Antique Mall find and First DE

[jes3se]

I have to admit I am completely new to the wet-shaving world, and started looking at DE razors after always wanting to try straights, and never working up the courage. That and dropping another $10 on a cartridge razor with three blades the other day has made me want to move on.

I had seem some travel safety razors at the local Brass Armadillo a few weeks ago, while poking around, and went back today and picked up the best looking mid size razor I could find. It came in a Gem Jr box, but after checking it out and poking around on the wiki, it's actually an Early Gillette Tech. $10 I'm happy to have spent.

The thing is in pretty good shape, a little light rust staining from an old blade sitting inside the head too long, and it came with a couple Gillette Majestic blades that are well rusted.
Now begins the process of cleaning it up a bit, finding some blades, and starting to actually shave with it.

I'm excited, and after the initial investment, my pocketbook will be too.

 

[cwlsmith]

Welcome to B&B!
Nice pick! Let's see some pictures of it!

As far as cleaning goes, I catch a lot of flack for my method, but for a Gillette Tech, it'll be fine.

1. Boil some water (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
2. Put razor in pan or bowl that can withstand boiling water (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
3. Pour some baking soda on the razor and pour boiling water on the razor (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
4. Let sit for a while and scrub the rest away.

Also, do not boil the razor.

 

[mattymatt]

Congrats on the find! It is always nice finding shave stuff in the wild.

 

[americanarmsdealer]

Sounds like a good find! Welcome to the slippery slope!

 

[Copierguy]

Welcome to B&B.

Congrats on you find. Great start and with a sharp Feather blade the Tech has made a few smooth smiling faces.

 

[celestino]

Welcome to B&B!
Nice pick! Let's see some pictures of it!

As far as cleaning goes, I catch a lot of flack for my method, but for a Gillette Tech, it'll be fine.

1. Boil some water (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
2. Put razor in pan or bowl that can withstand boiling water (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
3. Pour some baking soda on the razor and pour boiling water on the razor (DO NOT BOIL RAZOR)
4. Let sit for a while and scrub the rest away.

Also, do not boil the razor.

+1 Welcome to the forum and congratulations!

 

[BBrad]

Welcome to B&B, Jes3se, and congrats on finding your first vintage razor!

The Gillette Tech is regarded as a very well-mannered and mild razor - a great choice for your first DE. Blades will make a difference in how the razor performs - many guys like a very sharp blade like a Feather loaded in a mild razor like a Tech. It's a great combination! Good blades can be found close to home . . . Dollar General, Walmart, Family Dollar . . . all for a buck or two. Drugstore "house brand" blades tend to be a little expensive, though.

Best advice to a newbie is to pick one brand of blades and one razor and use that one combination for one month. Get your technique down and your shaving mojo working. Then try other blades in your Tech to see which one works best for you. Also take a few minutes to watch the Mantic59 videos on YouTube - he's a great teacher!

In case nobody has warned you yet, don't boil your razors!

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[jes3se]

Thank you for the welcome words and advice about cleaning... this little tech is turning out to be pretty enjoyable. I am still trying to find a supplier locally, that isn't a 45 minute drive, so I think I'm just going to have to place an order from one of the supporting vendors here.

I can safely say that I'm hooked already.