Right you are. It is 1921. Thank you.
But the same source lists the correct spelling of the main 1930's Gillette razor is NEW. Go figure.
New Improved on the way
- Thread starter tankerjohn
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But the same source lists the correct spelling of the main 1930's Gillette razor is NEW. Go figure.
I make it a point to consult original sources Steve. For obvious reasons.
Brother Mudrick,
I'm finding almost zero info on Google regarding the Gillette NEW or Gillette New spelling controversy. That is surprising, as that razor is a significant and historical shaving tool. I even looked at patent info and found nothing useful as to the correct spelling of the name. How can that be? Can you help me?
Furthermore do you have any info on the SC and LC dates of manufacture? And what was in Gillette's thinking to make the 2 combs? I have em both, and I don't feel much difference in the shaves, though I think I like the LC better, but don't ask me why.
The only controversy regarding the name is among forum posters. Folks have relied on Mr Razor's website as authoritative rather than Gillette, and therein lies the problem. All the old ads and communications refer to the razor as the Gillette New. There is a thread here on B&B dedicated to this and I don't really have anything else to add beyond the evidence presented there that the "NEW" nomenclature doesn't come from Gillette but from Mr Razor.
Gillette NEW - why all caps?
You pose an interesting area of research and are right that there is no single source that goes deep into the Gillette New history. I honestly don't know what went on in terms of development of the various new models. Unfortunately discussion here is scattered over quite a few threads.
I'm a Short Comb man. It does s better job ATG on my head than the Long Comb.
Gillette NEW - why all caps?
You pose an interesting area of research and are right that there is no single source that goes deep into the Gillette New history. I honestly don't know what went on in terms of development of the various new models. Unfortunately discussion here is scattered over quite a few threads.
I'm a Short Comb man. It does s better job ATG on my head than the Long Comb.
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Here's a thought @santamariasteve ... remember that after the Autostrop merger production of blades transitioned from Gillette machines to Autostrop. I wonder if some of the same transition occurred with razor production, ie perhaps the Autostrop-Probak facilities were used for some production in addition to the Goodwill , the old Gillette for others?? Certainly there would st minimim have been an exchange between Probak folks and Gillette over the New that may have been reflected in the short vs long experiment. I don't know just s thought.
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Interesting thread. Anyway, congrats on the New Improved purchase. This is my absolute favorite razor. It has everything, looks and shaves both smooth and efficient. Enjoy!
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- Thread starter
- #47
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
It’s here!
Look at that beauty! The case is in okay condition for its age.
A little bit of brassing here and there, but overall it’s in nice condition. I mean, it’s a work horse, not a show horse, for sure. I think the sludgy looking orange spot on the top cap is old lacquer. I love the heft of this thing. Solid.
I’ve read the horror stories of people accidentally stripping off the finish of these goldie oldies, so I’m planning to go super easy on the cleanup. Probably just a good soak in soapy hot water. Maybe a quick dip in alcohol to sanitize. It’s pretty clean already.
Look at that beauty! The case is in okay condition for its age.
A little bit of brassing here and there, but overall it’s in nice condition. I mean, it’s a work horse, not a show horse, for sure. I think the sludgy looking orange spot on the top cap is old lacquer. I love the heft of this thing. Solid.
I’ve read the horror stories of people accidentally stripping off the finish of these goldie oldies, so I’m planning to go super easy on the cleanup. Probably just a good soak in soapy hot water. Maybe a quick dip in alcohol to sanitize. It’s pretty clean already.
Nice score! With some gentle cleaning it will look great.
- Thread starter
- #49
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Well gentlemen, first shave is in the books. I must say, very excellent shaver. I loaded a fresh Astra SP, whipped up a nice thick lather of Long Rifle Voyageur, and got to business. The shave was exceptionally smooth. No weepers or irritation at all. It was a joy to use. It has a nice feel in the hand; good heft and easy to grip. The angle of the comb made it very easy to get a good angle on my face.
Cleaning it revealed more brassing than I originally noticed. But still, it looks fine for a user-grade razor.
Cleaning it revealed more brassing than I originally noticed. But still, it looks fine for a user-grade razor.
