English vs USA Red Tip

[EclipseRedRing]

I have been using a C-1 USA red tip for some time and have just acquired the equivalent English model. It has a little brassing but has cleaned up well and I am very pleased with it. I have used the English razor today and the shave seems identical to the USA version. Aside from the end caps, slightly different wording in the underside engraving, and the lack of date code on the English version, I can see little or no difference. The USA example seems to have a brighter red paint job so I suspect it has been painted over at some time. I have an English Rocket HD and if I compare it to my 1951 USA Superspeed, the Rocket mechanism seems far superior in that it opens and closes more smoothly and feels much tighter and better manufactured. I cannot sense the same differences, or any differences, in the action of the two red tips however. Does anyone know of any other differences or contrasts between the two or are they essential identical? The images below show the English razor on the left and the USA version on the right.

 

[romsitsa]

Hello, there is no real difference except the head. I’d go as far as the British one also has a US made handle. The crimped knob was replaced by the double screw (Rocket type) around 1949 in the UK, so I highly doubt they went back and retooled just to make some Superspeeds a few years later.

Adam

 

[BigJ]

Lovely razors! Thanks for the comparison.

 

[rudyt]

Aside from the different knob behavior, the main *shaving* difference between English and American Red Tips is the difference in gaps - the English version has a slightly larger gap.

I'm a compulsive gap tweaker, and when I re-gapped my US version to the English gap, they shaved identically in a side-by-side comparison.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Aside from the different knob behavior, the main *shaving* difference between English and American Red Tips is the difference in gaps - the English version has a slightly larger gap.

I'm a compulsive gap tweaker, and when I re-gapped my US version to the English gap, they shaved identically in a side-by-side comparison.

Interesting, thank you. Would you know what the gaps are? How would you re-gap a razor to change the gap? Do you mean using a shim to increase a gap or is there some other method of physically changing the razor itself? Could you make a gap smaller?

 

[rudyt]

Interesting, thank you. Would you know what the gaps are? How would you re-gap a razor to change the gap? Do you mean using a shim to increase a gap or is there some other method of physically changing the razor itself? Could you make a gap smaller?

0.026" gap for the US Red Tip and 0.032" for the British version.

I physically change the gap by bending the safety bar up or down. Small gap changes are OK - large gap changes are not because the safety bar is no longer relatively level.

I often straighten bent flea market TTOs for friends and a couple of resellers, so I'm very comfortable with the process. I use a butter knife and pass it through the lather slots for leverage. Making the gap smaller is just as easy as making it larger.

My favorite tweak is opening up a Gillette adjustable by two settings (about 0.006"). I never use Setting 1 and 2 on a stock adjustable, so it's basically a 7 setting razor. My Fatboy setting at 1 is equivalent to a stock unit at 3, and my 9 is a Fatboy at 11. I did the same to my Slim and Black Beauty. They're all user grade and will never be worth money, so why not make them more usable (to me)

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Thank you, I never thought of trying that. As you say, for user grade razors only, which all mine are.

 

[Bogeyman]

0.026" gap for the US Red Tip and 0.032" for the British version.

I physically change the gap by bending the safety bar up or down...

Since the safety bar is integral with the entire base plate I have no idea how you could do this and even less how you could do it evenly across the entire span⁉

 

[santamariasteve]

Since the safety bar is integral with the entire base plate I have no idea how you could do this and even less how you could do it evenly across the entire span⁉

I too share that question.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Perhaps the key is in the words "Small gap changes are OK - large gap changes are not because the safety bar is no longer relatively level" but I agree that the point remains that the gap would not be even across the full width of the safety bar. Ultimately if a user modifies a razor to suit themself, and are pleased with the result, then that is justification enough. I am not sure I would try it myself, but then I would not change razor handles, or apply vulgar gunmetal platings either. To each his own.

 

[santamariasteve]

There are only 3 ways I use to get a more aggressive shave: a shim or two under the working blade, a very thorough prep, and/or a 4 pass shave. I don't feel comfortable modifying the razor itself. Someone besides me may own the razor in the future, and that person is deserving of a stock unmodified razor.

 

[rudyt]

Since the safety bar is integral with the entire base plate I have no idea how you could do this and even less how you could do it evenly across the entire span[emoji844]

Just patience, skill and lots of experience. It's actually easier to take a straight safety bar and change the gap than to take a bent razor and make it straight (which is what most of my razor work is these days). I don't call a razor done until all gaps are within a thousandth of an inch, which is below the threshold of a mass produced stamped razor. Like blueprinting an engine.

I've also been working and straightening metal for almost 50 years. Ever see those ads for people who can fix a dent in your car and make it perfectly straight without bondo or repainting? I can do that too.