1967 Black Handle Gillette Super Speed--were some of these more aggressive?

[dumnr3]

I got started down this path about a decade ago with a Bakelite Tech that shaves wonderfully, so naturally when visiting my parents I went through the old drawers and found an an M1 Black handled Super Speed. When trying it out, I made the rookie mistake of not cinching down the handle once or twice and got bit, but even when properly tensioned, this one has a pretty aggressive gap so it went to the back of the pack. I searched previous threads and found a few complaints of similar razors needing to be "fixed" because of the rough shaves they gave. I don't have a huge collection but feel like my technique has gotten decent enough, so the other day I decided to give this one another whirl and was surprised at first at how much blade feedback there was and whoops, oh yeah, there is that corner of the mouth area you need to look out for: got a good little nick. Based on those other threads, I checked for any bent parts or other defects, with no results, but I did notice that the blade gap looked like pretty close to the most aggressive setting on my (birth year) '64 Slim adjustable. So I'm curious if some of these units just happened to be a bit more aggressive or if some more fiddling with it might tame it somewhat. As is, it is not a bad shaver, just a lot closer to my open comb Old Type than the Tech or any of my other razors.
Will attach some pics that I hope will show blade gap. Not sure if I can trust my eyes but nothing really seems out of alignment, at least to untrained observer.

 

[DesertIguana]

Gillettes were made for average person, not sure any Gillette Non Agressive.

 

[LuckyGlenn]

My black handle Superspeed likes a steep angle and a lighter touch than my techs.

 

[dumnr3]

the other thought I had--and maybe more experienced forum members can confirm--is that certain blades might resist the bowing action more than others which would have the same effect
edit: by bowing, I mean conforming to the arc of the head, which occurs as the tension is increased on the twist to open

 

[ivan_101]

If your 1967 Super-Speed has a gap similar to the @9 setting on the Slim something's not right. I have at least 12 of them from the late 60s to the mid 80s.
The gaps on the black handle Super-Speed as measured by me:
Early variant with diamond on the bottom plate. Manufactured until 1978. Gap ~0.70mm
The later variant with a rectangular bottom plate. Increased gap, but reduced exposure. Gap ~0.75mm.

The Slim gap @9 is 0.99mm.

 

[ivan_101]

the other thought I had--and maybe more experienced forum members can confirm--is that certain blades might resist the bowing action more than others which would have the same effect
edit: by bowing, I mean conforming to the arc of the head, which occurs as the tension is increased on the twist to open

It's called bending.

 

[Alex Jr]

That gap does not look normal for a SS. And exposure.

The safety bar looks a little weird, like it’s pushed down increasing both gap and exposure.

Something is off…

 

[dumnr3]

It's called bending.

first result from an Internet search on these synonyms; I was just trying to make sure I was being clear:
"bowing" suggests gentle curving, whereas "bend" might suggest an angular bend, or a fold

 

[dumnr3]

That gap does not look normal for a SS. And exposure.

The safety bar looks a little weird, like it’s pushed down increasing both gap and exposure.

Something is off…

that was sort of my thinking. I was wondering if Gillette, well known for decent quality control, may have had a micro-mistake. It's like it bottoms out just before putting the right tension on the blade

 

[ivan_101]

first result from an Internet search on these synonyms; I was just trying to make sure I was being clear:
"bowing" suggests gentle curving, whereas "bend" might suggest an angular bend, or a fold

With razors we are calling it blade bending. Whether it is strong or light.
For instance, Merkur Progress has strong bending, Parker 87R has very light bending.

 

[Joezamboni]

that was sort of my thinking. I was wondering if Gillette, well known for decent quality control, may have had a micro-mistake. It's like it bottoms out just before putting the right tension on the blade

Reality is who really knows what’s happened to it over the past 50+ years. Something heavy on top, squashed in a suitcase, a deliberate attempt to make it more aggressive, etc.

It definitely looks off just by the pictures alone though.

At least good superspeeds are still cheap so if you feel like revisiting one you can easily find it.

 

[Juanmosey]

That gap does not look normal for a SS. And exposure.

The safety bar looks a little weird, like it’s pushed down increasing both gap and exposure.

Something is off…

I believe you are right about the safety bar. I have a 1967 too.