Item Description
General Notes
It's the well-known Gillette model made between 1948-50. Just like the 1947 before it, the first post-war model of razor put out by Gillette, it carries no date code, and is only distinguished from the 1947 model by the presence of a notch in the bar to facilitate easy blade loading.
Physical details
It's a traditional TTO model. Mine came to me pretty dirty, but with some boiling water/vinegar, toothbrush and dish soap, polish and mineral oil bath, and this thing is good as new. They're built to last, and the action on the silo doors is smooth. I can see this razor lasting another 60 years, and maybe more. Impressive construction. It has really nice heft, feels really good and well balanced, and is very easy to grip. It's may not be the prettiest star in the Gillette universe with knurling on the handle carried right down onto the twist knob, but everything about the design says simplicity and facility.
Shaving
I can only compare this to my Merkur HD as that is the only DE safety razor I had previously used. The HD had always given me great shaves, and I still intend on using it, but the Super Speed actually elevated my shave to a new level. The razor is slightly heavier than the HD, and the balance makes it much easier to shave without applying pressure. The angle seems to just find itself, even going along different facial angles like straight down the chin then down the neck. As close to seeing-eye shaving that I have experienced.
The doors seem to close down tightly on the blade, but not so tight that the blade becomes rigid. That makes it more forgiving and, in my opinion, a great shaver for a neophyte wet shaver. I hate the term "Aggressiveness" because it denotes the Razor versus my face. It was really easy on my face, but it still shaved really well, so I only gave it a 5 on the "Aggressiveness" field because I didn't know what to say. I used a Derby, but an Israeli, Merkur or Feather would be just as at home and would probably yield similar results, especially if you already use one of those blades in your Merkur HD now.
Conclusion
A simple three pass (N-S, ear-to-nose, then S-N), with a bit of touch-up around the muzzle, and I can honestly say that it was the easiest, closest, and most comfortable shave I have ever had. It makes a clean and obvious cutting sound when the angle is right (which is really easy to do), and the head of this razor is shaped to go anywhere, including right under the nose, with ease. If you can find one of these, or the 1947 model, buy it. Remember that there are a lot of these around, so they're not so rare as to spend your child's college fund, but for under $25 you should be able to pick a good example and clean it up yourself. It's worth the time to get to know it, and then you'll be pleasantly rewarded with great shaves, maybe for the rest of your life.
Peace,
Pierre
It's the well-known Gillette model made between 1948-50. Just like the 1947 before it, the first post-war model of razor put out by Gillette, it carries no date code, and is only distinguished from the 1947 model by the presence of a notch in the bar to facilitate easy blade loading.
Physical details
It's a traditional TTO model. Mine came to me pretty dirty, but with some boiling water/vinegar, toothbrush and dish soap, polish and mineral oil bath, and this thing is good as new. They're built to last, and the action on the silo doors is smooth. I can see this razor lasting another 60 years, and maybe more. Impressive construction. It has really nice heft, feels really good and well balanced, and is very easy to grip. It's may not be the prettiest star in the Gillette universe with knurling on the handle carried right down onto the twist knob, but everything about the design says simplicity and facility.
Shaving
I can only compare this to my Merkur HD as that is the only DE safety razor I had previously used. The HD had always given me great shaves, and I still intend on using it, but the Super Speed actually elevated my shave to a new level. The razor is slightly heavier than the HD, and the balance makes it much easier to shave without applying pressure. The angle seems to just find itself, even going along different facial angles like straight down the chin then down the neck. As close to seeing-eye shaving that I have experienced.
The doors seem to close down tightly on the blade, but not so tight that the blade becomes rigid. That makes it more forgiving and, in my opinion, a great shaver for a neophyte wet shaver. I hate the term "Aggressiveness" because it denotes the Razor versus my face. It was really easy on my face, but it still shaved really well, so I only gave it a 5 on the "Aggressiveness" field because I didn't know what to say. I used a Derby, but an Israeli, Merkur or Feather would be just as at home and would probably yield similar results, especially if you already use one of those blades in your Merkur HD now.
Conclusion
A simple three pass (N-S, ear-to-nose, then S-N), with a bit of touch-up around the muzzle, and I can honestly say that it was the easiest, closest, and most comfortable shave I have ever had. It makes a clean and obvious cutting sound when the angle is right (which is really easy to do), and the head of this razor is shaped to go anywhere, including right under the nose, with ease. If you can find one of these, or the 1947 model, buy it. Remember that there are a lot of these around, so they're not so rare as to spend your child's college fund, but for under $25 you should be able to pick a good example and clean it up yourself. It's worth the time to get to know it, and then you'll be pleasantly rewarded with great shaves, maybe for the rest of your life.
Peace,
Pierre