- Thread starter
- #50
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
I nerded out a little last night and looked up old Gillette advertisements to further investigate the New vs NEW thing. And what I determined is that Gillette both spellings in contemporary advertising and packaging. In fact, there was plenty of "new", as well. A couple things stood out to me. First, "New" "NEW" "new" was always used as an adjective, i.e. "the new Gillette razor" or "New Type". Some thing with "New Improved". Secondly, the place I saw "NEW" in all caps the most was referring to the blades. In fact, it was printed right on the blade itself "NEW BLADE". It makes me think that Gillette used all caps to highlight the newness. And as we all know, they were more interested in selling the blades than the razors themselves. There was a particularly funny ad that featured this dude complaining that he always has a shadow and his wife starts nagging him to use Gillette blades.
You're right - we're in the minority here. People fail to notice that whenever NEW is capitalized in Gillette literature, everything else is capitalized as well because that's they liked to use consistent branding. You never see "The NEW", but you see "THE NEW". The "NEW STANDARD" is actually a New Improved ;-)
You should wander over to the SE forum and tell them there's no such thing as Schick Type F - Schick called it "the new Improved Schick Injector Razor". Some hobbyist classified Injectors as Type A through O and people took it s gospel.
Ha yeah, I do occasionally remind folks when they are arguing which E tyoe they've got that E1,2,3 bla bla is not really a thing which exists outside internet forums. Those categories though have considerable utility compared to the NEW nonsense.
Mind you don't drop it: many, many of those have bent end teeth ... it's heavy and soft brass.
re: the cap letters, it might be simple ad copy hyperbole ...
"NEW and IMPROVED; the BEST under the SUN" - that kind of thing - then it stuck.
AA
re: the cap letters, it might be simple ad copy hyperbole ...
"NEW and IMPROVED; the BEST under the SUN" - that kind of thing - then it stuck.
AA
- Thread starter
- #54
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Indeed, NEW STANDARD is just one of the model names. It was the least expensive of the lineup. The ad is interesting the that New Improved Gillette Safety Razor is spelled out in different type fonts. I read it as "New Improved" being the adjective that modifies "Gillette Safety Razor". However, I can see how someone would be The New Improved as a stand alone, and therefore a noun, especially because the italics are carried over into the paragraph below.You're right - we're in the minority here. People fail to notice that whenever NEW is capitalized in Gillette literature, everything else is capitalized as well because that's they liked to use consistent branding. You never see "The NEW", but you see "THE NEW". The "NEW STANDARD" is actually a New Improved ;-)
Thanks, I'll be careful about that. Fortunately, mine has all straight teeth - no summer teeth! That was one thing I was careful to look for in the listing photos. Seems like bent teeth are a bigger problem on the Old Types. The New Improved is actually pretty beefy. Also, the all caps thing is a question about the NEW (or New, if you prefer), not the New Improved. Anyway, I think we've beaten that particular horse beyond death.
Okay, so completely unrelated to Gillette's prevalence for capital letters in their ad copy, I had my second shave today with the New Standard and I would rate it even better than the first. This thing is just so smooth. I don't know if its the "Fulcrum Shoulder" or the "Adjustable Short Flexure" that makes it so good. Maybe the "Micromatic Precision". Anyway, I love it.
Generally speaking the razor line was referred to as the New Improved Gillette. The sets, whatever their name, included the razor called the New Improved Gillette Safety Razor, that is the name of the set was not ascribed to the included razor itself unless the razor was a special variant, in which case it would be called, for example, the New Improved Big Fellow .
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New Standard is a name of a set that comes with a New Improved razor.
I gotta question the utility of the Schick categorizations. The guy who came up with the chart created a new Type G subtype for same razor with the only difference being the handle color, yet there are 3 (or 4) distinctly different E2 head geometries, which should have their own unique subtype. Mr. Consistent he was not.
That's the complete opposite for me. I find the Old Type to be the best razor Gillette ever made, and really every 1930s New and Goodwill, yet I just find the New Improved to be lacking by comparison. The Old Type is both smoother and more efficient, while the New is smoother and just as efficient as the New Improved.
Don't try to convince me I'm wrong because I accept the fact that I'm in the minority with my opinion. Old Types Rule!
Ah but the New comprised distinct heads in the Long Comb, Short Comb, and New Deluxe (not to mention the English variants) so it's dangerous to generalize there. That being said I also get my best shaves from the Old Types.
- Thread starter
- #60
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Hey that’s great. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong. Everyone’s face is different. Gillette continued to sell the Old Type along side the New Improved, so I’m guessing guys had a preference for one or the other even back in the day. I borrowed an Old a few years back, and I remember it being a fine shaver, but a little harsh. However, the RAD bug is whispering in my ear that I need a WWI Property US Army razor. So we’ll see. Maybe my opinion will change.
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