Cal's "I don't do journals" Journal

[Cal]

Love the rabbit reflection.

Thank you, Jim.

White Rabbit®
White Rabbit Reflection®

Both registered trademarks

 

[Cal]

Whilst checking out the shaving section at my local (Walmart) Asda, I spotted the new King C. Gillette blades. I've seen quite a few King C. Gillette items there, but never the blades (on their own) before.

Considering the incredible amount of packaging (for 10 blades) I decided I would purchase the £5 (50p/blade) pack, just to see what they were like. Normally packaged 10 packs (usually Personna or Dorco) tend to retail at ~£2 in Asda and other UK Supermarkets.

At least all that packaging is biodegradable (just card and paper) :

Information on the back of the outer pack (for those of you who must know things ):

Obviously, I had to try one straight away.

---

SOTD

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" 14/42 Silvertip D01 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1947 Gillette Flat Bottom Tech GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (1)
ASL: Clubman Whiskey Woods

An excellent shave.
What a lovely blade!


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Rosseforp]

Obviously, I had to try one straight away.

I stumbled across the 10 pack at my local Walgreens, and found them to be very sharp, smooth, and long lasting.

 

[JoWolf]

Whilst checking out the shaving section at my local (Walmart) Asda, I spotted the new King C. Gillette blades. I've seen quite a few King C. Gillette items there, but never the blades (on their own) before.

Considering the incredible amount of packaging (for 10 blades) I decided I would purchase the £5 (50p/blade) pack, just to see what they were like. Normally packaged 10 packs (usually Personna or Dorco) tend to retail at ~£2 in Asda and other UK Supermarkets.

At least all that packaging is biodegradable (just card and paper) :
View attachment 1376262

Information on the back of the outer pack (for those of you who must know things ):
View attachment 1376271

Obviously, I had to try one straight away.

---

SOTD
View attachment 1376283

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" 14/42 Silvertip D01 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1947 Gillette Flat Bottom Tech GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (1)
ASL: Clubman Whiskey Woods

An excellent shave.
What a lovely blade!


Happy shaves guys.

It doesn’t look like there is any wax on that blade Cal. What in the world would I do with all that extra Wax Removing Time?

 

[Cal]

It doesn’t look like there is any wax on that blade Cal. What in the world would I do with all that extra Wax Removing Time?

You can relax John... but only a little!

The front (printed side) of the blades have no wax, so you can actually open the flaps without tearing the wrapper. The back (unprinted side) of the blades have four quite small and relatively neat wax dots (easy to forget about, or remove if the wax has crept onto the blade edge).

Of course in the the good ol' days of three hole carbon blades, they would simply have been lightly oiled/greased which made them stay in position within their wrappers... without any nasty wax at all, I guess.

 

[JoWolf]

You can relax John... but only a little!

View attachment 1376749
The front (printed side) of the blades have no wax, so you can actually open the flaps without tearing the wrapper. The back (unprinted side) of the blades have four quite small and relatively neat wax dots (easy to forget about, or remove if the wax has crept onto the blade edge).

Of course in the the good ol' days of three hole carbon blades, they would simply have been lightly oiled/greased which made them stay in position within their wrappers... without any nasty wax at all, I guess.

As long as they stay away from Saran Wrap. I love the wax paper. I hate the dots.

 

[Cal]

As long as they stay away from Saran Wrap.

I can't imagine that they would use cling film any time soon.

I love the wax paper. I hate the dots.

Ditto.

I've just checked my NOS S1 (1947 first quarter) Blue Gillette Blade:

and just like the latest KCG blades, it only has four small wax dots neatly positioned on the back.

It looks like Gillette have requested strict "Wax Dot QC" for their new KCG DE blades, just like they used to do in the old days. A lot of the other current Gillette (made in Russia) blades are swimming in wax (assuming one could swim without moving ) — no QC whatever.

 

[Cal]

Continuing on my "Flat Bottom kick," a user grade 7 o'clock Flat Bottom Open Comb (FBOC) turned up today.

I gave it a good clean, which it needed. Here's three pics, it looks better in the pics than in real life:

It will have been made in the old London Gillette Factory. They obviously dated their 7 o'clock blades the same way as their own. I opened up the two blades that came with it... they are D1s, so 1933 first quarter (and I'll call the razor a 1933 FBOC).

