Five Days with the Gillette Red Tip

[Ozarkedger]

I want one now!
You guys are (in)expensive friends.

 

[preidy]

Well you summed it up pretty well. The only thing I might add is that the RT is one of the great looking razors.

 

[jcs266]

I have tried many razors over the years. Recently I settled on the Wolfman OC 1 as my standard ride. The only time I don't use the Wolfman is when I travel. I hope that nobody reading this note works for the airlines, but there is no way I am giving my precious Wolfman to the baggage people. Already too many misplaced/lost bags over the years.

I recently purchased a 1955 Gillette Red Tip for travel. Not expensive. Good Ebay purchase. I had tried it now and again but this last trip was the first time I had the opportunity to use it for 5 consecutive days. All I have to say is: What a Great Little Razor!

If I had to pick one adjective to describe the Red Tip, I would say SMOOTH. My beard is wiry and course, and my skin is dry and irritates easily. The Red Tip was very quiet on my face, so quiet that I thought nothing much was happening. In fact the Red Tip is quietly efficient. I didn't have a perfect shave after a first pass, but darn close. A second XTG pass cleaned things up perfectly. I had to alter my technique when compared to the Wolfman, taking shorter strokes and going over each area more than once, but since I never had any irritation from the Red Tip, the multiple strokes were not a problem. The head was a bit bulky making it difficult to get close around my nose, but that is about the only criticism I can come up with.

It is difficult to compare it to the Wolfman. Such different beasts. The Wolfman is more aggressive, and I can get far more done with a single Wolfman stroke than I can with the Red Tip. That said, the Red Tip is remarkably smooth and surprisingly efficient. Will the Red Tip send my Wolfman to the back of the medicine cabinet? NO, but I could easily live with the Red Tip as my primary razor. It is that good.

Cheers

I could have written this verbatim ref a recent acquisition of mine - a lucky antique store find of a (Y3) 1953 Gillette President w/case in near perfect condition (case a bit worn but the razor is basically perfect). It's a spectacularly smooth shave with two passes (WTG then an XTG/ATG combo for second pass). I've not had a single nick in two weeks of shaving and zero irritation even on my lower neck where I virtually never did ATG with any other razor. It's a mild razor for sure but very efficient. I also find it "quiet" so it's a bit more difficult to know how well its cutting because I'm used to the very audible ATT H1 where you know your angle is good because it's quite obvious by the audio feedback of the blade. But wow what great shaves this '53 delivers! I've used it for the past 10 straight days and love it.

I've never had a red-tip but curious to try one. Apparently it was the most aggressive of Gillette's TTOs?

 

[SteveWY]

I love all my Super Speeds but the "heavy" as it was called is one of my favorites. I love the beefed up, 50's muscle car styling!

 

[JOYCEfromNS]

Apparently it was the most aggressive of Gillette's TTOs?

Maybe the SS TTO's but not the 30's TTO'S

 

[been around]

I'd love to get a really decent Red Tip just short of collectors grade, but not on e-bay. Either you have a seller who is bidding against their bidders to raise the price, or if one collectors grade beings a super high price the next day every piece of junk on the bay is worth the same. Sellers don't want to know the difference between apples and oranges. Any good alternatives to the bay?

 

[nemo]

I'd love to get a really decent Red Tip just short of collectors grade, but not on e-bay.....Any good alternatives to the bay?

Place a WTB thread in the B&B B.S.T.
You will find one.

 

[been around]

Thanks Nemo. After checking out B.S.T. I should have gone there first. I have an offer in for a decent one that a Canadian has on the bay. If that doesn't work out I'll be in B.S.T. on the hunt. From what I've seen I missed a beauty, and it was right here in Western Pennsylvania if I read it right. I also agree that the British model is superior, but impossible to find over here. Even most of the ones in Canada are American made, or so it seems. Cheaper to put it on a truck than a ship I suppose.