Gillette Ball End Tech

Classically engineered vintage razor. Mine is 80 years old and I still use it often. Aligns the blade evenly and flush, something that some expensive chrome wonders still won't do.

The one I use is a family blade. Dating shows it to be 1957 (which predates me) meaning either my mother or father bought it. Like most old DE razors unless there's a major break there is no reason to dispose of it. I'm not a big fan of blade replacement on this, I prefer the TTO style. The handle is also short for my large hands, but it is a convenient size for a travel razor. The weight on this little thing is amazing and that alone can provide an excellent pass. Great razor, but ill suited for my size.

i recently learned about the aggressiveness difference between elliptical openings and the triangle ones. I recently picked up a triangle opening razor and I've got to say this is a huge difference! I had the best Tech shave of my life, achieving DFS on my head and BBS on the face.

The Gillette Tech razor is a great beginners razor or even for experienced shavers, such as myself. The problem is that alot of forum members say it is for beginners only and it is too mild - totally untrue. I have used a Merkur 34c, Gillette Superspeed, Slim and now the Ball end Tech from 1959.

My favorite is now the 1959 Ball End Tech. With a Gillette 7oc Yellow Blade, I can get a near-BBS 3-pass shave every time with no weepers or cuts whatsoever. Compared to my Superspeed, this has become my favorite razor.

While it is a gentle razor, it gets all the stubble off with no trouble if you have the right blade in it and get the angle correct - you can obtain a BBS with little effort. No wonder these razors were around for 40+ years.

I have a 1965 Travel BET (the short one). It is a very nice shaver. It definitely has a different angle than my other mild razor (Merkur 1904). I really enjoy shaving with it. The quality is great. I basically cleaned itself up just shaving with it. The only thing with the travel tech is I wish it had a little more weight. ( I know that defeats the purpose). I have no problem getting a 3 pass bbs even though it is extremely mild. Its always fun to go back and use things from the past.

This bad boy was built like a brick you-know-what house and it easily has another 52+ years of service left in it after the 52 that it's already been in action.

These razors were so well made that there's still a ton of them out there in like new condition that can be had for cheap. I got one for $12 shipped, it was still in the original box and it barely had a scratch on it.

My favorite thing about this shaver is the low profile head. For me, shaving under the nose was always a struggle with TTO razors and the thicker Merkur 3 pieces so this thing has been a godsend. One quick stroke and I'm good.

The Tech does have a reputation for being a mild shaver and I can attest to that. Paired with an Astra SP it's perfect for my beard and skin type but those with thicker, coarser beards might want to look elsewhere or at least pair it with a Feather to get the aggressiveness you may need.

The only con (that's not really a con) is some may not like the 3 piece design. Blade replacement can be... I don't want to say tricky but it's not the breeze of a TTO. That being said it's not harder than any other modern three piece out there so if you're already familiar with the design of that type of razor it'll be nothing to you.

If you're looking to get started in the wonderful world of vintage razors I'd definitely start here. These razors are built so well and are so simple in their design that there's really not a lot that can go wrong with them over the decades. It's not hard to track one down that looks and shaves like new.

This razor is a tried and true design, easy to use for beginners and gives a very nice shave. The construction is good with plating over, I think, a copper base. Rock solid. I have had one for many years and it works great despite the loss of plating. Seems like many prefer the thicker handled versions. Having tried both I like the ball end design a bit better. Everyone should own one and with the availability and low price for very nice used ones everyone can.

My first DE razor ever...so take this with a grain of salt, but this is a GREAT razor!

Price: Got is on B/S/T as part of a starter kit. Considering they can be bought for 1/4 the price of a brand new razor, I think it's an amazing value.

Quality: From the 50's, yet looks and feels like it was made yesterday. Absoultely beautiful!

User Friendly: Brand new to DE shaving, and I felt like this thing was meant for me. Very easy to use.

Grip: Checkered handle makes for great grip, although I have nothing to compare it to.

Ease of Blade Replacement: Not a superspeed, but just about as easy.

Aggressiveness: Went ahead put n/a, but this is PERFECT for me. I'm brand new and did not get a single nick my first shave. You can even apply a little pressure if you see fit and you will not cut yourself. That being said, offers a very close shave.

Adjustability: Not applicable.

Balance: Excellent. But again, nothing to compare it to.

Overall: If you are a beginner, or looking for a razor that will do whatever you want it to, this is the one. It allows you to control the shave, not the razor.

My ball-end Tech is from the second quarter of 1953.

Price: Cheap and easy to find on eBay; I believe I paid $10 plus shipping for a Tech in excellent condition.

Quality: Excellent. There is some minor pitting on the cap and slight brassing along the edge of the cap, otherwise the razor looks brand new. Build quality is excellent; all the pieces feel solid and well-made.

