Cartridge History Timeline

[mjclark]

If go to the search box and type in “Show us your carts” you will find a thread I tried to start over 12 months ago. I put a photo up of most of my carts. Some were doubles and there was a couple that I just found recently that were not in the photo. This might help a little but most have been used and don’t have the packaging.

Cool! That’s a decent collection you have there and I suppose that thread is the spiritual ancestor of this one.

When I crossed over to the Modern Shaving forum I was surprised by how few photos had been posted here, but we’re changing all that now eh?

 

[ajkel64]

Let’s do that. I used carts for years and I am happy to talk about them, and I still use my trusty Shick Super II from time to time. I am not an expert but with @Sabre on board I think we can do Cartridge Razors some justice.

 

[Sabre]

Here are some extra details:

1971 T70 Bonded Shaving System Wilkinson Sword
1971 Trac II Gillette
1972 Super II Schick
1977 Atra Gillette
1978 Wilkinson II Wilkinson Sword
1978 Ultrex Schick
1979 Royale/Profile Royale Wilkinson Sword
1983 Duplo II Wilkinson Sword
1985 Contact/Profile Wilkinson Sword
1985 WII Wilkinson Sword
1986 Profile Swivel Wilkinson Sword
1986 Profile Fixed Wilkinson Sword
1988 Slim Twin Schick
1990 Profile Metal Wilkinson Sword
1990 Kompakt Wilkinson Sword
1990 Sensor Gillette
1991 Tracer Schick
1992 Protector MK1 Wilkinson Sword
1995 FX Performer Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1996 Tracer FX Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1998 Mach 3 Gillette
1998 Triflexx Personna
1998 3D Protector/Protector Mk2 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1999 FX Diamond Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2002 Xtreme 3 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2003 Quattro Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2005 Fusion Gillette
2006 Matrix Personna
2006 Quattro Titanium Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2009 Magnum M5 Personna
2010 Hydro 5 MK1 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2010 Hydro 3 MK1 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2010 Fusion Proglide Gillette
2012 Mach 3 Sensitive Gillette
2013 Quattro 5/GT5 Schick/Personna
2013 GT6 Personna
2013 Caliber 5 Personna
2013 Caliber 3 Personna

 

[Sabre]

Maybe someone can make a table...

 

[Sabre]

Some Kai details:

K-II 1989
KII R
K-2G
K-3 1998-2004
K-3 SR 2002-
K-3 GR 2002-
K-4 Tetra 2004
Valios
K4 Tetra Neo
K3 Innovator
Kai 5

 

[mjclark]

Here are some extra details:

1971 T70 Bonded Shaving System Wilkinson Sword
1971 Trac II Gillette
1972 Super II Schick
1977 Atra Gillette
1978 Wilkinson II Wilkinson Sword
1978 Ultrex Schick
1979 Royale/Profile Royale Wilkinson Sword
1983 Duplo II Wilkinson Sword
1985 Contact/Profile Wilkinson Sword
1985 WII Wilkinson Sword
1986 Profile Swivel Wilkinson Sword
1986 Profile Fixed Wilkinson Sword
1988 Slim Twin Schick
1990 Profile Metal Wilkinson Sword
1990 Kompakt Wilkinson Sword
1990 Sensor Gillette
1991 Tracer Schick
1992 Protector MK1 Wilkinson Sword
1995 FX Performer Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1996 Tracer FX Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1998 Mach 3 Gillette
1998 Triflexx Personna
1998 3D Protector/Protector Mk2 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
1999 FX Diamond Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2002 Xtreme 3 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2003 Quattro Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2005 Fusion Gillette
2006 Matrix Personna
2006 Quattro Titanium Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2009 Magnum M5 Personna
2010 Hydro 5 MK1 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2010 Hydro 3 MK1 Schick/Wilkinson Sword
2010 Fusion Proglide Gillette
2012 Mach 3 Sensitive Gillette
2013 Quattro 5/GT5 Schick/Personna
2013 GT6 Personna
2013 Caliber 5 Personna
2013 Caliber 3 Personna

Some Kai details:

K-II 1989
KII R
K-2G
K-3 1998-2004
K-3 SR 2002-
K-3 GR 2002-
K-4 Tetra 2004
Valios
K4 Tetra Neo
K3 Innovator
Kai 5

Great info! Sorry to say I’m no good at making tables but perhaps someone else could give it a go. Lists I can do though...

I’m particularly interested in the developement of innovations ie the “firsts”

We seem to have nailed most of them and I’m going to assume that the first wire guards across the blades was the Schick Protector (or was it a Feather?)

And what about the roller on the MR3 Neo carts? Was that the first roller on a cart?
Wilkinson put that on their Pall Mall in about 1918 of course
And when was the first all metal cart?
Bic Metal maybe?

@Sabre do you fancy uploading some photos to this thread?

Modern Shaving needs pics!

