1952 gillette superspeed

[smoothie72]

I have been looking for a 52 gillette for my father. I see many of the black tip 40's style, but also have seen an all silver tto with the x date code.

I can't seem to find any info on these razors. How are they different from the black tip.

I actually already bought a 52 black tip and after giving it a test run ( as any good son should do) I thought I would keep this one and find him another. As this one has a bit of a lazy door. No problem with performanc, in fact I love the shave. Very smooth.

But I am curious about this all silver gillette. Is it a superspeed or some other animal.

 

[smoothie72]

This

 

[alex2363]

Maybe the razor was replated in and the tip was not repainted black.

 

[alex2363]

View attachment 282501

This

That is not a Black tip ( 40's style Super Speed)

 

[alex2363]

I have been looking for a 52 gillette for my father. I see many of the black tip 40's style, but also have seen an all silver tto with the x date code.

I can't seem to find any info on these razors. How are they different from the black tip.

I actually already bought a 52 black tip and after giving it a test run ( as any good son should do) I thought I would keep this one and find him another. As this one has a bit of a lazy door. No problem with performanc, in fact I love the shave. Very smooth.

But I am curious about this all silver gillette. Is it a superspeed or some other animal.

Try this link for more insight
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/56974-Super-Speed-Identification

 

[smoothie72]

Thanks Alex. That clears up most of my question. 2 different superspeeds. The all metal and the black tip.

I still wonder if they perform the same? ie same head, same shave right?

 

[alex2363]

Thanks Alex. That clears up most of my question. 2 different superspeeds. The all metal and the black tip.

I still wonder if they perform the same? ie same head, same shave right?

They are mild and effective shavers, i am a aggressive shave razor man and dont really use SS at all, but i have tried them all and i do know how they shave.

 

[nemo]

1952 Gillettes can be found in black tips as well as all-nickel plated Super Speeds, gold plated Milords, and Techs.

Yes, the black and silver tip SS will shave about the same.

 

[Zeppelinkarte]

Tried a all metal Superspeed the other day and was blown away with the effectiveness of this razor. Great shave. On a par with anything.

 

[BBrad]

The black-tips, made in 1952, made use of materials other than brass for the handle components. The TTO knob was black plastic, neither painted nor plated. The handle tube was either aluminum or steel, plated in nickel. The heads were the same as "regular" razors and made of brass. This made for some different weights between razors built from different components. Due to the Korean War, brass was at a premium so substitute materials were utilized. By 1953, production had returned to the "normal" all-brass design.

 

[showard]

I swear I saw an old Gillette ad on Youtube from 51 or 52 that closed with 'available in regular or choose black for sensitive skin'. But I'll be darned if I can find it again.

 

[KingGordon]

Is this the one? Shows a black tip referred to as "light" from what I can tell. Plus it's got a toggle in it, so it has to be good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7EOtieCc6qQ

 

[alex2363]

Is this the one? Shows a black tip referred to as "light" from what I can tell. Plus it's got a toggle in it, so it has to be good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7EOtieCc6qQ

 

[BBrad]

Is this the one? Shows a black tip referred to as "light" from what I can tell. Plus it's got a toggle in it, so it has to be good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7EOtieCc6qQ

The black tips were made between 1951 and '52 (per Krumholz p250) . . . the Toggle came out much later. The razors featured in the ad are the Blue Tip (Light) and Red Tip (Heavy) Super Speeds, featured along with the standard Super Speed (Medium) which were manufactured from 1954 to '59.

Interesting that Phil Krumholz' only mention of the Black Tip SS was in a single picture caption referenced above. He wrote nothing about the BT, or why the materials were different. We do know there was a brass shortage at that time, but I don't recall ever seeing any advertising that marketed it as a "light" razor.

 

[alex2363]

The black tips were made between 1951 and '52 (per Krumholz p250) . . . the Toggle came out much later. The razors featured in the ad are the Blue Tip (Light) and Red Tip (Heavy) Super Speeds, featured along with the standard Super Speed (Medium) which were manufactured from 1954 to '59.

Interesting that Phil Krumholz' only mention of the Black Tip SS was in a single picture caption referenced above. He wrote nothing about the BT, or why the materials were different. We do know there was a brass shortage at that time, but I don't recall ever seeing any advertising that marketed it as a "light" razor.

On page 244 he mentions the variations but no Black tip, instead a Tan tip?

 

[americanarmsdealer]

On page 244 he mentions the variations but no Black tip, instead a Tan tip?

Ahhh...the elusive tan tip! Haven't seen that one mentioned in a while. I was under the impression that it was nothing more than urban legend or myth, kinda like alligators in the sewers or unicorns.

 

[BBrad]

On page 244 he mentions the variations but no Black tip, instead a Tan tip?

You're right, Alex, he does . . .

This razor featured an uncolored, tapered TTO knob (although a few were tan-colored) and was packed in a Styrene case that had a transparent lid and a tan-colored base.
​

I don't know if Phil's mention of a tan-tip was based on actual observation (probably not, no pictures of it in the book) or if he was innocently repeating the "urban legend." All of the advertising mentioned the blue and red tip versions, along with the "Regular" Super Speed for regular beards. If there really was a tan-tipped version, I would think the advertising would have mentioned a "Tan Tip for Regular Beards" or something like that.

With the regular version packaged in a tan-bottomed case, it is easy to see how the legend started. But look at how many blue and red tips we find in all manner of condition: good paint, bad paint, peeling paint, paint all gone except for inside the grooves, etc. One would think if there really was a tan-tip, we'd see them in mass quantities and with conditions similar to the reds and blues.

Phil first published his book 20 years ago. In that span of time, more research has been done and more discoveries made. Since Gillette has never published any good "insider" history, we rely on the work of people like Phil Krumholz along with today's historians like Achim and Porter. But the tan tip . . . just put it on the same list as unicorns, friendly people at DMV, and the Loch Ness monster . . .

​

 

[BaritoneJP]

Well, I think maybe I found something special and looking for opinions. Just won and eBay auction for $11.50, yes $11.50. There was a blue tip which is well worth the $11.50 but there is also a 40s style super speed, date code W3, which looks like it has a tan or yellow tip! Never seen one, seen lots of talk about tan tip super speeds. Here are the pics from the auction, I will take my own once I get them in had, but still looking for thoughts, opinions, advice and etc

Whoa, interesting !

 

[mistercitizen]

Wow, cool..... a tan tip!! Could it be?

Ben

 

[alex2363]

Wow, cool..... a tan tip!! Could it be?

Ben

Maybe, i still think BigFoot is real