Is a Super Adjustables the same as "Black Beauty"? Essentially, is it the same razor with two different names? I see both names spread out through various threads and I am having a hard time determining what is the difference between the two. The razors on Mr-Razor's website look identical to me, but they have the different names.
Difference between a Super Adjustable and a Black Beauty?
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As far as I know, they are the same razor, although the Black Beauty may only refer to the long handle version.
I think that "Black Beauty" refers to the later Super Adjustables which had the black plastic bottom plate.
Super Adjustable is the official name. The short handle was the Super-84 and long handle was the Super-109. Black Beauty is just a nickname we have given to the razor. I don't believe Black Beauty refers to only one model.
That has always been my understanding of the term as well.
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Wow! Lots of differing opinions here 
I bought the SWMBO a short-handled Super Adjustable (birth year) and it sounds cool to tell her that the unofficial name is the "Black Beauty"
I bought the SWMBO a short-handled Super Adjustable (birth year) and it sounds cool to tell her that the unofficial name is the "Black Beauty"
Super-84 and Super-109 are Gillette's names for them. Look at these packages.
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Also sometimes just called the Super Adjustable:
I believe the key difference is that Gillette called them the "Super Adjustable" and consumers nicknamed them the "Black Beauty". Similar to "Fat Boy", "G-Bar", etc.
By the way, I will take one of each for $1.95 if anyone has them!
By the way, I will take one of each for $1.95 if anyone has them!
But those are the ugly ones.
Just kidding. My understanding is that the term "Black Beauty" refers to any black handled Gillette Super Adjustable DE Razor..... both short or long handled, brass or plastic base plate. But, that it DOES NOT refer to the black handled Gillette Super Speeds of the same era.
Ben
But those are the ugly ones.
Just kidding. My understanding is that the term "Black Beauty" refers to any black handled Gillette Super Adjustable DE Razor..... both short or long handled, brass or plastic base plate. But, that it DOES NOT refer to the black handled Gillette Super Speeds of the same era.
Ben
Yep, a SA is a black beauty. They are one and the same. Handle length does not matter, as stated above it's more the consumer name vs Gillette's name.
Kilroy6644
Smoking a corn dog in aviators and a top hat
I was always under the impression that "Super Adjustable" and "Black Beauty" were synonymous, regardless of handle length or base plate.
I refer to all of the black handled adjustable razors as a Super Adjustable, but it would seem to make more sense to refer to the one that is the most black as a Black Beauty.
That would make more sense. It'd really be interesting to know exactly when the phrase "Black Beauty" was coined when refering to the Gillette Super Adjustable razor. Was it before 1977 when the black plastic base plates were introduced.... or after?
The world may never know.
IMO, they should call the SA's with the nickel plated brass base plates "Black Beauties" and the ones with the black plastic base plates "Black Uglies"..... but that's just me. BTW..... I'm a 1976 W1 date code with a nickel plate brass base plate.... so I may be a little biased
.Ben
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Searching back through the old posts of B&B, back to 2008, the metal plate varieties are also called Black Beauties. One post also referred to a "Short Handled Black Beauty" (i.e. Super-84). So we here at B&B have been calling all of the Super Adjustables, "Black Beauties", for a long time.
Well, in 2007, there seemed to be some folks that said that only the long handled Super Adjustable was called the Black Beauty, and still others that said that only the ones with the black plastic bottom plate was called the Black Beauty.
The name isn't anything official, so I guess people can use it how ever they see fit.
The name isn't anything official, so I guess people can use it how ever they see fit.
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Can we at least agree that the metal base plate varieties are nicer looking than the black plastic base plate varieties? 
Ben
Ben
