640 Well-Known Member

    Correct me if I'm wrong; Gillette owns Wilkinson Sword, where they control American operations but not European operations. Now Wilkinson Sword not to long ago has released handsome TTO razor to the European. Wouldn't it have made more sense to work through a company that they own to revise the existing TTO into the Gillette Heritage?

    It almost seems to me that the company is so big that the Right hand has no clue that there is a Left hand, let alone what that Left hand is doing...
     
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  15. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Gillette has two left hands.
     
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  16. Daywalker

    Daywalker Active Member

    Afaik Gillette owns the naming rights for Wilkinson in India. Anywhere else Wilkinson is owned by Edgewell Personal Care while Gillette is a sub of Procter&Gamble. So I guess you're wrong.
    Wilkinson's "new" TTO is just a rebranded Weishi 9306-P.
     
  17. Michael_W

    Michael_W Well-Known Member

    Alrighty, got the razor for Christmas yesterday and shaved with it. I'm going to give my honest review, comparing it to its closest equivalent in my collection, the Merkur 34c HD.

    With regard to weight, the Merkur is heavier being comprised of a plated brass handle that is thicker. But where the weight of the Merkur is largely in its handle, the weight of the lighter Gillette Heritage-Inspired razor is somewhat more in its head and base plate. This makes the center of balance for each razor different, and I give the balance advantage to the Gillette.

    For performance, both razors shave about the same: close, smooth, nick-free, and no irritation as long as a sharp, forgiving blade such as PolSilver Super iridium or Astra Superior Platinum is used. I'm skipping today's shave to see how the Gillette performs with a couple days' worth of growth.
     
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  18. poppi

    poppi Well-Known Member

    Got mine for Christmas and used it today. Nice easy, smooth shaver that may be a bit mild for me, may need a a sharper blade. Will use it a bit longer to decide but overall I like it.
     
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  19. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    I finally got to use mine yesterday (a Christmas gift) and really enjoyed it. I find it milder than the EJ and about as aggressive as the Merkur 34C. I like the weight and balance of the razor and, as it’s mild, I was able to quickly get through the shave (late hitting the road). Second use was this morning and the results were similar with a GSB. It seems like it will make a nice daily driver.
     
  20. CrustyCat

    CrustyCat Well-Known Member

    I bought one mostly just for my collection as I've been quite hung up on Schick injector shaving lately. I do like it and the box is really nice. I might try it out eventually, but for now, it's on the shelf.
     
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