Now buy an authentic seventies handle and pack of carts to compare.
Cartridge History Timeline
- Thread starter mjclark
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #42
Will you sell me one?
Or at least upload some photos of one to this thread lol
So what is the Vector then?
Vector/Atra/Contour carts are interchangeable.
Wikipedia says that the Vector is the same as the Atra and Contour:
And so does this thread here on B&B:
FREE VECTOR(aka Gillette Atra) RAZOR
I totally take your point that the aesthetics and build quality of the Vector handle might be different to those of the original Atra but in terms of cart design and compatability they are the same razor along with the Contour.
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Does anyone know when the Trac 2 And Schick Super II adjustable cartridges were made. I do kn that they we not produced for a long time though.
- Thread starter
- #44
Good question!
And how did the adjustable mechanism work?
Like the push cleaning, the idea of adjustable carts is completely new to me.
This thread is very enlightening!
The adjustable action is a slide on the razor that adjusts the blade angle. I have 5 of them and it makes a nice shave.
Do you have all four to compare to?Will you sell me one?
Or at least upload some photos of one to this thread lol
So what is the Vector then?
Vector/Atra/Contour carts are interchangeable.
Wikipedia says that the Vector is the same as the Atra and Contour:
View attachment 980245
And so does this thread here on B&B:
FREE VECTOR(aka Gillette Atra) RAZOR
I totally take your point that the aesthetics and build quality of the Vector handle might be different to those of the original Atra but in terms of cart design and compatability they are the same razor along with the Contour.
The Boston made Atra, the German Contour, the St Petersburg Slalom against various Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and Filipino made Vectors? When someone can spot subtleties in Vectors because they own both a Indonesian made one and a Chinese made one, then they can have an informed discussion.
They are still around, they never left.
Here’s what the adjustable Super II cartridges look like. I only have r of them. You can find them at US Razor. They come with a Super II handle which I find nicer than a Trac II handle
- Thread starter
- #49
Wow! What an amazing piece of equipment!
Does the slider alter the blade exposure?
- Thread starter
- #50
Ha ha - you’ve inspired me to do further reading on the subject.
I love the depth of discussion that this thread is generating!
I found this:
Gillette Contour vs. Gillette Vector vs. Gillette Slalom
Someone there says the Vector is a cheap plastic version of the Atra:
So presumably my Vector is going to be a cheapy plastic Atra replica.
This makes sense - the Malaysian made Vector3 handle I got to take Sensor carts is certainly cheap and plastic but actually quite attractive so hopefully my new Vector will be the same:
I find it somewhat confusing with all the different name changes between countries. For me they should just keep the names the same to stop the confusion.
From what I can tell, the slider changes the blade angle
- Thread starter
- #53
I agree it makes for a lot of confusion.
And in the US and Europe the Sensor is compatible with the Sensor3 but in Asia the Vector isn’t compatible with the Vector3.
So what was the original Asian version of the Sensor called?
- Thread starter
- #54
That’s brilliant!
I couldn’t find any ads for those adjustable carts anywhere but that’s certainly a “first” to put on the timeline when we do establish some dates.
I wish they’d continued this idea with their later razors - I’d love an adjustable Mach 3.
It may never have been launched in countries other than Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.
The Vector and Vector3 are aimed at markets like India, Indonesia, Vietnam etc. They have large populations. However, the majority are not affluent. India only now has a middle class that is a target of the West. Import restrictions and poverty prevented this in 1990 when the Sensor was launched.
I was referring to standard Super II's etc, not adjustable Trac II, Super II, or Wilkinson adjustables. They did indeed disappear with the release of pivoting razors.
These are not my photos. However they show the difference between an Atra and a Vector.
- Thread starter
- #58
Wow - seeing that first photo took me right back to when I was growing up. Uncanny...These are not my photos. However they show the difference between an Atra and a Vector.
Hmm...this is getting deep now.
You’re right they are VERY different handles.
But isn’t that just two different handle designs for the same cartridge system?
The mechanics and blade attachments are identical.
The Personna Magnum comes with several different handle designs and a disposable variant too but they are all a Personna Magnum.
Perhaps we should say that the Vector is a cheap plastic variant of the Atra system.
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If the carts are the same design and calibrated at the same weight. I will have to hunt through boxes, but my memory is pointing me in the direction that the carts are not 100% identical.
- Thread starter
- #60
Supermax claim on their website that their SMX4 razor was the world’s first disposable 4 blade razor.
No idea what year though...
... so who and when were the world’s first two blade, triple blade and five blade disposables?
I’ve got some Dorco Pace 6 disposables so I’m assuming they’re the first 6-blade disposable, but again what year?
No idea what year though...
... so who and when were the world’s first two blade, triple blade and five blade disposables?
I’ve got some Dorco Pace 6 disposables so I’m assuming they’re the first 6-blade disposable, but again what year?
