The Ubiquitous Black-handled Gillette Superspeed

looking around for a square./diamond one..

 

I have a '75 (V2) but I can't say I'm crazy about it. It shaves fine but the build is nowhere near as good as the earlier Super Speeds. It is also one of he lighter weight SSs and I prefer more heft. The black handles had the longest run of any Super Speeds, but I think they show the decline in Gillette quality over the 70's and 80's.

I also don't like the white, plastic case.

 

It's great, however, compared to the junk Gillette makes today!


Most don't come with the plastic case today. I assumed most of these came on blister packs originally, though I could be wrong.

Going by the info above, V2 would be [Square baseplate, square knurling], but that didn't come out until 1978. What shape is your baseplate?

 

Diamond baseplate, square knurling. The original version.

As to current Gillette quality, the King C. isn't a bad razor. I mean I know it's just a Jagger/Merkur clone but for under $30 I like the weight of it, I like the handle, and it's a nice, mild, smooth shaving razor.

 

yours is the second baseplate variant ,this one is the original type.

 

Ah, I see the difference. Thanks for the info.

 

i wonder how much money gillette saved by cutting the ends off of the diamond stamped section on the baseplate

 

.5 cents, multiplied by ???

 

a substantial amount ..

 

Enough to buy the CEO and his direct reports a new Mercedes.

So we have:

1. Diamond baseplate, square knurling
2. Rounded corner diamond baseplate, square knurling
3. Square baseplate, square knurling
4. Square baseplate, diamond knurling
5. German made model with smooth TTO knob.

Do any shave differently? My guess: not if you ride the cap.

 

Just 2 examples, but it looks like it didn't always come with a case -- here are 2 blister packs:

Pics courtesy of https://mr-razor.com

 

As far as I’m aware, black handled Superspeeds were made from 1966 to 1988 and as such were the models with the longest production time of any SS. It might be interesting to know the difference in weight between a ‘66 and an ‘88. That would give us an idea of how much metal the Gillette bean counters managed to shave off (sorry!), and might be an indication of them shaving differently.

 

I'm from the school of thought that weight alone can only make a difference if it is significant enough for the person using it. For instance, a weight-lifter might feel that the heaviest razor is as light as a feather -- for him.

I've enjoyed my black-handled flare-tip when I've used it. I wouldn't have even known it rattled had I not read about it, and shook it to prove it. Ignorance is bliss.

I'm sure I saw these on the shelves and racks for many years and never gave them a 2nd look as I grabbed my pack of Atra refills. In that case ignorance wasn't bliss.

 

I used an Atra for a while. I'm sure at that time I was poking fun at my dad's old Brit Rocket.

 

I have a 1974 black-handle super-speed, my birth year razor. It's okay, but too mild for my whiskers to be tamed by.

 

This razor has the reputation of being poor quality compared to earlier Gillettes, but that is a bit of an exaggeration, IMO. The handle is aluminum, and it has a "rattle", but that "rattle" is just a clip inside making noise.

I've been using all the American (and one British) flare-tips lately, and this one shaves just as good or better than the others for me. To me, it is very similar to a blue-tip in feel. I'm finding out that I actually might prefer lighter razors, though the other flare-tips are not what I would call "heavy", just "heavier than the aluminum-handled ones.

I only have one, a 1970 model, but as I've mentioned, I might purchase a later model with a different baseplate, just for giggles. I'm also curious if the later all-brass flare-tips (pre-black-handle) with the low-profile head shave the same.

 

Have you tried an aluminum handled Super Speed Black Tip? They were made from 1951-52 when the US Govt needed brass for the Korean War effort. Mine weighs a little less than my Black Handle SS - 42g versus 48g. That puts them at the same weight as a Blue Tip SS but the they have a slightly greater blade gap than those other two I mentioned. There is also a steel handled version that weighs in at 46g.

Aluminum handled


Steel handled.

 

Yes, I bought a black tip a couple of years ago, but I don't think I've tried it yet. I think it has an aluminum handle, but I'm not positive. The black tip is plastic, though.

BTW, your 2nd pic shows a brass 40s style SS, not a black tip.

 

Ooops, I picked the wrong photo.

Thanks. Fixed it. They look about the same...from where the tip ends on up.