 

[mjclark]

And what about the “Shock Absorber” on the Hydro (which I haven’t actually seen lol) - is that a first?

Ha ha - and we even even looked at blade coatings yet...
... the Bonded Blade came out at the time that Wilkinson was arguably making the greatest DE blades of all time which could explain a lot about its general excellence.

 

[Sabre]

And what about the “Shock Absorber” on the Hydro (which I haven’t actually seen lol) - is that a first?

Ha ha - and we even even looked at blade coatings yet...
... the Bonded Blade came out at the time that Wilkinson was arguably making the greatest DE blades of all time which could explain a lot about its general excellence.

The shock absorber had already been a feature of the Feather Samrai which came out a few years before.

 

[Sabre]

2018: First seven blade - Dorco Classic

The Pace7 was launched in 2014.

 

[mjclark]

The shock absorber had already been a feature of the Feather Samrai which came out a few years before.

The Pace7 was launched in 2014.

So...
1992: First wire blade protector - Wilkinson Protector
2008: First metal roller - Feather MR3 Neo (or 1917 Wilkinson Pall Mall!)
2014: First seven blade - Dorco Pace 7
First shock absorber - Feather Samrai

Any other significant innovations in cart design to be noted?

 

[njpaddy]

Wow - it’s nearly 50 years of carts now!

Way to make me feel old. My parents gave me an electric in '62 or '63. In college ('64), I switched to a Schick injector. I probably switched from the injector to carts sometime between 1972-74. I have no idea which early carts I used. I didn't realize the pivoting head didn't come along until 1977. I thought they came earlier. My favorite cart was always a 2 blade Sensor (or Excel) and occasionally I remember using a Quattro, before switching to DE in 2009. 10 months after switching to DE, I took my favorite Sensor Excel on vacation and got such a rotten shave that I tossed it in the trash and didn't shave again until I got home. It's been DE ever since.

 

[Sabre]

And when was the first all metal cart?
Bic Metal maybe?

The Bic Metal is mostly plastic.

 

[ajkel64]

I found this Gillette Contour Plus recently in a drawer, where do you think it would fit in the time line? I also have a Schick Advantage twin blade cart that I may have missed in the timeline thus far.

 

[mjclark]

View attachment 980045 I found this Gillette Contour Plus recently in a drawer, where do you think it would fit in the time line? I also have a Schick Advantage twin blade cart that I may have missed in the timeline thus far.

Fabulous! Where are you based?
I’m in UK and the Contour Plus was the razor I used at home when I was a teenager.

The original Contour = Atra was introduced 1977 and was the first pivoting head razor.
The Contour Plus = Atra Plus was introduced in 1985 (when I was 16!) and was the first razor with a lubrastrip.
I always thought it was the ultimate shave - I’ve ordered an original design Vector (=Contour=Atra) from AliExpress and I’m very interested to see how it compares now to all the post-Mach 3 razors.

 

[ajkel64]

I’m in Australia. I think I might have picked up the handle to the Contour off eBay to use up some blades that I got from work, and I didn’t even finish the packet off. I might have to have a nostalgic shave with it one day.

 

[Sabre]

Fabulous! Where are you based?
I’m in UK and the Contour Plus was the razor I used at home when I was a teenager.

The original Contour = Atra was introduced 1977 and was the first pivoting head razor.
The Contour Plus = Atra Plus was introduced in 1985 (when I was 16!) and was the first razor with a lubrastrip.
I always thought it was the ultimate shave - I’ve ordered an original design Vector (=Contour=Atra) from AliExpress and I’m very interested to see how it compares now to all the post-Mach 3 razors.

The Vector is definitely not a renamed Atra, are some later Contours as cheap and nasty as the Vector, possibly.

 

[Sabre]

View attachment 980045 I found this Gillette Contour Plus recently in a drawer, where do you think it would fit in the time line? I also have a Schick Advantage twin blade cart that I may have missed in the timeline thus far.

That's a very modern iteration of the Contour.

 

[mjclark]

The Vector is definitely not a renamed Atra, are some later Contours as cheap and nasty as the Vector, possibly.

Oh? The Atra was marketed as the Vector in Asia I believe.
Vector/Atra/Contour carts are identical.

Here’s a photo of the Vector I’ve ordered:

It sure looks like a Contour to me but I appreciate the modern handle is probably a lot more cheaply made.

 

[Bogeyman]

...I didn't realize the pivoting head didn't come along until 1977. I thought they came earlier...

I used a Trac II until about 1980 when I switched to the Atra. Shortly thereafter the ingrown hairs began.

 

[Sabre]

I said the Vector wasn't an Atra, and that the later Contours were possibly as bad as the Vectors. The Contour was the European version of the Atra, later it was sold in other markets. The cheap Contour handle has never been sold in Western Europe. Just because two cars share the same name from a manufacturer, doesn't mean they are the same model in different markets.