The handle is too skinny (9.3mm or <⅜") for my taste so I've put the head on my beloved GT (made by Doug @Rosseforp).

Naturally, I had to shave with it straight away...

---

SOTD

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" 14/42 Silvertip D01 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1933 7 o'clock FBOC [Flat Bottom Open Comb] GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (2)
ASL: Clubman Whiskey Woods

A good shave.
The (user grade) FBOC's good, but it didn't blow me away… more shaves required.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[JoWolf]

Continuing on my "Flat Bottom kick," a user grade 7 o'clock Flat Bottom Open Comb (FBOC) turned up today.

I gave it a good clean, which it needed. Here's three pics, it looks better in the pics than in real life:
View attachment 1377718

View attachment 1377720

View attachment 1377721

It will have been made in the old London Gillette Factory. They obviously dated their 7 o'clock blades the same way as their own. I opened up the two blades that came with it... they are D1s, so 1933 first quarter (and I'll call the razor a 1933 FBOC).

The handle is too skinny (9.3mm or <⅜") for my taste so I've put the head on my beloved GT (made by Doug @Rosseforp).

Naturally, I had to shave with it straight away...

---

SOTD
View attachment 1377715

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" 14/42 Silvertip D01 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1933 7 o'clock FBOC [Flat Bottom Open Comb] GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (2)
ASL: Clubman Whiskey Woods

A good shave.
The (user grade) FBOC's good, but it didn't blow me away… more shaves required.


Happy shaves guys.

Any tool to perform flawlessly for a century and still remain current is an amazing tool. @Raven Koenes told me King Gillette‘s influence was responsible for the design of my beloved Grande. Rave said it would be oaky for me to call him Uncle Gillette.
Nice Kit Cal.

 

[Cal]

Nice Kit Cal.

Thank you, John.

 

[Cal]

After changing the handle on my new (to me) 1933 FBOC, it struck me that the current Gillette 7 o'clock Super Stainless blades come in a matching green pack to the originals... and that I had an unused freebie five-pack lurking somewhere.

I dug it out and loaded up. My first ever Gillette 7 o'clock Green (I wonder how I'll find it?).

I enjoy modifying things (in a [hopefully] subtle fashion):

I'm surprised that I don't dream about shaving... yet.

 

[thombrogan]

I don't admit I dream about shaving... yet.

Fixed that for you

 

[Rosseforp]

I dug it out and loaded up. My first ever Gillette 7 o'clock Green (I wonder how I'll find it?).

I enjoy modifying things (in a [hopefully] subtle fashion):

Awesome

 

[Cal]

For "SOTD - New Gear Theme Week," Monday I used my new (to me) 7 o'clock 1933 FBOC and today (Wednesday) I added a new (to me) Gillette 7 o'clock Green (Super Stainless) blade.

---

SOTD

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" 14/42 Silvertip D01 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1933 7 o'clock FBOC [Flat Bottom Open Comb] GT
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock Green [Super Stainless] (1)
ASL: Clubman VIBR

A pleasant shave.
My new (to me) 1933 FBOC and brand new 7 o'clock Green blade (first time use for me) are fine, just not unicorns.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: Omega 599 Super Badger 22/48
Soap: Rasozero Agrumella
Razor: 1933 7 o'clock FBOC GT
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock Green (2)
ASL: Rasozero Agrumella

A lovely shave.
Some old friends never disappoint… economic luxury.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD
View attachment 1379375

Brush: Omega 599 Super Badger 22/48
Soap: Rasozero Agrumella
Razor: 1933 7 o'clock FBOC GT
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock Green (2)
ASL: Rasozero Agrumella

A lovely shave.
Some old friends never disappoint… economic luxury.


Happy shaves guys.

Good job on photographing using a red background Cal!

 

[Cal]

Good job on photographing using a red background Cal!

Thank you, Rave.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Thank you, Rave.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: Omega 599 Super Badger 22/48
Soap: Rasozero Agrumella
Razor: Fatip GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (3)
ASL: Rasozero Agrumella

A damned good shave.
This early Mk2 Fatip is still my favorite Open Comb.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: Omega 599 Super Badger 22/48
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: 1947 Gillette Flat Bottom Tech GT
Blade: King C. Gillette (4)
ASL: Chocolate Orange [home brew]

A fine shave.


Happy shaves guys.