Most "Reliable" Vintage DE's For The Newbie?

I'm working on a future article for Sharpologist about vintage DE's for the beginner. However vintage items are not really "my thing" so I'm doing some research. What do you consider the most popular, "reliable" vintage DE's that might be reasonably easy to find (the 'bay or even local antique stores)? Gillette Superspeed's (particularly of the late '50's) and Schick Krona's are a given. What else?

(If you are interested in writing such an article for me feel free to PM with details.)

--Mark

 

Super Speeds, Techs, simple well made mild razors. Schick ingectors are very easy to find and work very well too. They get milder as they get newer, at less that's what I've heard. I have a B type and a G type so I wouldn't personally know. Old types and New open combs and nice razors but they have problems with handle cracking and bent or missing teeth. The Gillette adjustable are all over the Bay but with all the moving parts might not be as reliable since most of them need cleaning before they work well. They also aren't as inexpensive as they used to be.

 

My vote would be for the slim. As we all know no two faces are alike. Is I just started wet shaving a few months ago. The slim gave me a very nice shave.

Being it is an adjustable it can be a better fit to more people. When I first started I figured i would need a milder razor. With the slim I soon discovered that i achieve my best irritation free shaves with it dialed at 7.

My 2 cents.

Bunny K.

 

Great to see you around Mantic! I think you've got to cover the Tech. The older ones from the late '30s to maybe mid '60s are made of brass and very durable. For me they're better shavers than the TTOs. Usually available cheaper too. The later Techs have Zamak heads and aren't as durable.

Here's an early head - notice the shape of the top cap - this one is brass


This is a later one with Zamak top cap - note the beveled ends and big "Gillette" stamped into it. Some early techs also have a Gillette logo etched (not stamped) on the top cap but look for the beveled ends.

 

A few more thoughts on Newbie razors...

The Gillette NEW can be found pretty cheap and is a good shaver. Made of brass so they're very durable. For a razor made in the '30s there are a bunch of them still around. The geometry is very similar to a Tech but for some reason always seems a little more aggressive to me. That's why I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as the ideal beginner DE but if it's what you can find, it'll do the job. They come in two varieties (pic below) - short (L) and long comb (R). People widely disagree on which is more aggressive so I'd just call that a wash.


The Gillette Old Type also may not be an ideal beginner DE but again would do the job if it's what you can find. I have several of these and even though they look the same, the aggressiveness of the ones I have varies wildly. One is very aggressive, a couple are mild to the point of being barely usable, and one is sort of in the middle. The thin baseplate on these means most of the ones you find will have bent teeth. They're interesting razors but for most newbies I'd personally recommend a pass on this one.


The Gillette adjustables (Slim, FatBoy, Super Adjustable) are all decent shavers and can be turned down low as you start to learn and then turned up for more aggressiveness later as your technique develops. A solid choice for newbies IMO but the prices on these tend to be higher unless you get lucky and find one cheap in an antique store or your Dad has one in the back of a drawer. One reason I think they're usually not recommended for newbies is that the temptation to play with the adjustment is strong and most might be better off with a SuperSpeed so that temptation isn't there. The reason I might tell a newbie not to go this route is that these razors are mechanically a little more complex. I've seen lots of these with gummed up adjusters and even though you can turn the adjustment knob, the adjusting mechanism doesn't actually move. So you could be thinking you're using a sensible 2 or 3 but the blade gap is actually still a 9 which is not newbie friendly and could easily give a guy the idea this isn't for them. I won't bother with pics on these since I think everyone is pretty familiar.

 

I am no vintage expert but i am an eBay expert and i have been surfing for a while to get familiar and there are a lot of the Black Beauty adjustable around at a price that is not scary. I thing the ability to adjust the save for a newbie would be a he education tool. I had to buy 5 razors/heads to learn what i like.

 

Don't forget the Lady Gillette.
Mild. Long handle and a super speed.

 

I would say Gillette Tech's are pretty good for a beginner, and they can be found relatively cheap. I still use them on a regular basis and love the shaves from them.

 

Like anything mechanical, the less moving parts the less likely to break down. I would stay away from adjustable razors for that matter. I have VG variants and not so good based entirely on how they were maintained.
Adjustable be it Fat, Slim or Super can become grungy and inoperable if not cleaned and maintained.
As far as vintage Gillette's go I would stay away from early ball ends as they tend to be mostly cracked on both ends in today's market place.
A very sturdy 3 piece early Tech Razor from 1938-1941 provides a solid safety bar preferred by most new wet shavers. Square holes in safety guard are milder than triangular holed variants. Made in USA milder than Canada/U.K.. I prefer earlier one's since they're made of plated brass vs zamak or aluminum.
Open comb be it long or short tend to be more aggressive razors in the early Gillette world. I'm not indicating comb type or solid bars are indicative of aggression but in the Gillette time line they were earlier produced and early tended to be more aggressive. More info can be found here.

If a TTO was desired both Gillette rockets and Super Speeds (including flare types) up to mid 50's were my favorite. Made in USA tend to be milder also. Blue tip and no color tip Super Speed were mild vs more aggressive red tip SS.

Schick TTO Krona if well maintained in also a solid razor. Don't be fooled by the hard nylon plastic handle, there are many fine maintained examples out there. (Do not boil to clean)

Schick injectors SE razors are also great. My favorite and most durable are the brass E types, incredible how good they look after a clean up. The Bakelite handles are very durable. The G types and onward tend to be milder. If looking for longer handle many good L types (mild) can be found For more information regarding aggression go here. Once again I found mono metal variants had reduced galvanic corrosion more common on bimetallic variants.

N.B. Lady Gillette Star TTO make for great reliable razors. Made for ladies between 1961-75 came in blue, champagne and pink. I shave with one on occasion, it has a long handle with great grip.

There is something to be said about the engineering, build and material quality of vintage razor by how many are still available today and in great shape.
Cheers to those before us who followed best practices.

Hunting and trial and half the fun. Good Shaving.

 

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/im-a-new-wetshaver-which-razor-should-i-get-pic-heavy.16364/

 

+1 least expensive mild shavers on line

 

it might be easier to make a list of the Gillettes to say away from. there are only a few that are getting close to the aggressive line. I think a black flair tip and some of the adjustable could hurt you.

 

+2

 

Late 40s Super Speeds or Flair tips.

 

Also nice thing about Tech's is that you can go from mild to efficient all within the same family. Simple and sturdy.

 

I agree about the 3 piece, particularly the older Techs with the brass cap and new types, being a more reliable choice than the adjustable. In spite of being simpler than the adjustable, there can also be problems with TTO's as they seem to be more susceptible to problems with dirt and grunge than 3 piece and or have been damaged by dropping. The only thing to watch out for in the 3 piece is that the guard bars and open comb teeth are straight and in tact...

 

my question would be; did all the gillette line up a blade well. if some take some fiddling I would rule them out too

 

So far I haven't found a Gillette that didn't line up the blade well. Even the new ultra crappy stirling did.

 

this photo makes me shake and cough and starts that to familiar ritual of searching for the credit card that still has room on it. thanks for that Brian.

 

Unless damaged from a fall, Gillette's lined up well from factory. Some including the Tech and New Type (with added slots) did secure the blade sturdier than Old type or TTO variants though.