Did Gillette make its own Frankenrazors?

[DrAwkward]

I have seen several Gillette Frankenrazors for sale on the Bay. As a lark, I bought this one (it has not yet arrived). There are so many of these Fat handle Tech's with Old Style heads that I am now assuming that Gillette made them that way and sold them itself.

Does anyone know anything about these Frankenrazors? Who made them and/or sold them? How do they shave?

 

[StuMcB]

I was under the impression that Gillette did make them, a kind of end of parts bin thing. I will be proved wrong for sure.

 

[amishmotorboat]

The old type handles had a tendency to crack. They started making those tech handles about 10 years after they stopped making old types, but as a replacement handle they kind of rock.

 

[mblakele]

Can anyone point out a credible NOS Old Type set with a Tech-style fat handle? Any Gillette ads that show such a beast?

It makes sense to me that owners of Old Type razors would replace their cracked handles with whatever was readily available. Gillette made quite a few mass-market Old Type razors from 1920-30, and fat-handle Techs made for cheap donor parts starting around 1939. Possibly some were bought as complete replacements, then used with the Old Type head after a few shaves with the milder Tech design.

This probably happened with handles from the Goodwill and NEW razors too. But a NEW ball-end handle on an Old Type head often looks quite normal. Anyway those were also prone to cracking and splitting, so they may have been replaced again when the Tech came out.

 

[rxonmymind]

Hmm. Wasn't there a a SS O/C or something to that effect on the bay twice? Not sure if that qualifies as a franken razor but it was odd. Also another one..but can't remember.

 

[MacDaddy]

I don't know of any credible reason to think that these were ever original. As AMB mentioned, the sizable time gap between then end of the Old Type era and the beginning of the Tech is the biggest strike against these match ups. If there ever was any crossover between that handle and an OC head (and I still know of no reason to think there was) it would be much more likely to see a NEW head than an Old Type one, I'd think.

 

[rxonmymind]

Porter I see where your going and I agree with your assessment. There was controversy surrounding that whole "find" to begin with but man did it go for a wallop of dough. Also you would think as many members here on B&B including international, someone would have independently verified another find by saying from England" I was at a flea market today" etc. But that hasn't happened....yet.

 

[DrAwkward]

The B&B police won't let me say so, but there are lots of these frankenrazors for sale on eBay. Whatever is going on here with these razors, there are many of them. The one I bought on the Bay has a tiny portion of the Gillette diamond stamped on it.

 

[elmerwood]

I've got to lean towards what AMB said about these early razors cracking so easily. Personally I have a small tackle box style case of old type heads from barrels that were trash and when I get a good fat handle with a bad head I'll swap parts and make a sweet frankenrazor. Its fun swapping the parts in and out to see what feels good and produces a good clean shave. Heres one I made that I media blasted to give it a slight texture that Krona replated for me.

 

[DrAwkward]

The NEW bar handle looks good with the old style head and it makes more sense. I wonder why we don't see more razors like elmerwood's in circulation?

 

[franz]

The B&B police won't let me say so, but there are lots of these frankenrazors for sale on eBay.

I don't want to derail the thread so I'll just say this: there are good reasons for this policy, whether you understand them or not.

I agree with the general consensus that it seems more likely that owners sometimes mixed and matched parts from favorite razors, and eventually passed those frankenrazors along to the public through estate sales etc., than that Gillette itself was issuing them.

 

[MacDaddy]

Porter I see where your going and I agree with your assessment. There was controversy surrounding that whole "find" to begin with but man did it go for a wallop of dough. Also you would think as many members here on B&B including international, someone would have independently verified another find by saying from England" I was at a flea market today" etc. But that hasn't happened....yet.

Is this the one you were thinking of, rx? That's not what I was replying to. With that model I don't see how it could have been made or modified by someone after the fact -- most of the "comb" would have been gone because of the gutter slots in a standard SS guard plate, so it almost had to have been made as an alternate design concept from a blank without the slots in it already.

The Old Type head on a Tech handle, though, is an easy "fabrication" after the fact.

 

[amishmotorboat]

There were two of those super speeds. One of the members here (eyeguy) bought both, one from glasgowsgoodies and another in a lot of 10 really rare razors from a collector which I and another member took a stab at but ultimately lost when it went for over 2.5k.
If I remember right, they both had the same date code too. I may be able to find that information.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/170318-Time-to-let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag!

 

[Dools]

The NEW bar handle looks good with the old style head and it makes more sense. I wonder why we don't see more razors like elmerwood's in circulation?

+1 I want to get an Old Type head replated, but not necessarily with the ball end handle....and, I do like the bar handle....

This thread is fun, imo.

 

[Copierguy]

There were two of those super speeds. One of the members here (eyeguy) bought both, one from glasgowsgoodies and another in a lot of 10 really rare razors from a collector which I and another member took a stab at but ultimately lost when it went for over 2.5k.
If I remember right, they both had the same date code too. I may be able to find that information.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/170318-Time-to-let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag!

Yes the SS in that lot is a mystery. I saved some of glasgowsgoodies ebay photos.

 

[CGW409]

My .02 is that since a lot of these frankenrazors are pre-depression heads on depression era/post-depression handles my guess would be something happened to the original handle (cracked,lost whatever) and the Tech was purchased and the owner liked the open comb over the "stock" head and swapped them out with the Tech head being lost to the ages.
The other theory would be either dad or gramps passes and someone in the next of kin finds all these razors or someone gets a box full razors and in either case just puts the parts together (how many upside down base plates have we seen?) and throws them up on the 'Bay with the ol "old means big bucks" school of thought with no fore thought as to what part goes with what.

 

[rxonmymind]

Is this the one you were thinking of, rx? That's not what I was replying to. With that model I don't see how it could have been made or modified by someone after the fact -- most of the "comb" would have been gone because of the gutter slots in a standard SS guard plate, so it almost had to have been made as an alternate design concept from a blank without the slots in it already.

The Old Type head on a Tech handle, though, is an easy "fabrication" after the fact.

1) yes that's what my mind was conjuring up. Nailed it. On your last sentence I can now clearly understand what your saying. Thanks on both counts.

 

[DrAwkward]

FWIW, I shaved with Frankenrazor in a right/left duel with one of my beloved NEW OC (SC) razors. Tie. Frankenrazor is a great shaver!