Did I "score" with this Old Type?

[Pumpkin]

Just won an Old Type on the bay will post pics as soon as I get it. Can't paste the link (using my phone) but the item number is 160393439233. Did I do OK?

 

[Topgumby]

Looks nice, and for the price, it would be great just as a shaver!

Unless there are any real surprises, I'd call that a score.

 

[Sailorman]

I think you did pretty well. "Score" may be a tad strong. Like Topgummby said, barring any hidden problems, and especially if it works for you, it'll at least be a good deal. I love the old types, but they're not for everyone. I can't use them too often. YMMV but unless your postage is too high you can't lose much, if anything, if you don't like it and re-sell it.

But then again, fuzzy eBay razors with no zoom scare me. Such a crapshoot.

 

[valmara1971]

Looks good Pete but £4 postage???

 

[Pumpkin]

Looks good Pete but £4 postage???

My thoughts exactly! So I'd set myself a very strict bidding limit.

 

[Pumpkin]

Will post some decent pics once I've got it in my hands. I'm bound to have a few questions too once I've seen any serial numbers or Pat. Nos.

 

[Pumpkin]

Just received the Old Type today. It's not quite the bargain I was hoping for...quite a bit of brass is exposed, not so bad on the handle but the guard is a bit rough. Small split at the ball end of the handle....did this originally unscrew?

Apologies for the quality of the pics, camera doesn't cope well with low energy bulbs. In second pic it looks "gold"....it's not!

Case is a bit battered (probably not surprising considering the age).

One tooth is bent (lower right in pic) looks like it has been dropped at some point is it worth trying to straighten it?

The blade holder looks okay got a free gift with it....3 REALLY nasty blades....1 x old type Wilkinson Sword, 1 x 7 O'Clock (with chunks out of the edges) and 1 x Boots' generic...all a bit rusty so I'll give them a miss!

Over £1.60 mark up on the postage, so I'll be marking that down a bit

 

[honed]

I think it pretty much matches the price.

As long as it screws together right & the top stays on snug, you'll be alright shaving with it.
Re: the bent teeth, if it were my razor I would have tried to shave with it first, if it was OK, I wouldn't have messed with it, often you wont notice a bent tooth went it is the outer one.
If it did scratch & irritate, I would have tried with very gentle heat & a pair of pliers, with smooth jaws, the kind jewelers use & a little at the time try to bend it back. Mind ya, it can surely break, even if you are careful, so if it works, don't mess with it, if it doesn't, you pretty much have nothing to loose.


My $0.02

 

[Pumpkin]

Couldn't see any date code....where would this normally be on this model?

 

[Pumpkin]

I think it pretty much matches the price.

As long as it screws together right & the top stays on snug, you'll be alright shaving with it.
Re: the bent teeth, if it were my razor I would have tried to shave with it first, if it was OK, I wouldn't have messed with it, often you wont notice a bent tooth went it is the outer one.
If it did scratch & irritate, I would have tried with very gentle heat & a pair of pliers, with smooth jaws, the kind jewelers use & a little at the time try to bend it back. Mind ya, it can surely break, even if you are careful, so if it works, don't mess with it, if it doesn't, you pretty much have nothing to loose.


My $0.02

Haven't tried shaving with it (yet). Screws together ok and seems snug. The tooth is just bent "inwards" towards it's neighbour, looks like it's on the same plane as the rest, so hopefully it's not an issue. Thought there might be a risk of breaking it off!

 

[Pumpkin]

Tried it out this morning for a "touch up" shave. Seemed to be a bit of play in the blade after tightening....is this because blades used to be thicker? Was using one of my regular Super Silvers. Really nice weight and feel. The bent tooth wasn't noticeable at all

Felt a bit aggressive after a Super Speed but I think that might have been down to the blade position. Probably would be great with several days growth.

Until I miss a few days shave (when will that be? as I'm loving shaving too much now ) I think I'll swap handles with my British Tech and just use that for now.

 

[A35335]

If there's no date code, I believe it would be a 1921-29 model, which were mfg'd sans numbers (someone with more knowledge can correct me).

Here's a link to what I believe it is: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Image:Old_Type_Ball_End.jpg

This one will tell you about the different style heads: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Image:Old_type_heads.jpg

I have one exactly like this, a 102B Ball End (if it's a 21-29) that was my grandfather's. Don't rush your shave, as mine is a bit on the aggressive side. Mine had some splits in the barrel, fixed by some epoxy. A piece of my history, for sure. Enjoy.

Rich

 

[Pumpkin]

If there's no date code, I believe it would be a 1921-29 model, which were mfg'd sans numbers (someone with more knowledge can correct me).

Here's a link to what I believe it is: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Image:Old_Type_Ball_End.jpg

This one will tell you about the different style heads: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Image:Old_type_heads.jpg

I have one exactly like this, a 102B Ball End (if it's a 21-29) that was my grandfather's. Don't rush your shave, as mine is a bit on the aggressive side. Mine had some splits in the barrel, fixed by some epoxy. A piece of my history, for sure. Enjoy.

Rich

Thanks for the info Rich. it looks like it's got the thicker head (102A?) can't see a date code anywhere...should it be on the head?

 

[Ray-Vigo]

I picked up a Brownie set with Old Type from the 1920s. They're real deceivers-- you see the blade rests on top of the comb, so you think it will be mild. But when you shave you feel just how aggressive it really is. These are fairly aggressive shavers. No pushing down is the secret with them. I like mine, but I mix it up with my 30s Tech because my skin just doesn't like the Old Type all the time.

 

[A35335]

....it looks like it's got the thicker head (102A?) can't see a date code anywhere...should it be on the head?

The thicker head would be the B, I believe. I think that the date code, if present, would be on the lower part of the handle right above the ball, but I'm pretty sure you have what I said before, hence, no serial #. A nice '21-29 Old Type 102B Ball End. If you find a date code, then we get to start over..........

You wonder why Gillette chose to abandon the serial #'s. Perhaps Gillette just said, the heck with this, no one cares about serial #'s, too hard for us to track, we're making a zillion of these a month, running out of numbers, etc., lets can the idea. I'm always curious about why those corporate manufacturing decisions are made..........

Rich

 

[mr-razor]

...

You wonder why Gillette chose to abandon the serial #'s. Perhaps Gillette just said, the heck with this, no one cares about serial #'s, too hard for us to track, we're making a zillion of these a month, running out of numbers, etc., lets can the idea. I'm always curious about why those corporate manufacturing decisions are made..........

Rich

since 1921 they made the New Improved razors with SN. The Old Type were made simultaneously without SN

 

[A35335]

since 1921 they made the New Improved razors with SN. The Old Type were made simultaneously without SN

I guess I meant why did they just quit using serial #'s on products that had always been mfg'd. with one ? Up until that point, the Old's had #'s, then they just stopped, right? (am I correct on that?) I was just wondering why.............. Not sure we'll ever know, at any rate.

Thanks for the info. Again, makes me ponder the rationale of the corporate decision-making process.

Rich