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Moon Mission Techmatic Tribute!

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Alright, I am thinking of digging up all my Techmatic stuff on Friday and then maybe, just maybe having a run on the weekend. I shouldn’t go into this completely blind.

Well, you don't have to worry about wearing out the band - just got a fine fourth shave (from this Schick).

I'm actually really liking it!

AA
 
Alright, I am thinking of digging up all my Techmatic stuff on Friday and then maybe, just maybe having a run on the weekend. I shouldn’t go into this completely blind.
Unless you're opening a new, sealed cartridge, I would recommend, winding the cartridge to a new blade section. A blade that has been exposed for years will accumulate oxidation. Ad Astra just had such an experience.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Unless you're opening a new, sealed cartridge, I would recommend, winding the cartridge to a new blade section. A blade that has been exposed for years will accumulate oxidation. Ad Astra just had such an experience.

Yeah; I hate to waste anything ... couldn't tell if it was winding UP or DOWN from 10.

Still shocked at how good the shaves are. And the longevity; you could hike the Appalachian Trail with this thing ... and a bar of that Broo shampoo/body/shave soap. You'd be set for weeks.


AA
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Well, I found the razor in the miscellaneous drawer, along with some other oddities like a Staley Live Blade. I need to find a new cartridge in the 'Bay, and wonder if I need to lay in some Tang?
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Well, I found the razor in the miscellaneous drawer, along with some other oddities like a Staley Live Blade. I need to find a new cartridge in the 'Bay, and wonder if I need to lay in some Tang?

You may find Tang a bit overly tart these days ... actually it was bad in 1972. Anyways.

Remember Schick band-carts will fit (and give an amazing shave!), though of course the astronauts took GILLETTE Techmatic band-carts with them ... and given the apparent longevity of shaves in a 10-blade cart, they could have come down in the jungle, etc. and been neatly groomed for a few weeks. They did train for off-kilter landings ... and it happened:

Gemini's First Docking Turns to Wild Ride in Orbit

AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Ok, gave you plenty of time to score your own Techmatics. Now. I have a couple, but must confess: I wanted a 1969-made "O"-marked one, for the year of the Apollo 11 landing. However. Most sellers of these things don't bother … it's a crapshoot.

So I bought a new-in-package one for a whopping $5, $8.78 delivered.

Yes, it was pretty dirty … BUT.

full


Unused razor and a 5-shave-band:

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And it cleaned up nice ...

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And I learned the case is made to be a travel case, it stacks:

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Was it an "O"-marked?

Nope. M-marked, for 1967 … Search goes on.

We'll see how it shaves tomorrow. The Schick Auto Band shaves have been great! We'll see how Gillette stacks up against its perennial adversary ...


AA
 
What ye got yerself thar is a 1967 Techy!
That year, Gillette introduced an "adjustable" cartridge for the first time, and spiffy new ultra-modern packaging for their "space-age" model.
Yours looks a little worse for wear, but if you can get four usable bands out of it, you'll have paid less for the set than most do for merely a cartridge!
ps. With an unopened razor on a blister-pack, one can only accurately date it from the code on the back of the card, which bears no relation to the manufacturing code imprinted on the razor itself. I've yet to find any reference source for dating these codes. Anyone?
Similarly, the cartridges have a code on the back of their blister-packs which could be used to date them.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
What ye got yerself thar is a 1967 Techy!
That year, Gillette introduced an "adjustable" cartridge for the first time, and spiffy new ultra-modern packaging for their "space-age" model.
Yours looks a little worse for wear, but if you can get four usable bands out of it, you'll have paid less for the set than most do for merely a cartridge!
ps. With an unopened razor on a blister-pack, one can only accurately date it from the code on the back of the card, which bears no relation to the manufacturing code imprinted on the razor itself. I've yet to find any reference source for dating these codes. Anyone?
Similarly, the cartridges have a code on the back of their blister-packs which could be used to date them.

Well. Thanks @razorboi , you're the go-to on these things!

The first exposed bit of band looks funky, so call it four. Gillette cheapskates, they give you a 5-shot with the razor, when they make 10-shot refills! Anyways.

New, unused, with case and four blades - $5 and easily found.

Still plenty of time to join the moon mission...

AA
 
The astute observer will note that with a new Techmatic, Gillette provided a 6-band cartridge during the earlier non-adjustable era, and only a 5-band cartridge with the adjustable type, starting in 1967.
For a short while, one could purchase either type of cartridge separately, but Gillette eventually dropped the non-adjustable type.
ps. The adjustable cartridge was available separately in 5-band as well as 10-band and 15 band versions. The original non-adjustable came in six and 10-band versions. I've heard of a 12-band cartridge, but never seen it myself.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
The astute observer will note that with a new Techmatic, Gillette provided a 6-band cartridge during the earlier non-adjustable era, and only a 5-band cartridge with the adjustable type, starting in 1967.
For a short while, one could purchase either type of cartridge separately, but Gillette eventually dropped the non-adjustable type.
ps. The adjustable cartridge was available separately in 5-band as well as 10-band and 15 band versions. The original non-adjustable came in six and 10-band versions. I've heard of a 12-band cartridge, but never seen it myself.

I just clicked this thing to a new edge (4) but don't like the look of it ...not exactly wavy, but. Maybe it just needs to be corked, by my face. We'll see.

AA
 
I just clicked this thing to a new edge (4) but don't like the look of it ...not exactly wavy, but. Maybe it just needs to be corked, by my face. We'll see.

