Gillette 1941 Ranger Tech - First Use

[Maxwedge]

** This is my first use of a vintage razor. I have been DE shaving for about 12 years (since my son was born in 2010). This is only MY experience with this razor.

I just bought this '41 RT from @wheatshocker. He was great to deal with.

First appearances: I have never had a vintage razor before. This little guy came in a great original case with some old-school blades. It is very nice looking.

Second appearances: This little guy is laughably small and thin handled next to my regular rotation. It is cool looking, but tiny and tinsey compared to what I'm used to.

But, I love classic and vintage. So how does it shave?

It shaves GREAT. Seriously, GREAT. This might be THE best shaving razor in my collection, even though it's not much to look at.

My R89? Now for sale.
My Phoenix DOC? For sale.
My Maggard SS70? For sale
My 3 Timeless Razors? TBD (not as nice as this).
My Rocca 95? Smashed with a hammer.

This simple, ugly, stamped-metal razor from 81 years ago is THE perfect shave. Today was my usual 3 day shave. For 10-12 years I have relied on a Muhle R89 and it has always given me a nice, safe, comfortable shave.

Recently (since joining B&B) I have been trying "better" DE Razors. And they have cut me, scraped me, and left me irritated. I mean $50 - $250 razors. Premium razors. Modern razors.

It seems to me that many guys are playing the "tough guy" game, bragging about how aggressive their guillotine razors are. Well I'm not trying to be tough on a forum. I just want a close, SAFE shave. Shaving is just something I have to do as a man. Like lacing my boots.

This razor ROCKs ... Seriously, this is one of the best DE shaves I've ever had, without any blood or irritation.

12 out of 10.

Max

 

[CCS]

** This is my first use of a vintage razor. I have been DE shaving for about 12 years (since my son was born in 2010). This is only MY experience with this razor.

I just bought this '41 RT from @wheatshocker. He was great to deal with.

First appearances: I have never had a vintage razor before. This little guy came in a great original case with some old-school blades. It is very nice looking.

Second appearances: This little guy is laughably small and thin handled next to my regular rotation. It is cool looking, but tiny and tinsey compared to what I'm used to.

But, I love classic and vintage. So how does it shave?

It shaves GREAT. Seriously, GREAT. This might be THE best shaving razor in my collection, even though it's not much to look at.

My R89? Now for sale.
My Phoenix DOC? For sale.
My Maggard SS70? For sale
My 3 Timeless Razors? TBD (not as nice as this).
My Rocca 95? Smashed with a hammer.

This simple, ugly, stamped-metal razor from 81 years ago is THE perfect shave. Today was my usual 3 day shave. For 10-12 years I have relied on a Muhle R89 and it has always given me a nice, safe, comfortable shave.

Recently (since joining B&B) I have been trying "better" DE Razors. And they have cut me, scraped me, and left me irritated. I mean $50 - $250 razors. Premium razors. Modern razors.

It seems to me that many guys are playing the "tough guy" game, bragging about how aggressive their guillotine razors are. Well I'm not trying to be tough on a forum. I just want a close, SAFE shave. Shaving is just something I have to do as a man. Like lacing my boots.

This razor ROCKs. Seriously, this is one of the best DE shaves I've ever had, without any blood or irritation.

12 out of 10.

Max

Congrats! I've said the same thing here with regards to vintage Gillette razors. Gillette solved shaving decades ago. All these new players are, mostly, playing around with old Gillette designs and using SS or Ti or copper, brass (unplated), etc. and some are making them with CNC/lathes. Whether they're worth their premium prices is up to the buyer. While I do have a few modern razors, save for the AS-D2, none of them outshave any of my vintage Gillettes. That said, I really enjoy the Masamune, Rocca R95, AS-D2, and EJ/Muhle 89 style razors. A shame you couldn't get on with the R95, I love mine.

 

[Maxwedge]

The R95 gave close shave but the alum block showed a lot of irritation. And it was surprisingly hard to rinse for me (as said) compared to my other razors. This .99c in 1941 ($20 in today's money) razor is perfect for me, although, very plain looking.

I love the butterfly operation, but the handle is small and ugly. I'm looking for a vintage Gillette 3-piece that I can put a nicer handle on.

