Were British Gillette Razors Always Better Than The US Versions?

For those that own them, there is no doubt that the British made Gillette razors are far superior to their US counterparts. They are heavier and possess better construction, better plating, and better TTO mechanisms. In fact, when comparing high-end American Gillette razors (Aristocrat, President, Diplomat) to the late 40’s/early 50’s British Aristocrats, the differences are so vast that it is as if they were made by completely different companies. Not too long ago, some of us collectors theorized on why they were made so differently, and we kind of settled on two things: 1) After the war, the English people wanted very durable goods, and 2) Gillette stepped it up to compete with Wilkinson (if you have ever seen a 7-day set, you will know what I mean -- they were built like tanks). Keep in mind that these are just theories, and we may never know what the true reason was.

Another question that has come to my mind is, was the difference in construction and quality always like this? In my opinion, yes, but I don’t believe the gap was as wide until the late 40’s. I think that the US and British made razors from the 30’s were far more similar than the ones built after WWII. Let’s take a look-see, shall we?

Here are two 30’s Aristocrats -- the gold one is US, and the silver British. They are very similar in appearance, although you will notice that the arms (for lack of a better term) under the razor that are part of the silo door linkage are massive on the Brit. That, coupled with the solid, flat base plate is what gives the Brit that nice top-heavy balance that make it such a stalwart shaver. Aside from that, they are very similar otherwise.




Next, I have a 1938 Senator and a British Popular No. 47. This is just an assumption, but it really looks like these were cousins, as they are very, very similar in appearance and weight -- although, once again, notice the massive silo door linkage and flat base plate of the Brit. They both have very smooth TTO mechanisms and, as you can see, excellent plating jobs.




Now let’s look at probably the best apple-to-apple comparison there is: The 40’s style Super Speed, and the British Rocket. Very identical in appearance, but note that the Rocket’s gooseneck and handle are one solid piece versus the two separate pieces on the SS. The most notable difference, however, is the that wonderfully solid and smooth Rocket TTO mechanism that the Brit possesses. I do want to note that there were Rocket versions of the other Super Speed razors (Regular, Blue Tip, Red Tip, and '58 TV Special) that would also make good comparisons, but I don't own any of those.






Here is where the quality and construction gap turns into a chasm: Late 40’s/early 50’s Aristocrats. Again, the US version in gold, and the Brit in silver (rhodium, actually). The only similarity these razors share is their name, other than that, they are as different as night and day. Not to disparage the US Aristocrat in any way, because they are fantastic razors (I should know, I own six of them), but they are a far cry from their British cousins. The heavier Rocket TTO mechanism is a perfect match for the heavy head of this razor, and the only other razor I own that equals the magnificent heft and balance of the No. 16 is my Toggle.




Here is one that I’m not even sure has a US counterpart: The Rocket HD. It's appearance is somewhat of a cross between the British No. 16 and a US 40's Super Speed -- with a shave quality to match, that is, not as aggressive as the No. 16, but more so than the SS. I’m not sure where these fall categorically, but they possess beautiful plating jobs and wonderful construction quality.




I can’t claim to be an all-out authority on US/British Gillette razors since I don’t own them all, but a pretty reliable source has assured me that any British razor that is equivalent to a US version is better in terms of build quality and shave. I hope you’ve enjoyed my little dissertation. Thanks for reading!

 

Very nice comparison Rick!! Nice #47 and great pictures too! Impressive writetup . :happy088

 

Pictures?

 

Yep, 20 beauties!

 

Very nice! I can't get enough of these British beauties.

 

razor porn drool:drool

 

Dang! Now I've got to go out a get some of those. Shhhh....My wife will kill me if she finds out

 

I don't see any either.

 

Glad I'm not the only one

 

I was able to see the pics when this post was new but now they are gone.

 

Right on the spot.

 

If you look at the image location and paste it in a browser window you get an error about the file being moved or the limit exceeded.

 

That's an impressive collection (well it was when I could see the pictures!)

I have a HD Rocket that I found in an antique shop. I only paid a couple of pounds for it and it cleaned up beautifully, it was the first time I've restored an old razor.
It's easily the best razor I have, the build quality and shave are superb. I wish they still made razors like that.

Pete

 

oh, let me see the pictures!

 

Here's a picture. Not mint but I love it.

 

i love british razors i just wish they werent so hella expensive. you get what you pay for though, right?

 

niceee love it

 

Gillette had to use a two tiered strategy for the different markets at the time.

Remember that the British culture was one that was looking for the artisan and craftsmanship of the old world. The British were not in the mode of a constant change of products. They looked at these razors as a long term durable items. So better material techniques were used along with more plating. These razors cost more, but the audience was expecting a fine long lasting piece of craftsmanship, like fine watches or china. Gillette could not provide a lot of "loss leaders" in this market, but could charge enough to get people to buy blades which was what mattered most in terms of overall profit.

The American culture was looking for something less expensive and easier to use. The nation was young and growing. They were looking for something that could be mass marketed for less cost. Higher "cost vs. value" benefit ratio. The Americans were also in the mode of preplanned obsolescence. They were looking for the next best invention. So razors were not looked at as a long term durable items but the razor that would be used until the next best thing. So lesser material techniques were used along with less plating. These razors cost less, many of these razors were "loss leader" products and were close to "giveaway" razors in fact, but Gillette made up for the cost in selling high volumes of blades.

Gillette served both markets based on the needs of their time.

From our perspective today, it looked like the British got the better end of the deal, but there are few units for us to obtain today, at a higher price today as well.
If it is a shave off between my English Rocket and my American SuperSpeed, there is no doubt that the Rocket is a superior razor. This is because of the weight differences of the balance of the weighting. These factors allow me to get a closer shave.

 

according to what i've read in the cutting edge (gordon mckibben), the british division of gillette was a semi-autonmous divison run for many years by ernest cooper, who eventually was knighted. perhaps the differences in design and quality can be traced to the semi-autonomous position of the british division, or to cooper's leadership and vision. unfortunately the book does not delve into the distinct differences between razor models and design/quality. perhaps a biography of ernest cooper might answer some questions.

 

I would like to see one of these classic British razors some time. No reason to doubt that they are better. It's just that, except for a couple of missteps like the splitting ball end handles on Old Types, and early News, the American Gillettes seem to be fine quality as well. If the British ones are a step up from this, they must really excellent. It doesn't really show up that clearly in pictures.

In any case, I suspect that we're talking about razors from the 1960s and earlier, the real heyday of DE razors. The British made head on my Z4 (1979) Tech is okay, but nothing special. My 1991 (L1) British made G1000, from well into the cartridge era, is a pretty good razor, but again the build quality doesn't exactly blow me away. I suspect that with both of these, the heads are plated zamak rather than brass, although I'm not going to scratch them to find out.

Only partially off topic, I have read elsewhere that the British made versions of the Ever-Ready 1912 SE razor are superior to the American ones. Anyone have any experience with that? I have an Ever-Ready 1912, two 1914s, and one 1924, all U.S. made. The one time I saw a British one on eBay, it went for more than I was willing to pay.