Gibbs No 15/17 Brass head w/ Chrome coating (and rarer Personna Precision)

[Sharp_Obsession]

New brass-gunkote and carbon fiber sleeves for the Gibbses.

Cool handle sleeves. I took Frank's lead and went with a few of Claudio's choices (like all of them ). I can't wait to get them and try them. I have a standard length and an extended length coming like Frank and a hex bar like Claudio showed.

 

[JBoogie]

Cool handle sleeves. I took Frank's lead and went with a few of Claudio's choices (like all of them ). I can't wait to get them and try them. I have a standard length and an extended length coming like Frank and a hex bar like Claudio showed.

I also got a hex handle from Claudio, I’m very excited to see it in person.

 

[HDSledge]

Here are some pics of the Supreme mechanism @Dragonsbeard :

Even looking it this close I can't wrap my head around exactly how it works.

 

[jmudrick]

Gibbs with gunkoted brass sleeve. Smooth.

 

[HDSledge]

Very nice. I love the customized ones.

 

[AJSharp]

@jmudrick Nice custom mods. How do they perform compared to the original or to a current modern DE ? I got an extended brass mod coming in the new year from Claudio and I’m looking forward to the extra length and heft to better balance my shave.

AJ

 

[jmudrick]

@jmudrick Nice custom mods. How do they perform compared to the original or to a current modern DE ? I got an extended brass mod coming in the new year from Claudio and I’m looking forward to the extra length and heft to better balance my shave.

AJ

Well there are too many current model DEs to compare but it certainly performs well. The brass sleeve improves balance but the razor remains head heavy. If the longer handle improves balance I think that would be a worthwhile experiment.

 

[mikemullin6]

I have a very nice cased L'Essor Supreme and it shaves very smoothly. I haven't changed any of the adjustments from the way I received it but I was wondering if anyone has seen any instructions for this razor? I'm afraid to try and adjust anything 'cause I don't want to mess it up ! I put it's smoothness up there with the Leresche 77 but, as someone mentioned earlier, it could use a slightly longer handle since the adjusting mechanism takes up space below the head and can get in the way while you're shaving.

 

[HDSledge]

I have tried a range of gaps and mine shaves very well. I would not consider loosening any of the screws on the mechanism. I would also like to see a user guide if there is one.

 

[Clouds]

I have a very nice cased L'Essor Supreme and it shaves very smoothly. I haven't changed any of the adjustments from the way I received it but I was wondering if anyone has seen any instructions for this razor? I'm afraid to try and adjust anything 'cause I don't want to mess it up ! I put it's smoothness up there with the Leresche 77 but, as someone mentioned earlier, it could use a slightly longer handle since the adjusting mechanism takes up space below the head and can get in the way while you're shaving.

If you know what the thread is, its a relatively simple process to make a longer handle.
The Gibbs has two oddball threads.

Looking at images of the L'Essor, there seems to be only one adjustment and that appears to move the safety bars either increasing or decreasing the gap. There seems to be quite a few moving parts which of course costs more to manufacture and also wear increases. Its an awesome looking razor - one of my grail razors.

 

[HDSledge]

It is an interesting mechanism. Looks like the screws connect the bars at pivot points and also hold guide tabs that ride in the groove at the top of the adjustment ring. When the ring is rotated the tabs move the bars in-out/up-down. The bars move in an arc not just up/down along a linear path. Cool engineering although doomed to the chopping block as simplicity and cost effective designs win out.

Appears to have 3 moving parts: 2 bars and the adjustment ring.

I wonder why the Gibbs designers decided to go to proprietary blades? Surely by then a design utilizing the more universally used blade pattern was the best choice?

 

[mikemullin6]

What is the thread for making a longer handle?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jmudrick]

The superior handling and balance of the lightweight (42g) aluminum Gibbs more then makes up for any small efficiency advantage the brass version may posses. Hands down my preferred Gibbs Adjustable.

 

[Clouds]

Cool engineering although doomed to the chopping block as simplicity and cost effective designs win out.

I wonder why the Gibbs designers decided to go to proprietary blades? Surely by then a design utilizing the more universally used blade pattern was the best choice?View attachment 935315

Very cool engineering

Probably the same reason that Gillette used.
The razors were loss leaders and the sale of blades were where they made their money.

What is the thread for making a longer handle?

To have a longer handle, two pieces need to be made, each have a different thread:
The thread at the adjustment dial side is M8x1mm
The thread on the piece that holds everything together is M5x0.9mm

 

[jmudrick]

I wonder why the Gibbs designers decided to go to proprietary blades? Surely by then a design utilizing the more universally used blade pattern was the best choice?View attachment 935315

It worked well enough that Gillette was forced to modify their blades to fit the Gibbs

 

[the maui life]

It worked well enough that Gillette was forced to modify their blades to fit the Gibbs

Gillette wasn't forced, as we all know blades was Gillette's cash cow!

 

[jmudrick]

Gillette wasn't forced, as we all know blades was Gillette's cash cow!

The point being Gibbs was enough of a player in razor sales that it was worth Gillette modifying their blades for the French market.

 

[the maui life]

The point being Gibbs was enough of a player in razor sales that it was worth Gillette modifying their blades for the French market.

Hence "blades was Gillette's cash cow"

 

[jmudrick]

Hence "blades was Gillette's cash cow"

Or "blades be Gillette's cash cow".

I'm not sure for how long the Gibbs compatible blades were offered by Gillette, I haven't seen that many variants.

 

[jmudrick]

Have you shaved with one? Its the first I’ve heard of this and I find it really interesting.

I have had zero luck getting anything better than a mediocre shave from vintage carbon DE blades, though Lord knows I've tried. No haven't tried that one. Here is another Gibbs friendly French market blade .