Brand new to this hobby: Gillette super speed - just bought one

Welcome to the show... We are all enablers here so if you need help just yell.

 

thanks so much. thank you everyone for all your help. I'm going to get a badger brush today and then research lather (soap)?

 

trust me. i CAN"T get another hobby. My wife would kill me. I already collect Japanese high end wrist watches, detective pulp paper backs from the 1950's. and Itailain switchblades.

no, I have one SS and I'm just gonna get some shave gear (brush, lather stuff) and that's IT.

However, the SS that I see on ebay that are minty and come with original packing are SWEET!

 

You don't have a SS that is a adjustable.. you NEED a SS though.,. so get the one off the bay.... <see how that works...>

 

I'm not sure I understand. I think I own a super speed adjustable. It's a Gillette marked f4. Is this called something else?

 

I like to err on the side of handing out to much infromation since that's not a bad thing. Badgers come in three different varieties: badger, best badger and silvertip badger. The badger is the base model and has the lowest quality and will cost the least. They also differ in knot size, the amount of bristles stuck into the handle. Larger the knot size the bigger the head.

The most popular soaps tend to be Williams, Van Der Hagen (VDH) and Tabac of which the first two can be had a local drug stores. Tabac you will have to order on-line.

 

super speeds do not come in an adjustable version. If its a super speed its not adjustable - if its adjustable is not a super speed.

 

Yes it is different.. Probably a fat boy. The Super Speed is a non- adjustable twist to open (tto).

 

copy that.

 

Please describe the razor a bit more so that forum members can tell you what you are holding. What color is the handle - silver, black or gold? Are there patterns on the handle? Please decribe the patterns if there are any. Another way to do this is to go to translate.google.com and translate a web site mr-razor.com from german to english then click on razors and explore the different types and see if you can see your razor looking back at you.

 

Here is a better way to do this. Go here:

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=n&u=mr-razor.com&sl=de&tl=en

click on shavers and explore what Mr-Razor.com has to offer see if you can see your razor staring back at you.

 

My Razor:

Gillette. stamped F4. have adjustable dial at top with #1-9. handle all silver. no colored handle at bottom (I have seen someone's sticky post above with pictures of all the Gillette's)

 

Just to add a visual for you:

This is a Super Speed:


This is a Fatboy:

 

yeah, my razor is a fat boy. looks like the handle of the SS is longer. Is this true?

 

Super speeds will also come in a version without any design on the handle. The version presented above is a 60s version the one in the photo I have given, top left, is a 40s version. Also here are some more adjustable safety razors and at the bottom right is the fatboy that forum members think you have, this one is a 1958 fatboy. The primary difference is the dial.

 

that is something I find, well difficult, at this point: the handle on my fat boy is MUCH shorter then the handle of my M3 disposable that I'm use to.

why are the handles so short on these old gillette razors?

 

Thanks!

--Mark

 

Interesting question. I never wondered about that.. I have some razors with even shorter handles then the super speed.. They work just fine. I guess that is all the engineers thought was needed.