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  1. Redrock
    I have these 2 Gillette Slims.

    The one on the left is a 1958 D2 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports version. The name for it being advertised during the show. Made in the USA.

    The one on the right has no date code...just II stamped where Gillette's usual date code is located. It also has Made in England. I believe it is the British version of the 1958 Cavalcade of Sports razor.

    Can anyone give additional info on what I think is the British version? Thanks

    Razors.JPG
    Ijustmissedthe50s, Enrico, Hembree and 2 others like this.
  2. jimjo1031
    The left is the TV Special and I think the British razor is a Flair Tip Rocket with the II being the regular Flair Tip.
    canoeroller, Ijustmissedthe50s, Hembree and 2 others like this.
  3. jgreenepa
    Gary (@brit) is your man!
    Ijustmissedthe50s, Hembree and brit like this.
  4. PLANofMAN
    Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
    The REAL British "1958 TV Special" I presume? Sure.

    This 'special' razor was produced from 1960 through 1961, and may have been made later than that, but we don't have any literature to support that theory. The Brits did not plate this razor with rhodium prior to 1960, which locks that date down.

    It was sold in two different sets. The No. 80 and the Traveller DeLuxe set. It shared the same knurling as the American TV Special, and the handle was rhodium plated. The head was nickel plated, but well polished; unsurprising, since the head used is the same as the Aristocrat No. 66.

    It was never made in the UK in 1958, nor was it on the telly. So now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

    Edit: I sound like a pompous ass, don't I? Heh. We only figured this stuff out about 3 years ago. Before that, it was assumed the US '58 special and the UK version were concurrent models. The British No. 58 set also shares the No. 66 head, which is why I never tried to find the rarer No. 80 razor, despite owning a US TV Special. All 3 razors are prettier than the run of the mill superspeeds, imo, and worth owning. Thread here if you are interested:
    https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/gillette-british-no-80-set-1961.63306/
    Screwtape, Sara-s, Aztecmike and 3 others like this.
  5. brit
    your brit flare tip,or one piece as it was called there is late 50s if it has the pointed end caps..early to mid 60s if it has ones like your u.s tv special.:)
    Ijustmissedthe50s, Aztecmike, Hembree and 1 other person like this.
  6. Aztecmike
    Always an abundance of help and information to be found here on TSD! :happy096:
    Ijustmissedthe50s, jimjo1031 and brit like this.
  7. kfbrady
    Here's my D2-'58 TV Special (USA). The red case was also exclusive to it.

    [​IMG]
    Sara-s, jimjo1031, stuartganis and 3 others like this.
  8. BBS
    We can narrow down a date range for the British razor on the right. They made them between either sometime 58 or by 59 until 4th quarter of 66 when they went to the black handle in the US or no later than 67 in England when they moved over to the knack / slim twist design. The head profile is key if they have the same thickness profile it is somewhere between 58/59 and 62 if he profile is thinner then 62 - 66/67. They slimmed all the TTO razor heads down in 62 when the slim adjustable hit the market.
    PLANofMAN, Ijustmissedthe50s and brit like this.
  9. brit
    20200201_054332_edited_edited.jpg

    yours would be the 3rd or 4th from the left.depending on end cap design..​
    Screwtape, Enrico, jimjo1031 and 1 other person like this.
  10. PLANofMAN
    Mia Culpa. I was recently informed that the No. 80 & DeLuxe Traveller set do NOT in fact share the Aristocrat No. 66 head with the No. 58 and the Rocket HD.

    It's just a standard rocket head according to the Facebook experts.
    brit likes this.
  11. brit
    i though i saw somewhere that the 58 and 66 shared the brit red tip spec head..could easily be misinformed also..;)
    Enrico likes this.
  12. kfbrady
    Regarding the TV Special Superspeed that I posted a photo of a few messages ago, since I had taken it out I decided to shave with it for a week. I put a new GSB in it and I have been really pleased with how smooth and easy the shaves have been. I think we all know just how good all these vintage razors are, and while they weren't made from space-age materials or built on high-tech CNC machines, they just work so well.

    Mine cost me $25 with its original case and blade pack, and to be honest, while I do prefer a little more heft in a razor, if this was the only one I ever owned it would do me just fine.
    PLANofMAN, Screwtape, Ijustmissedthe50s and 1 other person like this.
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