After one full year of DE shaving with various vintage Gillette razors as well as several other brands of vintage DE and SE razors I have some conclusions and surprise observations to share. (For what they are worth, being only the observations of a relative newbie to DE and SE shaving)
I can see why the DE and to a lessor degree the SE razor replaced the straight for everyday shaving. Now to the razors and particularly the Gillette razors and their qualities.
Using the Old Type razor for the first time I was impressed with just how mild mannered and easy it was to use. Now the razor has a narrower window of angle than latter Gillette razors. You must work a bit harder to maintain the optimal angle to keep the razor cutting the beard efficiently. But if you do your part and mind the angles, keep the pressure low, and maintain good clean technique you are rewarded with an excellent and super smooth shave.
In fact I believe the Old Type is the smoothest shaving razor Gillette ever made. There are of course variations in how the different styles of Old Type razors shave, and differences in the angle at which the different style of OT razors work. Some have a wider window and some have a narrower window.
But of those I have tried they all share the same smooth and mild manners.
Next is the NEW style razors. The NEW came later and was an improvement in razor design in a couple of ways but did not really get smoother or milder. What it did was to improve the window of angle significantly. The NEW will shave well at much different angles than the OT. What this really did was make it easier for more people to get really close and consistent shaves without having to be as precise as the OT demanded you to be.
The NEW is also a more robust and hardy design than the OT. It will endure drops, bumps, and bangs better. It also was more consistent in shave manners. So shavers could shave quicker, clean up quicker, and thus it is in many respects the high water mark for three piece razor designs.
The NEW is a joy to shave with it is somewhat more aggressive than the OT. It is still a smooth and mild razor but not as smooth as the OT. but what it lacks in smoothness it makes up for in ease of use and closeness of shave. It is the easiest of the vintage Gillette razors to get a quick BBS shave with. I find the NEW to be an almost twin to the Pre War triangle slot Tech. I can get the same quick and effortless BBS shave from these two razors. And unlike many I don't find there to be much difference between the shave quality of the Short or Long Comb versions of this razor. I find the biggest difference is between the possible handles. The Bar handle, Ball End, and other handles make a bigger difference to me than the length of the teeth on the comb.
The next vintage razor type is the TTO. Now I don't own nor have I shaved with a vintage open comb Gillette. (Not yet, but I will as soon as I find one I can afford!) but I have used every type and style of solid guard razors. And the best of these are an improvement over the three piece razor in a couple of ways.
The TTO like the NEW increased the window of angle at which the razor will cut well in most cases, the Blue Tip and some others like the Knack have the smallest window of angle and can be harder to use well than even the OT, and these razors made the process of shaving and getting good consistent results a little quicker and a little easier than the NEW for a larger number of people.
Again the increase or improvement is not necessarily in shave quality or closeness but is instead in how many people can use the razor and get consistent and acceptable results easily and cheaply.
Almost any three piece razor will beat almost any TTO in closeness and smoothness. But almost any TTO can be used and learned to be used well quicker than a three piece. I began my DE shaving with a TTO and it made the learning process easier than it would have been if I had started with a NEW or an OT. Now it wouldn't have been much harder to learn on the three piece, but I do believe there would have been a bit more blood let had I started with them. (I used too much pressure early and my technique was not great for a while, and thus the OT or NEW would likely have not produced as consistent results as the TTO did)
My first TTO was a 1959 Red Tip. I came to hate it when I got a Pre War Tech a month or so in to my DE journey, but it got me into DE shaving and helped develop my early technique. Later the Red Tip became a favorite razor and is still in my daily rotation of ten razors. I can get a quick and effortless two pass BBS shave from the Red Tip anytime. And it's a very predictable and consistent shaver. It's never been as smooth as the NEW or the OT, but it isn't a beast. It can bite if you get sloppy with your pressure or technique but is an excellent shaver if you do your part.
The next type I want to talk about is the Adjustable TTO razor. I got my first adjustable about four weeks into my DE journey. It was a 1963 SLIM and is still with me today. The adjustable was an improvement over the TTO in really only one way. It can be dialed up or down in blade gap. Which makes the razor unique.
