I had not shaved since Thursday Night, so with a nice DE 48 hour growth to clear (is it me or does DE stubble look better?) I thought it would be a good time to try out my 'new' Gillette Tech, Circa 40's with it's Gillette Old style ball-end handle. What could possibly go wrong eh?
I wanted to humour it's slightly smug 'I've been used in the field you know' vibe as much as possible, but no, I did not go to the back yard and commence to dig a fox hole (it is raining slightly and the park is lousy with snipers) Instead I loaded up a Gillette Wilkinson Sword Indian. This was it's 3rd use, because I wanted to replicate the authentic 'it will be a month before I am rotated out of the line and can get to a NAAFI/PX so I had better use each blade 6 times' sensation. I laid the blade on the slightly unfamiliar bar and ear system of the tech head and put on the plate, and commenced to screw on the Gillette New handle. I laid out my Arko stick (good as an anti-gas agent too, just wave it about) and my retro EBay red and cream handled brush. All very 1944.
After about a minute of screwing (all I'm capable of nowadays) it began to dawn on me the head did not want to affix to the handle. Odd, quoth I. It has never done this before. Well that was then and this was now. With a blade inserted the handle just did not want to play.
After some cursing I finally managed to get about two turns of the thread of the screw engaged. It seemed nice and solid.
I checked blade alignment. It looked fine. I was surprised at the blade exposure though. Twice that of my EJ89 I thought. This is going to be more on the 'efficient' side. Righto.
Cheerfully humming 'Long Ago And Far Away' (The Jo Stafford version) I set to. A good old face wash, then I set to slathering on the Arko on my chiseled features. That done, I began to lather up, while heating up my Tech under the hot tap. North to South, left cheek first, as is my way. The geometry of the head felt familiar, but the increased aggression was noticeable. There was a pleasing audible feedback. Left cheek done and left side of neck. Now chin and upper lip. Still trying to get the hang of the angle. That bloody dull blade is beginning to drag..badly.
Then the head fell off. I stared at the head, now under 3 inches of warm/hot water as per the best YouTube advice. The head stared back. I had not expected this.
My mind racing, I decided on a tactical field expedient. I would use the EJ handle! Take that Jerry! It worked. Re-armed, I commenced upon the left cheek. User error, and that dying blade then proceeded to give me a bloody oww-inducing nick under my right sideburn. Oddly, no blood. Slight panic began to creep in. An infantryman's worst enemy. I then proceeded to change out for a fresh blade. I had never done this mid-shave and it is slightly disconcerting I found. Right side of face done. First pass. It looked ok.
Second pass lather completed, I began to East-to-West. First strokes. Good, audible feedback. Doing a beautiful job of clearing my jawline. Then fatally, I looked down at the head. A glint of light made that increased blade exposure look strangely sinister. And that micro cut was starting to sting. A great, silent psychological battle between Tech and man began.
The Tech won. My strokes became more hesitant and timid. My grand plans for trying the Gillettte Slide withered and died. Second pass done. Third pass lather up. South-to-North. Very efficient. It even dealt excellently with my difficult under the chin area. However the controlling hand behind it was losing confidence. I managed to finish my moustache area, and did my warm and cold rinses and applied witch hazel.
Altogether a very eventful shave, and memorable. The Tech performed great, the operator did not. I would call it more efficient than I expected, a characteristic of early Techs I have read. Has any one else ever had this strange fear of razor syndrome kick in using a new model?
TL
R
Simon
I wanted to humour it's slightly smug 'I've been used in the field you know' vibe as much as possible, but no, I did not go to the back yard and commence to dig a fox hole (it is raining slightly and the park is lousy with snipers) Instead I loaded up a Gillette Wilkinson Sword Indian. This was it's 3rd use, because I wanted to replicate the authentic 'it will be a month before I am rotated out of the line and can get to a NAAFI/PX so I had better use each blade 6 times' sensation. I laid the blade on the slightly unfamiliar bar and ear system of the tech head and put on the plate, and commenced to screw on the Gillette New handle. I laid out my Arko stick (good as an anti-gas agent too, just wave it about) and my retro EBay red and cream handled brush. All very 1944.
After about a minute of screwing (all I'm capable of nowadays) it began to dawn on me the head did not want to affix to the handle. Odd, quoth I. It has never done this before. Well that was then and this was now. With a blade inserted the handle just did not want to play.
After some cursing I finally managed to get about two turns of the thread of the screw engaged. It seemed nice and solid.
I checked blade alignment. It looked fine. I was surprised at the blade exposure though. Twice that of my EJ89 I thought. This is going to be more on the 'efficient' side. Righto.
Cheerfully humming 'Long Ago And Far Away' (The Jo Stafford version) I set to. A good old face wash, then I set to slathering on the Arko on my chiseled features. That done, I began to lather up, while heating up my Tech under the hot tap. North to South, left cheek first, as is my way. The geometry of the head felt familiar, but the increased aggression was noticeable. There was a pleasing audible feedback. Left cheek done and left side of neck. Now chin and upper lip. Still trying to get the hang of the angle. That bloody dull blade is beginning to drag..badly.
Then the head fell off. I stared at the head, now under 3 inches of warm/hot water as per the best YouTube advice. The head stared back. I had not expected this.
My mind racing, I decided on a tactical field expedient. I would use the EJ handle! Take that Jerry! It worked. Re-armed, I commenced upon the left cheek. User error, and that dying blade then proceeded to give me a bloody oww-inducing nick under my right sideburn. Oddly, no blood. Slight panic began to creep in. An infantryman's worst enemy. I then proceeded to change out for a fresh blade. I had never done this mid-shave and it is slightly disconcerting I found. Right side of face done. First pass. It looked ok.
Second pass lather completed, I began to East-to-West. First strokes. Good, audible feedback. Doing a beautiful job of clearing my jawline. Then fatally, I looked down at the head. A glint of light made that increased blade exposure look strangely sinister. And that micro cut was starting to sting. A great, silent psychological battle between Tech and man began.
The Tech won. My strokes became more hesitant and timid. My grand plans for trying the Gillettte Slide withered and died. Second pass done. Third pass lather up. South-to-North. Very efficient. It even dealt excellently with my difficult under the chin area. However the controlling hand behind it was losing confidence. I managed to finish my moustache area, and did my warm and cold rinses and applied witch hazel.
Altogether a very eventful shave, and memorable. The Tech performed great, the operator did not. I would call it more efficient than I expected, a characteristic of early Techs I have read. Has any one else ever had this strange fear of razor syndrome kick in using a new model?
TL
RSimon
