Help! Which vintage Gillette to get?

Isn't this the one with the cracked handle problem? I could be wrong.

 

You want confusing? Try to figure out Personna blades! But that's another thread.

 

Old Type, New Improved and I assume the New Deluxe all suffer this malady. One sees seemingly unused razors with cracked handles. Examine photos carefully.

 

I haven't gone deep into NDC (No Date Code) Gillettes. I do enjoy an NEW Long Comb on a bar handle.
For more confusion here's a chart that was posted on B&B. It's Gillette DE's after the date codes began.

 

Couple of things concerning the razors in question. The old type regardless of set is a very aggressive razor. As far Gillettes goes it is the most aggressive Gillette razor I own and on par with the Gem Micromatics as a point of reference if you have ever shaved with them. Also in the main the most aggressive Gillettes are the earliest one based upon styles and get progressively milder with each revision on the open combs. With that said any revision will be more aggressive than any super speed the US Aristocrats are a different issue.

I second this sentiment. Also the long comb is a bit more forgiving of angle and technique, the short comb not so much and will cut and irritate you if you don't get the angle of attack correct. Both give great shaves but the long comb is more of a beginner razor.

As far as super speeds goes red tip is the most aggressive super speed Gillette made, blue tip the least, all other variations are somewhere in between.

As far as the Ranger Tech I don't know if I would call it more aggressive than a red tip but it is definitely a more efficient and aggressive razor than any of the other super speed variations. If you want an aggressive TTO that is more aggressive than both as an option is the 47 - 53 US Aristocrat. This particular one comes up for sale quite a bit and is easily obtainable. The next level of aggressiveness for TTO Gillettes are the open comb Senator, Sheraton or 34 - 38 open comb Aristocrat.

As a pricing guide if you want to strategically bid and watch the auctions

$10 - $20 range
As far as price goes the old types if you buy a user grade piece without a case should be about the cheapest though you should be able to find user grade new long or short comb around the same price depending the condition of all 3. Realistically though on the bay unless you want to spend hours pouring through auctions or check new listings for a week or so straight more likely in the above $20 range.

$20 - $30 range
Red tip will be the next up in pricing depending condition though if you watch the auctions carefully and are not picky about getting one in mint condition good deals can be had. If you can get one under $20 unless it is broken or pitted really bad, buy it.

$30 and up
Ranger Tech, Senator, Sheraton or 47 - 53 Aristocrat depending a case or not though in the case of Aristocrats you can find them under $30 without cases if you have a little patience and wait for the right auction.

Around $100
34-38 US open comb Aristocrat. This is about the low end of the price range that these have been consistently sell for on the bay with or without the case.

Hope that helps in making a decision it is one thing to recommend razors but most people don't take into consideration the actual price of these things or what the person asking can actually afford or is willing to pay for a razor.

 

didn t realize the 47-50 aristocrat was more aggressive than a red tip..i disliked the redtip and sold it, but like the crat..

 

In the main any US Aristocrat or Diplomat that came afterwards will be more aggressive than any Super Speed regardless of production year. At least that has been my experience shaving with all these razors. If you wanted to put the TTO Gillettes into 2 categories of appreciable difference of aggressiveness regardless of user skill.

The more aggressive tier would be the US Aristocrats open comb and safety bar versions, Diplomat, Senator and Sheraton. The less aggressive tier any Super Speed variation, Ranger Techs, Milords or the US Aristocrat Jr.

This doesn't imply how aggressive each razor actually is just how aggressive when compared to each other.

 

not trying to steer off course : i have an unused 46-47 unnotched crat ,is it the same shave or different than the 47-50 crat.haven t used the unnotched so far to preserve it.

 

You'd have to give me some time to do an objective shaving comparison. I have other razors to evaluate for my next round of liquidation of I got too many damn razors.

 

that would be cool, will keep an eye out,.thank you.

 

Thanks. I never knew B&B has this chart.

 

That's really helpful. So I guess an old type or new OC is th way to go for no other reason than price and availability for someone who hasn't tried an OC yet....

 

It's easy to over think this. Nobody else has your face so all recommendations need to be taken with massive grains of salt. Buy something inexpensive and in good shape and see how you do.

 

I have a well used '46-'47 Crat with the thin gold wash worn off the caps. The underlying nickle is still holding on and it doesn't bother me. I accept it as User Grade and I use it! I prefer aggressive DE's and it qualifies. Haven't done a serious side by side, but it holds it's own against a '55 Red Tip or a '59 Fat Boy on 9. Don't yet have the later '47-'50 Crat.

B&B is a well populated site with a very deep database of knowledge. Like many members of TSD I'm a refugee of B&B. As a newbie of a couple months experience I upset one of their Mods and got the lifetime bannination with no appeal. I scrubbed my cookies and can view the site but don't interact as a member anymore. TSD has become my Shave Home.

+1 We're talking about brass tools that are up to a century old. New Old Stock (NOS - unused) has the potential to work as intended. Abused gear can be damaged and dangerous. Scrub em clean, sterilize, polish and/or replate as needed. Sometimes you get lucky! Other pieces are clunkers better left behind.

I don't know about the resale market for vintage razors in Singapore. Here in the U.S. I visit antique shops, thrift stores, estate sales, garage sale, etc. With a bit of networking in my spare time I've left my name & phone number at stores that deal in used stuff. I also try to visit as many of them as I can at least once per month. There's a constant trickle of razors, brushes, and related gear that shows up. Being in a small metro area I have little competition so it's as much luck as skill.

 

I've never seen any vintage razors here. Cone to think of it, there aren't many antique or thrift stores here. So everything I buy has to be imported.

 

That'll up the prices. I've shipped shave gear to Japan doing a trade. It wasn't cheap. I know TSD has members in Russia, Australia, South Korea, and I do believe there's a member in Singapore. You might start a new thread to see if anyone is near your location. A member started a map of locations - TRY HERE!

 

ok but I'm not getting my hopes high. There aren't many wet shavers here.

 

If buying international from the US if the buyer knows how to ship to keep the price down it should be no more than about $8 - $15 USD depending the location as long as you keep the package under 8oz and use a padded mailer. An individual razor without a case included being wrapped in bubble wrap shouldn't exceed 3oz. I've shipped a few razors overseas and that is the price range I've seen charged by USPS. Once you exceed 8oz the price almost doubles for shipping.

 

If a seller has both and you have the funds buy both if you can get them to combine shipping or find one in a lot if you don't mind taking on a few extra razors under the condition when you work out the price of the razors individually you won't lose money reselling them afterwards to get the one you want at a good price. I got my first Ranger Tech for $5 USD this way after parting out and reselling the other razors I bought in a lot of razors for about $80 USD including shipping.

 

Seriously? You had to do that to just to view the site? Seems I never stop learning things about those people.