Yes, Ball End Tech. Nice score with the case. No, not a travel razor, per se. The travel razor is smaller. Here's mine... Personally, I've never really understood the need for a smaller razor just for traveling. I mean, really, how much space and weight are you saving going with the smaller razor? My requirement for a travel razor is one that won't break my heart if lost with my luggage or confiscated by TSA for some foolish reason.
Travel version is just a shorter handle, heads are the same, so you don't have to worry about special blades. Technique is the same. If you want to get a feel for a travel razor, just hold the razor you have right under the head.
they are never magnetic unless they are made of steel like some war era versions.the color of the baseplate and handle have a dull hue, different than the nickel plated brass version showed in the pic i posted.the brass/nickel plate version is heavier as well at 63 g. gillette england was really experimenting with aluminum parts during the early 50's compared to the western world.
i will also add that aluminum was abundant in the french and german made gillettes of this era where brass was abundant on the western continent.
then it's definitely aluminum..nice score.a bit of daily use and it will charm you over.techs require consistent technique for the first bit due to their narrow sweet spot.but you will get there.you should need no other..fine daily shavers...generations of shavers proved it..
Yeah, like Gary said, the Tech is a nice mild shaver and was designed to work for most people. It had an 80+ year production run in various incarnations (U.S. and British), and a version of it is still produced in India today. A lot of the modern 3 piece stainless razors are just gussied up Tech copies. Wolfman razors being the most well known example. (It's basically a raised flat bottom tech). Most Wolfman owners would probably disagree with me on that. They don't like it when their $500+ razor gets compared to a cheap mass produced razor.
FYI, As for why aluminum razors were so prevalent during the the 50's, it was less to do with experimentation and more to do with the massive shortage of brass. Almost all brass production was being diverted to the American military to be used for artillery shell production during the Korean War.
the euro's loved aluminum.merc's and many others used aluminum for cylinder heads,brakes and other components during the 50's and up,well before anyone else.aluminum was an exotic metal in the western world until well into the 70's,at least on domestic automobiles and other components.
Re: Question #10. I like old carbon blades. Particularly in a Shake Sharp razor. If they are a full pack, cellophane wrapped, they might still be usable. They will need to be stropped before first use, and you should inspect the edges under at least 10x magnification for rust. They didn't have the wonder coatings used in modern blades, which makes for a very different shave feel. I would recommend that you save them, and perhaps re-visit the idea of using them in a year or two. If you use them right now, I doubt you would enjoy the shave. While we're at it, unwrap the blue blade and see if the date codes on the blade match the date codes on the razor. If they match, or if the date codes on the blade pre-dates the razor by a year or less, that would be a really good indicator that you are in fact, the first person to use it.
Astra SP. The highest you're comfortable with, on WTG. Lower (medium), on ATG. Lowest (mild), on XTG. The downward progression technique is the natural way in which adjustable are designed to work.
https://www.imperialleather.com.au/product/no-1-original-aftershave-lotion/ Here's another old brand for you to look into, and it's down under. I wish it was available here in the states.
No sense in opening up an adjustable, if, by that, you mean open the doors slightly. That is done on non-adjustable / fixed head razors to increase the blade gap, giving a more aggressive shave, thus resulting (for many) in the razor burn and irritation. The adjustable keeps the blade secure as you dial up the blade gap, making the razor more aggressive. Loosening the doors on a fixed head reduces tension on the blade, ie. a loose blade. Me, I don't like the idea of a loose blade.
feather blades are excellent in a tech,astra sp also.i just don't buy feathers much due to the price of them.nacet/gsb are readily available online here.i bought a few hundred astra sp and ss a few years ago,but use them less these days.i just got hooked on the gillette wagon.
Focus on the cutting angle. Progress is always smooth, if under user's control. My progression was: WTG @ 5 ATG @ 3 XTG @ 0 As in the factory sheet. https://flic.kr/p/GKKVxH If the edge in not sharp, just change the blade. The milder the razor, the sharper the edge. Because of the angle control. The best one, let the primary bevel of the blade sitting flat on the skin. So the edge lasts way longer. And the blade glides with no irritation, if the skin is properly stretched.
I don't think he meant that at all. I think he meant 'open' as in "open up the throttle and let 'er rip," dialing up the aggressiveness of the razor through it's normal adjustment settings. And yes, as the blade dulls, you can transfer it to progressively more aggressive/efficient razors, or change the settings on an adjustable to make it more aggressive. It's not something you see most wet shavers do, as it's considered a bit of a niche technique. Most of the people I've seen that do that are members of the Excalibur club over on Badger & Blade, who push their blades to the maximum possible number of shaves, with the goal being 100+ shaves on a single blade. The other 99% of people bin the five cent blade and pop in a new one as soon as their shaves start going sideways, rather than change up their technique. Edit: regarding Gillette Silver Blues and Nacet, I find them both to be very comparable to Astra SP's, and not as sharp as Feathers, but perhaps slightly sharper than Astra blades. Blade feel is subject to change, and how a blade feels in one razor might change in another razor.
Yeah, I figured that was more of what he was intending, that's why I said "if", hoping for a little clarification.
@swarden43 Thanks Steve. My choice if words for the adjustable is remiss, apologise for not being more clear. I did mean go up from 2 to 3 to 4 and so on. But you do raise another point I hadn't thought of, especially if you are referring to TTO type razors, as I suspect you are. I may stumble across/look for one of those in the months ahead. Better to look for reputable online sources, even better to be able to examine them in person, I guess, make sure close properly. Good take home point to keep in mind.
