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Gillette Travel Razor

This razor is the first safety razor that I have shaved with and Its not bad. I picked mine up at an antique shop for $12.00 travel case included. It serves its purpose great as a travel razor, but for everyday use it can be a pain.

The handle is rather short and not matched up with the size of the head very well. The grip is knurled and feels fine, not slippery at all.

I find that it isn't a very aggressive razor either, usually I do 2-3 passes to get a satisfying shave.

Blade replacement is like any other 3 piece razor, I dont feel it dangerous but not the most convenient either.

For a $12 Razor its a great collector item and Im glad to have it!
Grip
2.00 star(s)
Price
5.00 star(s)
Balance
2.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Adjustability
1.00 star(s)
User Friendly
2.00 star(s)
Aggressiveness
1.00 star(s)
Ease of Blade Replacement
3.00 star(s)
Price:~$5 ($8 with original pouch) about average for any mid-late 60's Gillette

Quality: It's a Gillette, a little cleaning, and it looks cherry!

User friendly: You have to hold one of these things in your hand to appreciate how tiny they actually are! It takes a few strokes to get acquainted with the size.

Grip: +1 if you prefer to hold close to the head, -1 otherwise

Ease of Blade Replacement: it's a bit fiddly, but as long as you use caution your fingertips aren't in jeopardy.

Aggressiveness: It's never bit me,with Walmart Personnas I'd have to say around a 2-3 on an adjustable.

Adjustability: N/A

Balance: As stated above, with a huge head stuck on a toothpick, it takes some getting used to.
Grip
2.00 star(s)
Price
5.00 star(s)
Balance
1.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Adjustability
1.00 star(s)
User Friendly
3.00 star(s)
Aggressiveness
1.00 star(s)
Ease of Blade Replacement
2.00 star(s)
"It is incredibly lightweight and the handle feels as though it is aluminum" I guess there are several different models, mine's is from the fifties and is heavy and feels like stainless steel. With such a short handle it was not comfortable to shave with anyway. The shaving head sits on my merkur 1904 beautiful handle, replacing the original open comb head, this combination is GOLD! :thumbup1:
Grip
2.00 star(s)
Price
5.00 star(s)
Balance
2.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Adjustability
0.00 star(s)
User Friendly
1.00 star(s)
Aggressiveness
5.00 star(s)
Ease of Blade Replacement
5.00 star(s)
This is the razor I'm learning on. I acquired one in and old junk drawer in my house. I called my mother and come to find out that it used to be my grandfather's travel razor before he passed away. Sentimetality paired with a desire to learn wetshaving made me give this a go.

Looking at the razor, it isn't much. It came in a flimsy gold plastic case with a broken snap. It is incredibly lightweight and the handle feels as though it is aluminum.

Blade changes are easy to figure out, but give you that feeling like you will be seeing the first aid kit given a long enough time line. It is a three piece razor. You slide the blade over the receiving screw, slide the blade guard over that, then screw the handle down. This is where it gets tricky as you basically have to hold near the razor with one hand and twist the handle with the other. Very dangerous.

As for shaving, it gets the job done. I can get BBS with 4 passes and a Walmart Personna loaded. I have no doubt that an infinitely superior shave could come from just about anything else, but this razor proves that it is not the equipment that matters, but how you use it.

As my dad likes to say, "Tiger woods could play scratch golf with thrift shop clubs that still have wood woods."

As it is incredibly lightweight, it does make you want to try and press down a bit, but nonetheless, I would actually highly recommend this as a first or learning razor for people with a bit of tenacity. It is fairly frustrating and not satisfying to use, but my guess is that is greatly shortens the learning curve if you stick with it. You quickly learn to use light, short strokes because if you don't you will have a miserable or ineffective shave.

Oh, and you can get these for next to nothing on ebay.
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