Best SuperSpeed

[Studious_John]

I have one of every SS and I think the Red Tip shaves the best for me. It is more aggressive/efficient for me.
The best shave I get is with a 46-47 Aristocrat. I don't know what they did to that model but it shaves like a dream for my face.

 

[G.W.]

I have one of every SS and I think the Red Tip shaves the best for me. It is more aggressive/efficient for me.
The best shave I get is with a 46-47 Aristocrat. I don't know what they did to that model but it shaves like a dream for my face.

I have all of the SS, too (except for a blue tip). And the same Aristocrat. I think I slightly favor the Red Tip over the Aristocrat, but it's really too close to definitively decide. Either one could be a totally satisfactory "daily driver" for me.

 

[auk1124]

The most underrated superspeed variant, imo: the lowly Knack. Goofy handle that takes some adjusting to, but a nice efficient razor on the milder side of the superspeed lineup. With a blade it likes, it will give as good a shave as any other mild razor out there.

 

[Slick&Smooth]

1947 unnotched superspeed is the best.

 

[ColonelHogan]

I have most if not all, and there isn't a one I don't enjoy. They're all wrapped up with history for me, too. My 40s SS reminds me of the Braves and Indians in the 48 World Series, and the Red Sox and (Damn) Yankees in a one game playoff to end "The Summer of 49." The black tip takes me straight to Korea, and the flare tip, blue tip, and red tip again take me back to baseball-- this time to the Gillette TV commercials featuring the Brooklyn Dodgers. The black handled SS, the one I use most frequently, just feels good in my hand. I can't explain it. There's also something about honoring the "last of the line," as it were. They are all really among the finest razors ever made. So easy to use. Almost intuitive in their design.

A tip of the hat to @mgbbrown our Superspeed historian.

 

[userzero]

Nice thoughtful write-up Colonel! If these razors could talk, I'd listen for hours!

 

[lancre]

1949. My birth year razor. Of course, I could be biased by that.

 

[Carlos Da Noob]

I can't imagine anything being much better than my late 40s with a Feather blade.

 

[nemo]

If you want to resurrect a thread, this one is a favorite around here, AsylumGuido's guide
Super Speed Identification

 

[Bebe]

Red tip works best for me... i don't find it particularly aggressive and is very smooth.

 

[mgbbrown]

Thank you Colonel! Your words are kind indeed! My focus has been solely on the early Super Speeds to 1955, my birth year, and I have sixteen variants within that nine-year timespan. I made the decision to focus narrowly, knowing that my enthusiasm for vintage razors, as a lover of American antiques in general, would be an overwhelming and expensive force to recon with. With this said, I can only offer an opinion, and that is based on my type of beard growth and the shaving characteristics of this genre of razor. I have a moderate growth beard, so I am fortunate that early Super Speeds measure up well as excellent shaving tools for this type of beard. I do not want to sound repetitive, so I will predicate my remarks by differentiating razors within this group and why that one may be appealing.

1947-1950 Super Speeds, or the 1940's style: The 1947 has a different blade gap and blade bed design in comparison to the other razors. It is a more aggressive shaver than the others in this class. Aesthetically, it is obviously well crafted with noticeable Art Deco styling cues. Overall, these are well balanced and not too overtly mild, when one compares it to the later Blue Tip Super Speed. Razors will vary in the depth of the knurling on the handle, so this is an important aspect of just how easily it can be held and maneuvered. Through 1954, the razor head size was smaller than Super Speeds produced from 1955 onwards.

1951-1952 Black Tip Super Speed razors: Historically these are interesting razors, with their wartime ties to the Korean conflict. Because brass stock was a valuable commodity for use in production of artillery shell casings- handles could be aluminum or steel, or razor heads made of steel or brass. TTO knobs were made of black Bakelite. I discuss these here:

The 1951 Black Tip Super Speed Date Codes W2 and W3 with Differences

If your preference is towards a lighter yet milder razor- an aluminum handled Black Tip Super Speed is an excellent consideration. Regardless of base metal- these razors will require a good cleaning regimen to avoid a catalytic reaction between the razor head and the handle rivet.

1954 Flare Tip Super Speed: This is a razor that is in my daily rotation, as it is well balanced, mild, easily maneuvered, and easily held in the hand. This particular design is in my opinion the workhorse of the Super Speeds, and the 1940's style considered by many to be the king of the Super Speeds. Its design corresponds with the popularization of the more industrial style of the 1950's; easily at home in the up-and-coming age of Detroit fins and Sputnik. If I had to pick between the two styles of Super Speed- I would be careful to choose a 1940's style with deeply cut knurling if this version of Super Speed was not available. If I had a choice though- the 1954 is better suited to my particular beard type and shaving style.