AA
From the pics, it appears the product was the victim of poor storage and mouldy climate conditions. You may have a bad cartridge through and through. Still, the handle and case were worth the price, judging from the way you cleaned them up.
Look for sealed cartridges online, but take note of the number of "blades" in the cartridge when considering the price. Some sellers think one cartridge is worth the same as another, without considering the number of bands it contains.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
From the pics, it appears the product was the victim of poor storage and mouldy climate conditions. You may have a bad cartridge through and through. Still, the handle and case were worth the price, judging from the way you cleaned them up.
Look for sealed cartridges online, but take note of the number of "blades" in the cartridge when considering the price. Some sellers think one cartridge is worth the same as another, without considering the number of bands it contains.

Yes, you definitely want the "10s" - they will last forever!

OK, shaved with the Gillette OEM band-cart this am; it was fine.

Both Gillette and Schick carts are fairly mild on the "neutral" setting, I've turned both up a couple clicks.

These will make great (Earthly) travel razors! I usually take Bic Metal.


AA
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
You may find Tang a bit overly tart these days ... actually it was bad in 1972. Anyways.

Remember Schick band-carts will fit (and give an amazing shave!), though of course the astronauts took GILLETTE Techmatic band-carts with them ... and given the apparent longevity of shaves in a 10-blade cart, they could have come down in the jungle, etc. and been neatly groomed for a few weeks. They did train for off-kilter landings ... and it happened:

Gemini's First Docking Turns to Wild Ride in Orbit

AA

Yeah, I didn't like the Tang even when a dumb kid, course recollection says I didn't like the Techmatic either .. but we shall see. Found a new adjustable cart floating in the 'Bay
 
Just saw a piece on TV news about the multi-million dollar restoration job of the old control room at the Johnson Space Center, used as "Mission Control" for the Apollo 11 project. It's re-opening just in time for the anniversary!
The attention to detail is astonishing, right down to the coffee cups, and cigarette stubs in the ash-trays. Plenty of video on the 'net.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Just saw a piece on TV news about the multi-million dollar restoration job of the old control room at the Johnson Space Center, used as "Mission Control" for the Apollo 11 project. It's re-opening just in time for the anniversary!
The attention to detail is astonishing, right down to the coffee cups, and cigarette stubs in the ash-trays. Plenty of video on the 'net.

Saw it! This whole anniversary is leading up to a lot of public interest, and nothing could be better. The world needs innovators, creators and explorers... more than ever. Kids need STEM stuff to fire their imiginations. Anyways.

Both Gillette and Schick carts shave, to me, better than the memories reported ... We also become better shavers with time - especially 50 years.

I finally snagged a 1969-made O-year, and I will have a valuable data point to relate later today ...

AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I finally snagged a 1969-made O-year, and I will have a valuable data point to relate later today ...

AA

All right. I finally have in my hands a 1969-made, O-marked Techmatic ... in fact, O3. So, a perfect "birthyear" spaceflight razor.

Which brings up an interesting point ...

Notice the trademark "T" at the base of the handle of the space-flown Apollo 11 Michael Collins Techmatic? (Picture from the Smithsonian)

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Well. My 1969 razor doesn't have that trademark T... neither does the 1967 or 1965 Techmatics.

The only one I have with the trademark T is a very late production W-marked Techmatic ... 1976.

So. Is this really the razor Collins flew with? or a later-made one, put there by Collins' mistake or *other* reasons?

Why doesn't my 1969-made razor have that marking? and HIS, which must be 1969-made or earlier, does?

Moon (shaving) conspiracy! I'd like to see the inside markings on that razor!

On a positive note ... I'm attempting to shave the whole MONTH of July with Techmatic.

And ... based on recent ebay experiences ... I see where others are snagging these tools, and their blades. May these snipers join the mission!


AA
 
Who landed where? :turned:

So these Techmatics are basically like typewriter ink ribbons. The steel strip is same as the blades going in carts but it's not quenched to make it hard and stiff.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
All right. I finally have in my hands a 1969-made, O-marked Techmatic ... in fact, O3. So, a perfect "birthyear" spaceflight razor.

Which brings up an interesting point ...

Notice the trademark "T" at the base of the handle of the space-flown Apollo 11 Michael Collins Techmatic? (Picture from the Smithsonian)

proxy.php


Well. My 1969 razor doesn't have that trademark T... neither does the 1967 or 1965 Techmatics.

The only one I have with the trademark T is a very late production W-marked Techmatic ... 1976.

So. Is this really the razor Collins flew with? or a later-made one, put there by Collins' mistake or *other* reasons?

Why doesn't my 1969-made razor have that marking? and HIS, which must be 1969-made or earlier, does?

Moon (shaving) conspiracy! I'd like to see the inside markings on that razor!

On a positive note ... I'm attempting to shave the whole MONTH of July with Techmatic.

And ... based on recent ebay experiences ... I see where others are snagging these tools, and their blades. May these snipers join the mission!


AA

I have a L-2 with the T marking on it ..
 
I've a first production razor from 1965 which has the "T" on it.
In fact, all that I have seen have it. Perhaps there was a secondary handle mould. Perhaps a foreign-produced (eg. Canada, England) model?
Who landed where? :turned:

So these Techmatics are basically like typewriter ink ribbons. The steel strip is same as the blades going in carts but it's not quenched to make it hard and stiff.
The band is wider than that used in later carts, but the type-writer ribbon is a good analogy.
 
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Ad Astra

The Instigator
Who landed where? :turned:

So these Techmatics are basically like typewriter ink ribbons. The steel strip is same as the blades going in carts but it's not quenched to make it hard and stiff.

Exactly. And it does work, actually pretty well.

"Techmatic, Father of Cartridges."

AA
 
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