can someone help identify this Gillette razor ?

[Aschecte]

I purchased this Gillette razor in auction but the most info I was able to get out of the seller as it was from a estate was that it is circa 1920's ..... there are no date codes anywhere just pat January 13 1920 USA stamped on it along with other patents pending. It did not come with any original blades or the blade box. From the research I did I believe this may be a Gillette new improved Bostonian but I could be way off here are a few photo's I took any help is greatly appreciated as I would love to know what I have. As a side note I feel I got it for a steal it went for $17 US dollars and is in near mint condition except for a small almost invisible crack by the lowerportion of the handle it is so small I doubt you will even see it in the photo's. Thanks !!!

 

[Maxime D.]

That is a Gillette 'New'. 17$ in this condition was a real deal.

 

[mblakele]

Ball-end NEW, long comb. Probably 1929-32, because it lacks NEW-specific patent stamps.

 

[Aschecte]

Thanks for the replies so far and I thought this was a "new" as to new style as opposed to old style but based on my research of descriptions which is reading to me like Greek ( which I happen to read ) but harder it seems this is a "new" improved not a "new" standard as the head has that raised ridge that marries into the cap with no bump whereas the new std has the ridge plus the two rounded pins to hold the head together........ I think I have that correct...... I'd still love to know the exact model and year but without the box etc I think that may be impossible.

 

[Aschecte]

Also as a side note I am reading a 1922 would not have any serial number period and that was specific to that year..... just to add to the confusion.

 

[xillion]

It is indeed a Long Comb New with ball end handle. The ball end sets had different names and cases, but the razors are the same.

Regent

Windsor

Oxford

Federal

Berkshire

Cardboard

Presentation

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Here is my comparison shot of the various Gillette open comb heads.

 

[MacDaddy]

Thanks for the replies so far and I thought this was a "new" as to new style as opposed to old style but based on my research of descriptions which is reading to me like Greek ( which I happen to read ) but harder it seems this is a "new" improved not a "new" standard as the head has that raised ridge that marries into the cap with no bump whereas the new std has the ridge plus the two rounded pins to hold the head together........ I think I have that correct......

Not quite. The New Standard was a particular set in the New Improved generation, Gillette's second head design following the Old Type. What you've got here is a NEW (we generally capitalize it like that to help the name stand apart better), which was the third generation head design.

I'd still love to know the exact model and year but without the box etc I think that may be impossible.

Yeah, without the original case you wouldn't be able to say much more than that it's a long-comb, ball-end NEW.

Also as a side note I am reading a 1922 would not have any serial number period and that was specific to that year..... just to add to the confusion.

That was specific to the New Improved run, and was a window from late 1927 to mid '28, not 1922.

 

[Aschecte]

Thanks so much for all this info guys !!! That's awesome so I have a gillette NEW long handle ball end !!! Year somewhere in between the mid 20's to mid 30's that's awesome !!! I can live with not knowing the exact "model" I actually have read a lot of SOTD's where people use NEW razors..... Next question how do they shave ? This one is obviously very user grade. You guys truly know your razors it's amazing !!

 

[Aschecte]

Ball-end NEW, long comb. Probably 1929-32, because it lacks NEW-specific patent stamps.

Wheb you say patent stamps .... It does say pat January 13 1920 ..... Are there other stamps any where else ? I've also read I can pull the ball end off and sometimes they are stamped inside the barrel but I'm a bit afraid to do that.

 

[mblakele]

Ball-end NEW, long comb. Probably 1929-32, because it lacks NEW-specific patent stamps.

Wheb you say patent stamps .... It does say pat January 13 1920 ..... Are there other stamps any where else ? I've also read I can pull the ball end off and sometimes they are stamped inside the barrel but I'm a bit afraid to do that.

"NEW-specific" is key. The 1920 patent is for the New Improved. But this razor is clearly a NEW, which leads me to say it must be early for a NEW, probably 1929-32. After mid-1932 it should have been marked with the three NEW patents, usually stamped on the bottom of the guard plate.

Yes, it is confusing. Nothing we can do about that, sorry.

 

[alex2363]

Wheb you say patent stamps .... It does say pat January 13 1920 ..... Are there other stamps any where else ? I've also read I can pull the ball end off and sometimes they are stamped inside the barrel but I'm a bit afraid to do that.

"NEW-specific" is key. The 1920 patent is for the New Improved. But this razor is clearly a NEW, which leads me to say it must be early for a NEW, probably 1929-32. After mid-1932 it should have been marked with the three NEW patents, usually stamped on the bottom of the guard plate.

Yes, it is confusing. Nothing we can do about that, sorry.

Here are some pics of 1932 patented razor, to help me make you more confused.......the numbers on the back can guide more or less on date of manufacture, the patent numbers can be found here http://www.google.com/patents?id=B2...m=4&ots=K_e0drcxAP&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[alex2363]

It is indeed a Long Comb New with ball end handle. The ball end sets had different names and cases, but the razors are the same.

