My first Gillette SS arrived today!!

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by saltypete, Feb 16, 2009.

  1. saltypete

    saltypete New Member

    G'day , as the title implies my first Gillette SS came in the mail today all the way from the US. It is a flaretip (code Z 1) and it is in pretty good condition. I went and saw a mate who is a barber (and has quite a collection of shaving stuff) and he hooked me up with some funky blue disinfectant to soak it in as well as showing me how to clean it up. He told me to soak it overnight and clean it up tommorrow. Looking at how this razor is made, i can see why they are so venerated here. I cannot wait to try it out. I am waiting on a slim adjustable, a 1940's SS and a 1959 Fatboy to arrive, hopefully,this week. Thanks to everyone who gave their advice on vintage razors, looks like I'm on a slippery slope. I'll let you know how it shaves.

    Pete
     
  2. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Congratulations on your first vintage Gillette!

    I am assuming the funky blue disinfectant is probably similar to what we have here at Barbicide. Usually I just do a ten minute soak - but you may have a very different product you are working with. Also, when I clean the razor, I usually use Scrubbing Bubbles which also disinfects.
     
  3. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    A flare tip SuperSpeed is a great choice for a first vintage Gillette. If that was the only razor you ever owned you would be set for life.
     
  4. Ecosse

    Ecosse New Member

    Currently that's my fav razor. Took me a bit to dial it in after using a Slim, but I love it. Enjoy!
     
  5. ThePossum

    ThePossum Member

    Welcome to TSD Pete,

    Congratulations on getting your first vintage Gillette. Hope you enjoy it each day.

    As for cleaning it up. I would also suggest Scrubbing Bubbles and also some toothpaste to shine it up. Also use a toothbrush to scrub it as well. Make that a soft toothbrush.

    With those tools you should be able to get even the dirtiest razors pretty clean.
     
  6. ChemErik

    ChemErik Mr. Personality

    The Flare Tip SS is a great razor, my favorite so far. I also have a fatboy, which I don't really care for on my face, but I'm finding it's a good head shaver when turned down mild.
     
  7. Morgoroth

    Morgoroth Member

    The flare tip SS has a different handle right?
     
  8. ChemErik

    ChemErik Mr. Personality

    And only the tip (bottom/end) of the handle is different.
     
  9. Shep

    Shep The Shep Abides

    Congrats. You almost can't go wrong w/ a vintage SS. I don't use mine much anymore, but I've still got a soft spot for it.
     
  10. profsaffel

    profsaffel The a**s go marching one by one

    So, Shep, what DO you use most regularly?
     
  11. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Yes... Inquiring minds want to know. It isn't open-comb, it isn't a SS. So what is Shep's razor of choice?
     
  12. saltypete

    saltypete New Member

    The first shave with the flaretip was a bit harsh, I used a brand new Feather and I got a good result on my cheeks but when I shaved under my chin and around my goatee I ended up making a mess of myself. The problem is the fact that 10+ years of canned goo and cartridge razors has left me with a horrible rash under my chin. If I get my shave wrong I end up taking the top off all the bumps and it looks dreadful. The doctor gave me a cream that is slowly clearing the rash up, but there's a way to go before I'm rid of it.
    That being said my 1959 Fatboy arrived today, and after cleaning it up I set it to #3 with a Personna. I mananged to go across the grain on the problem area and while not BBS I didn't aggravate the rash. In fact it the first DE shave where I haven't nicked myself. I think with a little experimentation, i'm going to grow to love the Fatboy.

    Pete
     
  13. Truckman

    Truckman New Member

    Probably a Fusion... :D

    :scared003

    Yeah, I would've recommended a more "user friendly" blade than a Feather for your first jaunt with a new razor. Put the Personna in the SS, it'll do you a little better than the Feather. Feather's are known to be super sharp, and unforgiving of any technique issues.

    Is there any way you can not shave for a few days to let your face heal up? Or, only go WTG (With The Grain) for the first few weeks. You won't get BBS, but you'll learn better technique while allowing time for your sking to fix itself.

    In fact, don't even try to get BBS. That was a mistake I learned early on. BBS will come. Don't force it or you'll just keep tearing your face up. There are even some who claim BBS is a myth.

    Congrats, welcome to TSD, and happy shaving!
     
  14. saltypete

    saltypete New Member

    You're dead right. I'll leave shaving for a couple of days and then only do WTG and XTG passes, I find that it does not aggravate the rash so much. My technique is slowly improving so hopefully by the time it gets better, the rash will be gone. Thanks for the advice!!

    Pete
     
  15. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    Personally I love the super speeds the flair tip super speeds in my opinion are a tad on the harsh side when compared to the other vintages of super speeds. Although some blades are a bit more harsh then others are so I do not recommend that others pair a feather with the flair tip super speed.
     

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