First post & first antique shop find. Good deal?

[lpdb185]

I've been lurking for a few months since I started getting into wet shaving, and this is my first official post. All I have so far is a Merkur 38C and a Genco 5/8 straight that is in need of a good sharpening. So on my way home yesterday I thought I would stop by this big antique shop/flea market on the side of the highway to see if I could find another razor. All they had was this Gillette adjustable. I think it's a 1962 Gillette Slim (date code is H2). It appeared to have 30 years worth of old shaving cream on it, so the guy only wanted $3 for it. I got home and cleaned it up with some hot water, Mr. Clean, and a toothbrush, and this is what it looks like now.

So is this in fact a Gillette Slim? And was $3 a good deal?

 

[Foyle]

Yep, that's a Slim. If it's in good working order then you got a great deal. Just search the BST for slims being sold and you'll see how much they usually sell for.

 

[The Accountant]

No, $3 was a great deal! Congratulations on the find.

 

[imatabor]

As said, if the adjuster works (does it click into place) then very good deal. It is amazing how these things clean up. Now your hooked, good luck finding more out there in the wild.

 

[lpdb185]

I think it works just fine. The adjustment part didn't turn much until I got it all cleaned up, but it seems fine now. I dropped in a new blade and tried it out last night. I really like the adjustability. I left it around 2-3 on the sensitive parts of my neck and cranked it up to 4 for the jawline and up. I was surprised at how much the shave changed with just one click. Particularly, I liked being able to get those few little stubborn spots by simply cranking it up a click or two, as opposed to applying pressure or changing my technique.

And the guy I got it from said he regularly gets vintage DEs and straights in his shop. So he took my name and number and said he will call me when he gets more in. Hopefully he doesn't go up on his prices, lol.

 

[Lakebound]

That's a 211 in progress, you stole that Slim! Good going.

Frank

 

[demaro]

$3 for a slim is a steal !! Great score !!

 

[Badger Bill]

OH MY - YES that is an amazing deal!!!!!
Congrats on the awesome find.
And, of course, welcome to B&B!!!!!

- Badger Bill

 

[duderubble]

Better than any deal I've gotten, and I've gotten a few.

 

[briggs]

The Slim is my go-to razor. You got a great deal.

A few tips:

You've got the right idea changing the click stop for more or less sensitive areas of your face (also if you are going ATG), but make sure you open the razor a bit before making the adjustment.

With most blades, I start at a low click stop and increase the click stop a bit after the second or third use. The stops you use may vary by the brand and type of blade.

When you tighten the razor, there is an extra quarter turn that you need to make in order to lock the blade in place.

The weight and balance of the Slim suit me fine. See if letting the weight of the head do the shaving, without additional pressure, works for you. You might want to lighten up a bit in more sensitive areas or going ATG.

Enjoy!

 

[rxonmymind]

Not bad, Not bad! A good find for a firt time out. Congrats.

 

[DE85]

Jealous! is all I have to say, beautiful find!!!

 

[lpdb185]

Thanks for all the comments, folks. I thought it was a pretty good deal based on some of the prices I saw in BST, but I just don't know much about all these different razors yet. I look forward to experimenting with it a bit more, as well as acquiring a few more razors to play with. But my initial impression is that I may prefer this over my Merkur 38C. I've been using the Merkur for about 3 months now, and, while I feel that I have developed decent technique, the every-which-way-but-straight hair growth on my neck still leaves me a little irritated sometimes. With this adjustable, I was able to keep the exact same technique and get a near BBS shave with pretty much zero irritation. But I guess that's the whole idea behind adjustable razors, lol.

Briggs, I appreciate the advice. I guess I should have posted this before I played around with it, because I was just adjusting it with the razor locked in place (I incidentally figured out how to lock the blade in place while cleaning it). Will that damage the mechanism, or does it just make adjustments inconsistent?

 

[briggs]

ind adjustable razors, lol.

Briggs, I appreciate the advice. I guess I should have posted this before I played around with it, because I was just adjusting it with the razor locked in place (I incidentally figured out how to lock the blade in place while cleaning it). Will that damage the mechanism, or does it just make adjustments inconsistent?

I have not heard of it damaging the mechanism, but it will not adjust correctly unless you unlock the razor.

 

[chamm]

Pretty much any hunk of metal that's roughly razor-shaped is worth $3. You did way better than OK.

 

[jovan]

Congrats on a great find.

 

[lpdb185]

Thanks for all the validation and advice. I rarely am lucky when it comes to finding bargains, so that makes me even more excited about my purchase. Plus, my wife and my wallet are okay with it.

 

[Copierguy]

Thanks for all the comments, folks. I thought it was a pretty good deal based on some of the prices I saw in BST, but I just don't know much about all these different razors yet. I look forward to experimenting with it a bit more, as well as acquiring a few more razors to play with. But my initial impression is that I may prefer this over my Merkur 38C. I've been using the Merkur for about 3 months now, and, while I feel that I have developed decent technique, the every-which-way-but-straight hair growth on my neck still leaves me a little irritated sometimes. With this adjustable, I was able to keep the exact same technique and get a near BBS shave with pretty much zero irritation. But I guess that's the whole idea behind adjustable razors, lol.

Briggs, I appreciate the advice. I guess I should have posted this before I played around with it, because I was just adjusting it with the razor locked in place (I incidentally figured out how to lock the blade in place while cleaning it). Will that damage the mechanism, or does it just make adjustments inconsistent?

Welcome to B&B.

The door closing/locking assembly is spring loaded so you will not break anything adjustusting with the doors closed, but the cautious among us relieve the pressure during adjustment.

Congrats on a great find!!

 

[maxman]

Great score! The Slim is a nice razor.

 

[Dalejr]

You can't get too many nice things built to last for $3, nice score.