Regent

Windsor

Oxford

Federal

Berkshire

Cardboard

Presentation

New Low Price

Here is my comparison shot of the various Gillette open comb heads.

Great information and charts.

 

[alex2363]

Also as a side note I am reading a 1922 would not have any serial number period and that was specific to that year..... just to add to the confusion.

This is the actual range as porter/Macdaddy indicated --From Oct 18 1927 to Aug 27 1928, there were no serial numbers. .............not 1922

 

[alex2363]

Thanks so much for all this info guys !!! That's awesome so I have a gillette NEW long handle ball end !!! Year somewhere in between the mid 20's to mid 30's that's awesome !!! I can live with not knowing the exact "model" I actually have read a lot of SOTD's where people use NEW razors

Yes, B&B has many members that really know traditional razors from Gillette to many other brands. We should feel highly honored to be in such great company. I know i feel very privileged to learn new stuff everyday here at B&B.

Next question how do they shave ?

They are mid aggressive. I am not sure if you ever used other traditional razors in the past, so i really can not compare it other Gillette models in terms of aggressiveness. However, they are similar to the New Improved or Old Types razors design.

 

[mr-razor]

This is the actual range as porter/Macdaddy indicated --From Oct 18 1927 to Aug 27 1928, there were no serial numbers. .............not 1922

Old Type razors are from 1921 to 1929 without serial number. New Improved razors are from Oct 18 1927 to Aug 27 1928 without serial numbers.

 

[alex2363]

Old Type razors are from 1921 to 1929 without serial number. New Improved razors are from Oct 18 1927 to Aug 27 1928 without serial numbers.

Yes, for the Old Types its !921 to 1929. But he has a NEW which he needed the proper date on. He thought it was a New Improved Bostonian and read the wrong info on it relating to the 1920 patent and thought along the lines of the Old type date range. [It can be confusing to new razor buyer.]

 

[Aschecte]

Old Type razors are from 1921 to 1929 without serial number. New Improved razors are from Oct 18 1927 to Aug 27 1928 without serial numbers.

And this is where my confusion is coming into play based on the pictures above it looks like a US NEW long comb but, it has a patent stamp of January 13, 1920 which correlates to the new-improved here is a link
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1328024.pdf which shows the patent info. It is definitely not a old style I had it backwards the old style had 3 holes in the baseplate and cap this only has a single post to the barrel. so should I assume this razor was made sometime in 1927 -1928 being there are no serial numbers ? I also now know this is not a new-improved as it only has the center post the new improved had the center post plus the two balance nubs. ......... why does It hace this patent date on it though ?

 

[Aschecte]

Yes, for the Old Types its !921 to 1929. But he has a NEW which he needed the proper date on. He thought it was a New Improved Bostonian and read the wrong info on it relating to the 1920 patent and thought along the lines of the Old type date range. [It can be confusing to new razor buyer.]

the only reason I thought it was the new-improved was because of the stamp on the handle which says January 13, 1920 ........... did this patent just carry over to the NEW ? it seems the old type and ne has some cross over period where they are being produced at the same time. Mine is definitely not a old style hat much I am certain of.

 

[mblakele]

the only reason I thought it was the new-improved was because of the stamp on the handle which says January 13, 1920 ........... did this patent just carry over to the NEW ? it seems the old type and ne has some cross over period where they are being produced at the same time. Mine is definitely not a old style hat much I am certain of.

Gillette loved manufacturing overlaps. They offered different models at the same time for market segmentation, among other reasons. Take a look at US_Gillette_Dating_Information for a crude timeline representation. The Old Type continued into 1929, overlapping with both the New Improved (1921-29) and the NEW (1929-1940).

The summary and references at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Category:Gillette_New_Improved_Razors and http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Category:Gillette_NEW_Razors might also interest you.

 

[MacDaddy]

And this is where my confusion is coming into play based on the pictures above it looks like a US NEW long comb but, it has a patent stamp of January 13, 1920 which correlates to the new-improved

That's just because the NEW still shared some of the characteristics of the New Improved design -- like the fulcrum shoulder and channeled guard -- that were still protected under that 1920 patent. The other patents that were specific to the NEW design were still pending when they started making them, hence the second line of the inscription that reads, "OTHER PATENTS PENDING."

so should I assume this razor was made sometime in 1927 -1928 being there are no serial numbers ?

No. Again, those dates only pertain to the New Improved family. The standard NEWs were never serial numbered; only the NEW DeLuxes were for a brief period at the beginning of their run.

Your NEW might have been made as early as 1929, when Gillette was test marketing the design ahead of an official launch in early 1930. And we believe that the other patent numbers, which your razor doesn't have but are shown in the photo that Alex linked in above, started being stamped under the head not long after 1932 which is when US1858316, the latest of the three numbers that were added, was issued. So your razor would have very likely been made between 1929 and 1932.