Sorry, I thought there was a razor acquisition thread somewhere, but not finding it. I met a nice guy on FB Marketplace who is cleaning out for a move... Sadly after he already sold 10 Gillette's . Anywho, for a total of a 3 hour round trip and $30 here are the goodies: Anyone know how to date the above razor?...is it a Super Speed in the right case? There were 2 of these (one no case) and neither have date codes. Pic below is the bottom of the base plates rotated 90 degrees so you can see both sides in one pic (they're identical) Finally, anyone know what this part goes to?
NICE haul, imagine what sold already (Toggle, Psycho, Red Dot) On 2nd thought don't depress yourself down that road. Great finds for sure. There were some adapters for using other handles on a Lather Catcher. Not sure if that's what the piece is.
Not there is anything wrong with posting a haul thread here but there is a dedicated section to acquistions in the mall section under showcase then show and tell. To answer a few questions on your Super Speeds there is a way to date them without a date code. First off assuming the set is correct that should be a 1950. The case on the left is a 1949 and the right is 1950. That is how I know that case belongs to a 1950 Super Speed. Before dating the razor check the dates on blades if they have a V on them then you also have the correct blades date wise to the set. It doesn't affect value or anything like that but it is an indicator that it is more likely all date wise correct than not if they are. To date that razor we need to see the upper side of the base plate where you load the blade. If the center bar is notched on the ends so you can hook a blade to load it the razor is a 1948 - 1950 without a date code. If it isn't and is like a T shape then it is a early 1948. If the center bar is notched next you need to look at the patent info. If it is Pat Nos on Package it is a 1948 - 1950, if it says Pat Nos on Pkg then 1950. Finally if it says Pat Nos on Package where the stem comes out for the center bar there is a stamped ring on the base. If it is fat then 1948 - 1949 if thin then 1949 - 50. If you get this far and your razor turns out to be 1949 -50 version it is correct to that case so just call it a 1950 and be done with it. Your other 40s style Super Speed without the case is also somewhere between 1948 - 1950 and the above is the same way to date it. Except for the 3rd quarter of 1950 they started formally putting date codes on razors 1951. Letter correlates with a year with 1951 being W. Your Aristocrat razor if you want to date that is a 1946 - 1948. I'd have to see the base plate upper side to narrow that date range down.
Nice score. Here’s the link to this month’s acquisition thread. https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/the-haul-december-2020.64944/page-3#post-1900282
Thanks! They are all safety razors and I'm trying to identify so I think I'm legit here still, but I could not find the December haul thread. I'll throw a link to this one in there I suppose. I'm still digesting, but I believe the SS's are a 1950 (V on the blade) and an earlier 48-50: For the Aristocrat I believe it's a 46-47 based on the T bar and smooth knurled banded sections on the handle and the lack of a notch on the T-bar. Here's the pic inside the silo doors, and the bottom plate under that if it helps: Thanks again!
On the Super Speeds Top one is a 1950. Bottom one is a 1948 - 1949. They both shave the same, top one belongs with the red styrene case if you want to keep that set correct down to the right dated razor. That the blades have a date code of V makes it fully correct from a collectors standpoint since V = 1950. On your Aristocrat That one is a 1946 - 1948. There isn't any way I know of to narrow that date range any further. The center bar wasn't notched until 1948 on all Gillette razors. Older info used to be it was 47 when they changed it but that has been proven otherwise now. Gory details if you want to know just how many variations of this razor there are. https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/us-gillette-aristocrat-tto-timeline.61682/
Without narrowing this down further which I do know the switch over happened around March of 1948 here is a Gillette ad from January of 1948 with the older style center guard. https://books.google.com/books?id=mVIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68&dq=gillette+super+speed&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjlLGMi4XgAhVHu48KHcfgBq4Q6AEINDAD#v=onepage&q=gillette super speed&f=false Here is the newer center guard, you can see the on the package the blade being hooked onto the center bar. This is from June of 1948. https://books.google.com/books?id=MkYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA109&dq=gillette+super+speed&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjlLGMi4XgAhVHu48KHcfgBq4Q6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=gillette super speed&f=false That is how we know the switch over happened in 1948 and not 1947 as had been previously believed. You can also see in June ad the Aristocrat is still the older smooth upper and lower bands on the handle so that puts your other razor as late as 1948. Best I could tell they switched the band style later in 1948 but not until they switched over to the center bar with notches first. Not only does the ad show that but there is also a variation with the notched center bar and that original handle style.
On those Old Type open comb 3pc razors if they don't have serial numbers on them then sometime between 1921 - 1928 is the accepted date range. If they do have serial numbers then you can date them. There are online sites with the Gillette date codes you can reference in that case. Your other 2 Super Speed razors will have date codes on them so that is easy enough to cross reference.
Thanks for this ^^^! There's no stamped sn on the Old Type, but I have another from my grandfather that's numbered. Guessing that'd be later than 1928 then. That one came in an odd trapezoid case with a blade holder...
I goofed it is 21 - 29 that didn't have serial numbers not 21 - 28. The trapezoid case I don't know what the set would have been called by Gillette. Other collectors might know. Serial numbered ones could be anywhere from 1904 - 1929. They came with and without serial numbers from 21 - 29 depending the set or country produced in. https://www.razoremporium.com/gillette-date-codes-serial-numbers/