Gillette Ranger Tech (1941)

I love my '41 Ranger Tech. It gives a much better shave (for me) compared to a regular Super Speed. this is because of the different non-notched blade tray design. Yes, they can be hard to find and on the expensive side when you do find them. Mine was reasonable for a good user grade, non-cased version.

The age and history itself is worth owning this razor. I purchased this on the B&B classified section. I normally use a new Merkur razor which seems easy compared to the Ranger but does not have the age value. It is extremely well made and if I were better at shaving it would be my favorite shaver and not just my favorite to look at.

I consistently get a smooth close shave (3 pass) with little irritation. I would highly recommend buying one if you can afford it (they can be quite pricey on ebay).

I'm using mine with a Tesco blade and a palmolive shave stick.

If anything I find the razor a bit too mild. It is so gentle I'm not sure it would actually be capable of giving me a nick or cut. Three passes and I feel that a fourth and fifth wouldn't go amiss, but I'd have to get up earlier for that.

I don't think I'll use it all that often, but luckily it is a very pretty razor and looks great in its box.

I marked the price down a touch, because they tend to be quite expensive. The un-notched centre-bar makes the blade placement just a little more fiddly (but I wondered, is the blade held more securely with less play?). The quality of manufacture is superb and it is well-balanced.

I think it would suit a newcomer to DE shaving, but personally I find the '47 Superspeed and its '48-'50 successor better for me.

FaPat gave a nice summary for this razor. I'm just adding my two cents. For the longest time, I thought this was just another variation of the 1940s Superspeed that I enjoyed more than the others. In my opinion, it shaves far better than any 40's SS that I've encountered. It's a very light shaver, but in three passes it gets as close as my Fatboy or GEM Micromatic with far less irritation. I don't know if it's luck or what, but I've never nicked myself with this razor. I wish they still made them like this. They'd fly off the shelves.



==Tom

The Ranger Tech (without endcaps and datecode) was only made for one year, and as such is fairly rare. However, it is worth owning one just for that name "Ranger Tech". How cool does that sound?

Anyway, on to the razor itself:

Price: These can be quite pricey depending on where you get them. I got mine from a forum member for a pretty good price (I think $35). Don't go for the $80 eBay ones, unless you are collecting its just too much.

Quality: This razor is over 60 years old, and still works as good as new. Quality is certainly evident here, and I wouldn't be surprised if it will outlive me by another 60 years.

User Friendly: Nothing really complicated about this razor, not gimmicks or tricks. Turn the knob at the bottom, drop in a blade, close it again, and off you go.

Grip: Grip is very good. The handle provides great grip even with lather/water on your fingers.

Ease of Blade Replacement: As easy as it gets, open the doors, drop in a blade, close it again. Even a monkey could do it.

Aggressiveness: This is of course one of those YMMV areas, but I don't find it overly aggressive. Its just right for me. I rated it as N/A as it is not aggressive, and to preserve a high rating.

Adjustability: Irrelevant here as it is a fixed head, so I marked "N/A" for that rating.

Balance: Pretty good, the head is the heavy part, but thats ok. I do wish the handle could be a bit heavier, but that's just a minor thing, and nothing major.


Many always say that these shave like a 40s Superspeed, but I don't think so. I own a 40s Superspeed, and I find that razor much milder than this one. It shaves close, but not quite that close. The Ranger Tech on the other hand, will shave very close, and comfortably so.

Definately one of my alltime favorites.

(I took the picture from the ShaveWiki).