User Friendly: I like three-piece razors because of their simplicity; the design is easy to clean and is durable. It's a little fiddly to change the blade, but nowhere near as dangerous to my fingers as my Parker 91R. The thin head is also easy to maneuver around the lip and under the chin, where I've had problems with almost every razor except this one. It's also easier to clean than my Parker for some reason.

Grip: Excellent. The checkered handle and knob at the end allow very positive control of the razor at all angles and with all grips, wet or dry. The handle is a little short compared to a cartridge razor, injector, or more modern DE razor and could stand to be a little thicker, but it does the job well.

Ease of Blade Replacement: Typical three-piece blade replacement, although Gilette made it as easy as possible. Not terribly fiddly and the bar in the cap plus the safety bar design keep the blade from sliding around too much while you tighten the handle.

Aggressiveness: I'm never sure how the one to ten scale works for aggressiveness; for my purposes, I assume that one means the razor is mild and ten means that the razor is a meat slicer in disguise. The Tech is deceptively mild and mine doesn't provide a lot of audible feedback to let you know how things are going, but it quietly mows down the stubble. It takes me three passes to get a DFS with no irritation; in fact, the razor is so mild I could probably run five or six passes if I really wanted to.

Adjustability: Not applicable.

Balance: Excellent. The razor is on the light side but is not top- or bottom-heavy.

Overall: I bought this razor a couple of months ago and while I've used it for a couple of quick shaves, it's mostly been sitting in my drawer. I was not impressed with the shaves the Tech gave me the first couple of times I used it, so I kept switching the blade back to my Parker because I thought I needed a more aggressive razor. Well, after nicking myself the past couple of days with my Parker, I decided to give the Tech an extended trial run to see if I could understand why people love these razors so much.

I get it now.

It turns out that the reason I never got great shaves with the Tech had nothing to do with the razor: the problem was my poor technique (a shocking discovery, I know). The Tech may not not be as aggressive as my Parker or as fast as my injector, but it gives me a fine, comfortable shave. I should have listened to everyone here: this is the razor I should have been using right from the beginning. I would have saved myself a few nicks and a fair amount of irritation if I'd only been patient and focused on my technique. If I had a time machine, I'd go back and buy a dozen.

My first DE razor ever was a Gillette Ball End Tech.

I have since tried 15+ other razors, and the Ball End Tech is still the razor I reach for most often.

It gives me a close, comfortable, irritation free shave, and consistently does so.

When paired with a Feather blade, it is shaving nirvana.

It's also built like a tank, and will likely outlast all of us. The same can't be said for many of the current production razors.

This is a great razor. You can find them pretty cheap on ebay or at antique shops. It is nice and mild itself, but paired with an aggressive blade you can get a smooth close shave every time. Very much worth a try.

I have had this Gillette Tech for a few months now. I bought it on the BST with the Travel shown in the above picture.

I have put this little wonder through the paces for probably a total of three weeks straight (sans the occasional deviation for a straight or my 40's Super Speed).

Simply put, this thing is great, everyone should have one in their arsenal. I get unbelievably close shaves with it every single time. Ive tried a number of blades in it... Feathers, Derbys, Astras, Merkurs, Crystals and a few others. All of which resulted in a fine shave. Very rarely do I see nicks or weepers. In the rare instance I do see one, its my fault.

The clean lines of the tech remind me of an elegant yet simple Armani suit - without the Armani price tag. The shaver is well built, simple and feels great in the hand.

The loading procedure makes me feel like I am really loading something vintage. Which in my opinion is a plus. The experience is after all, the total sum of all the ingredients of a perfect shave. This little number has dethroned my 40's Super Speed as my favorite go to razor. It doesnt matter how much or little stubble I have, it eats it for breakfast.

I have used a number of soaps and creams with this fine instrument... Godrej Pucks, Conk, VDH, QED, Arko, Tabac, Body Shop, even Cade (which for some reason hates me with most other razors) works wonderfully.

Personally, I love the size of the razor, I hang it on the edge of my GTP Scuttle and it looks right at home there.

I rated the shave rather well, here is my explanation for the ratings:

1. Price - I bought the tech & travel tech for $20 shipped a great deal IMHO.

2. Quality - No real moving parts, the pieces align perfectly. Quality material.

3. User Friendly - Simple to operate, load and go to town.

4. Grip - Simple easy to hold, positions in a snap, I can reach areas that are difficult with other razors. Some people may find the smaller size difficult, but not in my case.

5. Ease of blade replacement - I rated this an 8 since you have to be slightly more cautious than say with a TTO.

6. Aggressiveness - Works like a champ for me - YMMV

7. Adjustability - Obviously really nothing to adjust here. So i rated an NA

8. Balance - this is a high point for the Tech

The Gillette Ball End Tech... Simple, Elegant, Workhorse - it gets the job done every time.