1955 Blue Tip Super Speed: This razor is a joy to use and a pleasantly mild shaver. Very underrated because it was often sold to women or younger men just beginning to shave. Do not discount this razor- my Brotherhood of the Blue Tip brethren will back me up wholeheartedly. A Blue Tip Super Speed in good condition is a desirable razor indeed.

1955 Red Tip Super Speed: My father's 1956 B4 kindled my interests in Super Speeds. My opinion is that it is a mildly aggressive shaving tool. Unfortunately, I cannot use a Red Tip daily and often twice daily as it is simply too aggressive for my face and beard type. Red Tip Super Speed razors have a large and loyal following- it too is a wonderfully efficient razor with good heft and feel.

I recommend trying each of these Super Speed types to see which is best suited to your face, beard type, and shaving style or preference. These are very popular razors, so finding a home for one that you may not be as fond of as another is a problem easily solved. In comparison to many other razors, they are relatively inexpensive for nice examples, and Gillette produced these in vast quantities. Take your time in trying out a particular style rather than racing through to make a decision. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[rudyt]

Razors will vary in the depth of the knurling on the handle, so this is an important aspect of just how easily it can be held and maneuvered.

Incredible writeup Tony! It's going in my snippets file.

The sentence I quoted above caught my eye. I much prefer razors with deep positive knurling, but just assumed all 1940s Super Speeds had the same knurling.

Do you have any side by side examples? Are some years more deeply knurled than others? Any spotting tips when scrolling through eBay listings.

 

[Zipslack]

This one...because it's most of them all-in-one.

 

[ColonelHogan]

Tony's enthusiasm is contagious and his willingness to share his extraordinary knowledge of the razors and the era is a gift to us all. @mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Awe shucks as they in the South Land Cornel Hogan!

Rudyt; Thank you Sir! Because the lathing on the handle was done by an operator on the assembly line, I can only make a generalization in that the overall quality had vastly improved by the 1949 production. Earlier, Gillette was plagued with quality issues and profit loss, and in 1946 hired Joseph Juran to investigate the matter. Steel handled razors in my opinion, vary the most as to the depth of the knurling. I have had two 1947 Super Speeds, and the one that was kept has very pronounced knurling, and the other was very difficult to hold. My first steel handled Black Tip Super Speed, a 1951 W2, was almost slippery when wet. Aluminum handled Black Tip Super Speeds usually have pronounced knurling. I have owned several 1948 and 1949 Super Speeds, and these were all well made. Of course this represents a microscopic sample size of what was produced by Gillette during the early Super Speed period. Plate condition may not necessarily mean crisp knurling, but it is a good indicator. Before you purchase, examine the handle carefully if you can inspect it, and hold it as it you were shaving. It should be responsive and secure. Otherwise, examine on-line photographs carefully and ask the seller specifically about the crispness of the knurling. This is often overlooked by users, but will definitely influence maneuverability and overall performance as a shaving tool. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[rudyt]

Because the lathing on the handle was done by an operator on the assembly line, I can only make a generalization in that the overall quality had vastly improved by the 1949 production. Earlier, Gillette was plagued with quality issues and profit loss, and in 1946 hired Joseph Juran to investigate the matter. Steel handled razors in my opinion, vary the most as to the depth of the knurling. I have had two 1947 Super Speeds, and the one that was kept has very pronounced knurling, and the other was very difficult to hold.

I did some detective work on my vast array of Super Speeds (i.e all 3 of them) and found there are two distinctly different knurling patterns.

Hard to see in the pic below, but the NDC 1950 on the left has "dimples" at the apex of each knurl bump, while the X1 on the right has pointy bumps. The dimples make the knurl much less positive.

 

[Northstonehill]

Of Superspeeds I have a 1953 40s style and a mid-sixties Flare Tip. I find them on par with each other, though maybe the 40s slightly more aggressive. Both are really great shavers to me. Not as fine shaving-wise for me as the milder post-war Tech, but almost and purdier for sure.

However - I have gorgeous Blue Tip in the mail and that may well tip the scale. At least I find myself more longing to try this razor out than most of my latest acquisitions. But as we speak it has been sitting in the Ebay Global Shipping Center in Kentucky for 5 (five!) days - whaddup with that???

 

[mgbbrown]

Rudy T; I have also noticed that, but failed to bring it up in my rememberer when I posted. I attributed it to use and wear, but the two patterns are quite noticeable so that was in error on my part. I will take a look at all of my 1940's style handles and see if there are any generalizations that can be made. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[packtray]

Mine's a 1949 model. Pics attached. It's my daily go-to. I absolutely love it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Floyd Eye]

My two favorites are 48-50 NDC and my B4 Red Tip.