British Razors to acquire.

[Tedzy]

Hello Gents,

My SWMBO will be in Scotland visiting relatives and she's offered to look around the vintage/antique shops around there to see if we can find anything worth adding to the collection. She's a keeper!

The only problem is I'm only really familiar with the Gillette and Schick offerings of old in the USA. My preference is TTO, but I am open to any great finds that you all know of that reside in the old country.

I really appreciate any recommendations you may provide.

 

[sam o'reilly]

I would recommend snow shoes. No seriously, the only tips I have are; get your relatives to ask all the questions, if the sellers hear an American accent they'll charge her top price. I went to a massive warehouse full of antiques in Glasgow, didn't find one single razor, so I hope you have better luck than I did. I would suggest keeping it simple, maybe just grab anything Gillette that's TTO in an (ideally) leather case. Maybe a mobile phone with a camera might come in useful, I know sending pics can cost a lot but it may save you some cash in the long run. Just a few thoughts, hope you find them useful.

 

[Tedzy]

...if the sellers hear an American accent they'll charge her top price...

...maybe just grab anything Gillette that's TTO in an (ideally) leather case. Maybe a mobile phone with a camera might come in useful, I know sending pics can cost a lot but it may save you some cash in the long run. Just a few thoughts, hope you find them useful.

Thanks Sam,

Luckily, SWMBO is a Scottish native, so she still knows how to speak with the accent. I like the advice you gave of keeping it simple with the Gillette brand, TTO, and leather case.

Does anyone know of any Gillette models that exclusively came out in the UK or UK exclusive brands or models?

 

[wulfgar1976]

Does anyone know of any Gillette models that exclusively came out in the UK or UK exclusive brands or models?

There were some NEW models that are specific to England. When Gillette took over the 7 O'Clock brand, various NEW and similar types were made.

Most of the vintage British razors I have are Gillette ball end Old Type clones. Some have no identifying marks, but the best ones I have are made by Myatt, Windex and GI. Myatt also made an open comb razor of their own design.

A popular design that appeared in the 1930s as far as I can tell is a pocket Old Type clone with a two-piece handle that screws together. I see them on Ebay all the time so they seem quite common.

I would avoid military issue razors on the whole as they were generally made of a cheap alloy that doesn't stand the test of time.

Razors aren't all that plentiful in antique shops here. If you're lucky enough to find something, chances are that you'll know more about it than the shopkeeper.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Try and get a Aristocrat Jr. It's also a TTO, which looks like the 40's SS.

 

[mcandre]

TBH, vintage razors are quite difficult to find in UK junk/antique shops even for the natives, unlike the US they just aren't that plentiful.

She may be better off sourcing some shaving software for you.

 

[moshulu]

The best way of acquiring British razors is via ebay. Antique shops in Europe just don' t have them. No demand.

IMHO British Gillettes are, in general, superior to American ones, both esthetically and as shavers. You can' t go wrong with a Rocket HD, a #58, or any of those luscious barberpole beauties (#16, #66, etc.). How about a silver-plated #15? They are addictive.

 

[wulfgar1976]

IMHO British Gillettes are, in general, superior to American ones, both esthetically and as shavers. You can' t go wrong with a Rocket HD, a #58, or any of those luscious barberpole beauties (#16, #66, etc.). How about a silver-plated #15? They are addictive.

I don't see any difference in quality between their open comb razors whether they're made in the U.S., Canada or England. I suspect that the plating is a bit thicker on the British models, but it's very difficult to tell given that I don't know the history of each razor in question.

Some people on B&B have expressed a preference for certain British NEWs that have a different design to the American version, and the one I have is certainly difficult to beat in that regard.

 

[moshulu]

I don't see any difference in quality between their open comb razors whether they're made in the U.S., Canada or England.

I intended to refer to models that were ONLY made in the UK, never in the US, such as the Rocket HD and the others that I mentioned. But I don't want to be dogmatic or obnoxious. There are some superb US-only vintage Gillettes. My favorite would be the President. Then there is the peerless Tech, made on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

[wulfgar1976]

I intended to refer to models that were ONLY made in the UK, never in the US, such as the Rocket HD and the others that I mentioned. But I don't want to be dogmatic or obnoxious. There are some superb US-only vintage Gillettes. My favorite would be the President. Then there is the peerless Tech, made on both sides of the Atlantic.

I have seen the UK-only Gillettes going for fairly high prices lately. I managed to snag one of these for a decent price in pretty much perfect condition:

http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/The NEW/1946 (R2 on blade) NEW England.JPG

 

[Dave Deluxe]

I'd suggest looking for an Ever Ready Streamline model. Sold only in the UK to my knowledge.

DD

 

[squirrel_nut_zipper]

Darwin or an Eclipse Red Ring.

 

[moshulu]

Darwin or an Eclipse Red Ring.

Yeah. Plus an autographed first edition of Shakespeare's sonnets.