I started using the Slim almost immediately after getting it. I found it to be the least consistent razor of all vintage Gillette razors. Getting the razor to shave well each time slows the shave down from the TTO or the three piece. The head design makes the razor a bit harder to get up close around the nose and the blade has just a bit more flex and movement than in the other types of razors.
I can see where some would enjoy the shave the Adjustable razor gives but I also know it is not my favorite. The Slim was replaced with three other adjustables and I have never found two Slim's that shave exactly alike.
Now that in an of itself makes shaving with one fun, you never know what you have got till you shave with it a few times, but all in all I don't like that the blade has a bit more flex and that the head design limits both how closely you can get around the nose and how closely you have to mind the angles to get consistent results. (In other words, I like TTO razors over adjustable razors because the heads are a bit slimmer and the blade is held more rigidly)
As with anything shaving related YMMV! And don't think I am attacking your favorite razor type, I am not. I love all these vintage razors and use every single one I have mentioned in my daily routine. But I do use and enjoy some more than others.
To me Gillette got a lot of things right in all their designs and generally made improvements with each successive generation of razors. But in that process they also lost some good points along the way and they picked up some bad habits in the process as well.
One razor that Gillette really made well and got a lot of thing right on was the Knack razor of the late 1960's. Many ignore or scoff at these lowly plastic handled razors. Some say they were cheap junk, others just don't like the looks, but what blows my mind is that if you simply use the darn things they work really well. They aren't the best at any part of the shave. They aren't the smoothest, they aren't the quickest, the aren't the closest shaving, but if you use good technique and mind the angle and pressure this cheap razor gives an absolutely wonderful and predictable shave. And it does so every time, with no fuss, no worry, and no unexpected happenings. The darn things were sold for less than a dollar and will last forever if taken care of and they just plain shave very well for a throw away razor.
When something that Gillette designed to be a throw away razor will still work as good today as it did the day it was new, then I think that says something.
Sorry to blather on and on, just wanted, to share my thoughts on my new favorite hobby.
I can see why the DE and to a lessor degree the SE razor replaced the straight for everyday shaving. Now to the razors and particularly the Gillette razors and their qualities.
Using the Old Type razor for the first time I was impressed with just how mild mannered and easy it was to use. Now the razor has a narrower window of angle than latter Gillette razors. You must work a bit harder to maintain the optimal angle to keep the razor cutting the beard efficiently. But if you do your part and mind the angles, keep the pressure low, and maintain good clean technique you are rewarded with an excellent and super smooth shave.
In fact I believe the Old Type is the smoothest shaving razor Gillette ever made. There are of course variations in how the different styles of Old Type razors shave, and differences in the angle at which the different style of OT razors work. Some have a wider window and some have a narrower window.
But of those I have tried they all share the same smooth and mild manners.
Next is the NEW style razors. The NEW came later and was an improvement in razor design in a couple of ways but did not really get smoother or milder. What it did was to improve the window of angle significantly. The NEW will shave well at much different angles than the OT. What this really did was make it easier for more people to get really close and consistent shaves without having to be as precise as the OT demanded you to be.
The NEW is also a more robust and hardy design than the OT. It will endure drops, bumps, and bangs better. It also was more consistent in shave manners. So shavers could shave quicker, clean up quicker, and thus it is in many respects the high water mark for three piece razor designs.
The NEW is a joy to shave with it is somewhat more aggressive than the OT. It is still a smooth and mild razor but not as smooth as the OT. but what it lacks in smoothness it makes up for in ease of use and closeness of shave. It is the easiest of the vintage Gillette razors to get a quick BBS shave with. I find the NEW to be an almost twin to the Pre War triangle slot Tech. I can get the same quick and effortless BBS shave from these two razors. And unlike many I don't find there to be much difference between the shave quality of the Short or Long Comb versions of this razor. I find the biggest difference is between the possible handles. The Bar handle, Ball End, and other handles make a bigger difference to me than the length of the teeth on the comb.
