Very mild yet efficient non boutique razor recommendation for a long term DE user with reactive/sensitive skin
- Thread starter sten
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First post nails it. Get the game changer
Curious, how did you pinpoint it to 1958-59 exactly?Just like my 1958-9 English aluminium handle Tech
View attachment 1686414
At a blade gap of around .26", a beautifully smooth yet efficient shaver, loves a keen blade but will happily accept almost all I've run through her.
I would highly recommend this @sten
Get the baseplates with the flat end cap which will be brass, like this. The aluminium handled examples will look identical to this.
The English aluminium swirl handled ones like mine come in at around 32 gms, and are very common on the English bay. Excellent examples can be picked up, with shipping to the CONUS, for around $45-50.
Here's a very clean example for £19.99 or $26.17 at latest exchange rates.
Vintage Gillette Tech Safety Razor | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195224361105?hash=item2d74475891:g:xu4AAOSwn21i1Fi6&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Hp8sPDZu9Gb%2FsmCwJaoCjSX2YJX85eWkJSD%2BGcdUMKC9XEyoimaF4u%2FNfA0XG%2BjVAo4%2B1wmHkZv9zd8shmVGBpBFYHg7E%2BTfDN86sT6a2cX6GM2CWdFSjCd%2F1i1vixugqFm2O9eB0V%2F%2Fbrp7WSRSeAo38AjTeFqbsVyXq%2BV3G3ycF%2BZLgd%2BuWN3ujiHvx62h24kEDyZgt8QzTGdl9ElGaz1WI3ifNPUAx%2FYnNuKnqvCOAmBRfLBNL1FZ5uEOL%2Fp99rfaewJbZD87loR9OY33fHDBhRXjYMt7u7oR15yyumr%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9bRvPWqYg
Very often they come in shaving sets. Check these carefully, for there is often pure gold inside!
A timeless classic vintage, highly loved here and their resale value in the US will appreciate. Effortless efficient daily drivers. Just the sweetest shavers.
Good luck.
It is of the engraved non-diamond Gillette logo type which seems unique to English made Techs. Here is a different view of it
Now I would very broadly date it to 1958-62, but the top cap styling is quite uncommon and I have only seen a couple of examples. Here is the thread giving the broader dating
Info on an English tech? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/info-on-an-english-tech.493055/
I suspect this style of logo is from a very short time frame, and I would date it from the late 50's to 1960 at the latest.
I have never seen the style documented or officially dated in any source however.
Whatever its date, it is one of the most efficent Techs I have.
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Nothing definitive in that thread.
Could be 1960, 1961 or even prior to 1958. If the top cap doesn't have a logo at all it is early 50s. Sometime from the mid 50s on they are all with logo. Your handle has been started in the second half of the 50s.
Regarding the efficiency. There is a variation through all the years. Even within the 60s. Some batches have more gap and exposure, some less, although you look at the razors and they seem identical without a blade in them.
Merkur 37C slant!
It's not like the German 37 (so I've read).
I think it's the only non boutique razor that I've kept. It's mild but a huge step up in efficiency as compared to the other Merkur's. And it's relatively cheap.
It's not like the German 37 (so I've read).
I think it's the only non boutique razor that I've kept. It's mild but a huge step up in efficiency as compared to the other Merkur's. And it's relatively cheap.
1.There is a Sharpologist article named: What is the best mild safety razor for 2023?
2. There is a razor scale considering aggressivity on the Italian Barber (Razorock) site.
3. I personally only found Fatip Testina Gentile on par with Rockwell 6S mild settings (1-3), but it has blade alignment issues. Gillette Tech is too blade forward, is not on the same level with Rockwell 6S, but what Quaznoid says is very catchy. My razor to replace Rockwell 6S on any setting is Gillette “Slim” Adjustable, it had a little more blade feel but it doesn’t bother me. I would guess PAA original DOC would be what you are looking for, but I never used one.
2. There is a razor scale considering aggressivity on the Italian Barber (Razorock) site.
3. I personally only found Fatip Testina Gentile on par with Rockwell 6S mild settings (1-3), but it has blade alignment issues. Gillette Tech is too blade forward, is not on the same level with Rockwell 6S, but what Quaznoid says is very catchy. My razor to replace Rockwell 6S on any setting is Gillette “Slim” Adjustable, it had a little more blade feel but it doesn’t bother me. I would guess PAA original DOC would be what you are looking for, but I never used one.
Henson ++ it is a bit more aggressive than the + but still mild and the design makes the face of the razor stay on plane so you aren’t scraping the skin. Also that relatively large platform pairs well with a slick cream like Jack Black or even Cremo, you get maximum glide. The Henson is pure genius IMO. The other recommendations above require much more precision in your shaving angle than the Henson, which requires almost none.
Exactly what I was going to say. The Lupo .58 is my ’go to’ lately. It’s one of the few razors that gets under and around my nose without missing a hair due to its unique head design. The .72 also works but it’s too aggressive for my skin. I hope Razorock comes out with an OC .58. The Tatara Masamune (both OC and CC) works well too.
I just can’t get under my nose efficiently with the Henson. I tried but it doesn’t work for me.
That’s interesting because I was worried about that myself and with other razors I always had a disposable to do right under the nostrils but the Henson gets right under there with no issue. I guess everyone is different when it comes to under the nose.
Here is my 1946-49 Gold Fat Handle Tech on the left. The one on the right is a mild (*) Henson. Either of these will give a great shave without irritation. The Henson is especially good for sensitive skin if one remembers to keep the flat part of the head on the skin.
Don't shoot me for saying this, but a properly honed straight razor is milder and gentler still.
As someone with very sensitive skin and also annoyed by an inefficient razor, I tried the Henson Mild and it immediately became my forever razor. It's very good. I don't use anything else anymore.
Incidentally, my nose is...ample and have no issue getting under there. Technique is what matters.
Incidentally, my nose is...ample and have no issue getting under there. Technique is what matters.
Lots of recommendations for the gamechanger .68p which I would agree is a fine candidate. However I would recommend another Razorock... The BBS series.
My first DE razor since 2018
Tech
A mellon SLOC (Yaqi or PAA, maybe others have made this head), oh and the Yaqi Mercury head is also surprisingly smooth but efficient.
Or maybe a Fatip OC or testina gentile.
Or maybe a Fatip OC or testina gentile.
Mild, irritation free shave. Properly sharpened, nothing beats this.
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