The next vintage razor type is the TTO. Now I don't own nor have I shaved with a vintage open comb Gillette. (Not yet, but I will as soon as I find one I can afford!) but I have used every type and style of solid guard razors. And the best of these are an improvement over the three piece razor in a couple of ways.
The TTO like the NEW increased the window of angle at which the razor will cut well in most cases, the Blue Tip and some others like the Knack have the smallest window of angle and can be harder to use well than even the OT, and these razors made the process of shaving and getting good consistent results a little quicker and a little easier than the NEW for a larger number of people.
Again the increase or improvement is not necessarily in shave quality or closeness but is instead in how many people can use the razor and get consistent and acceptable results easily and cheaply.
Almost any three piece razor will beat almost any TTO in closeness and smoothness. But almost any TTO can be used and learned to be used well quicker than a three piece. I began my DE shaving with a TTO and it made the learning process easier than it would have been if I had started with a NEW or an OT. Now it wouldn't have been much harder to learn on the three piece, but I do believe there would have been a bit more blood let had I started with them. (I used too much pressure early and my technique was not great for a while, and thus the OT or NEW would likely have not produced as consistent results as the TTO did)
My first TTO was a 1959 Red Tip. I came to hate it when I got a Pre War Tech a month or so in to my DE journey, but it got me into DE shaving and helped develop my early technique. Later the Red Tip became a favorite razor and is still in my daily rotation of ten razors. I can get a quick and effortless two pass BBS shave from the Red Tip anytime. And it's a very predictable and consistent shaver. It's never been as smooth as the NEW or the OT, but it isn't a beast. It can bite if you get sloppy with your pressure or technique but is an excellent shaver if you do your part.
The next type I want to talk about is the Adjustable TTO razor. I got my first adjustable about four weeks into my DE journey. It was a 1963 SLIM and is still with me today. The adjustable was an improvement over the TTO in really only one way. It can be dialed up or down in blade gap. Which makes the razor unique.
I started using the Slim almost immediately after getting it. I found it to be the least consistent razor of all vintage Gillette razors. Getting the razor to shave well each time slows the shave down from the TTO or the three piece. The head design makes the razor a bit harder to get up close around the nose and the blade has just a bit more flex and movement than in the other types of razors.
I can see where some would enjoy the shave the Adjustable razor gives but I also know it is not my favorite. The Slim was replaced with three other adjustables and I have never found two Slim's that shave exactly alike.
Now that in an of itself makes shaving with one fun, you never know what you have got till you shave with it a few times, but all in all I don't like that the blade has a bit more flex and that the head design limits both how closely you can get around the nose and how closely you have to mind the angles to get consistent results. (In other words, I like TTO razors over adjustable razors because the heads are a bit slimmer and the blade is held more rigidly)
As with anything shaving related YMMV! And don't think I am attacking your favorite razor type, I am not. I love all these vintage razors and use every single one I have mentioned in my daily routine. But I do use and enjoy some more than others.
To me Gillette got a lot of things right in all their designs and generally made improvements with each successive generation of razors. But in that process they also lost some good points along the way and they picked up some bad habits in the process as well.
One razor that Gillette really made well and got a lot of thing right on was the Knack razor of the late 1960's. Many ignore or scoff at these lowly plastic handled razors. Some say they were cheap junk, others just don't like the looks, but what blows my mind is that if you simply use the darn things they work really well. They aren't the best at any part of the shave. They aren't the smoothest, they aren't the quickest, the aren't the closest shaving, but if you use good technique and mind the angle and pressure this cheap razor gives an absolutely wonderful and predictable shave. And it does so every time, with no fuss, no worry, and no unexpected happenings. The darn things were sold for less than a dollar and will last forever if taken care of and they just plain shave very well for a throw away razor.
When something that Gillette designed to be a throw away razor will still work as good today as it did the day it was new, then I think that says something.
Sorry to blather on and on, just wanted, to share my thoughts on my new favorite hobby.
Some random thoughts on Vintage Gillette razors
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