Performance - 12 of 10
Looks -------------- 5 of 10

 

[CCS]

The R95 gave close shave but the alum block showed a lot of irritation. And it was surprisingly hard to rinse for me (as said) compared to my other razors. This .99c in 1941 ($20 in today's money) razor is perfect for me, although, very plain looking.

I love the butterfly operation, but the handle is small and ugly. I'm looking for a vintage Gillette 3-piece that I can put a nicer handle on.

Performance - 12 of 10
Looks -------------- 5 of 10

You'll read it over and over but for a mild and terrific shave (depending on your beard and how often you shave), the Ball End Techs, for me, are the height of Gillette 3-piece razors. Today, I used a war era fat handled Tech with a new KAI and it was a bit more aggressive, not so much more efficient, than with most other blades. KAIs are a teensy-weensy bit wider so a little more blade exposure. Point being, blades and shimming can sort of customize a razor if it's missing something for you.

 

[WVShaver]

I have never tried a Ranger Tech but have used most vintage Gillettes and there are some real gems in there. But I still prefer a couple modern razors like my GameChanger over them. That said, for the money the old 3 piece Tech is an outstanding razor.

I really like my pre-war fat handle tech and haven’t used any of my newer techs yet since I’ve got other things I’m testing first. You can pick up a nice used Tech for $15 or so on the bay very easily.

Another favorite of mine is the Red Tip, the handle is much beefier and feels better in the hand and it’s much more efficient for my somewhat coarse hair. I think the Super Speeds & Techs shave smoother then the adjustables like the slim/fat boy/etc but not everyone shares that opinion. And the handle on the Fat Boy feels pretty good in the hand.

One more recommendation if you want a larger handle maybe look for the gold Aristrocrat. I don’t have one myself but have handled one and it feels similar to the Fat Boy and I’ve heard lots of good things about it. You should be able to find a pretty decent one for about $60 or so. The British variant is even more regarded but is about twice that in cost.

But yes, the handle on these old super speeds/Ranger techs are a tad small for my liking.

 

[Maxwedge]

For most of my DE shaving time, I've used large wooden handles from Elite Razors, with various heads. That's my point of comparison to anything new. I usually buy a new razor and put the head onto my old trusty E.R. handles. That way my comparisons are purely on the new razor head, because, the handle and blade are the same as I'm used to.

My comparisons are really apples to apples, only judging the razor heads.

That being said, I JUST bought a nice looking '38-'41 ball-tech. Thanks @CCS. I am REALLY impressed with the smooth shave I got from this "common" old razor, and I wonder why I've spent so much money and discomfort on newer "hip" razors. This Ranger Tech felt super-safe, like my R89, but left me MUCH smoother. Really better than anything I've tried lately.

I Love the chonky styling of my Timeless razors, but I need to be very careful with them to get a good shave. I don't WANT to have to be careful. I just want to shave! If a new toothbrush made my gums bleed I would toss it. I was not carefull at ALL with this Gillette. And I'm BBS and happy as hell.

12/10. Gillette for the win.

 

[Maxwedge]

 

[emwolf]

Well I'd keep my timeless and my rocca, but the ranger tech is a truly great razor. Congrats

 

[Maxwedge]

Thank you. I plan to keep the Timeless razors (because they're cool and expensive) Rocca was not good for me.

It gave a very close shave, but left me irritated. I won't even save it for my son, like I will with the R89 and 38c. It's a no-no for me.

 

[Maxwedge]

"That being said, I JUST bought a nice looking '38-'41 ball-tech."

I meant to say '38-'41 Fat Handle.

I looked on Epay, RazorEmporium, etc for a nice ball-end but everything had pitted or worn finishes. Lots and lots of examples, but all too worn for my liking. Saw a nice gold plated one on RE but I don't like gold. So bought a clean-looking Fat Handle.

 

[BradWorld]

You picked a great razor for your first vintage.

 

[Frank Discussion]

Excellent! Congrats on your vintage razor acquisition! I myself have 4 vintage Gillette razors. I have a post war late 1940's gold ball end handle 3-piece Tech, a 1951 ball handle Tech a 1954 Speed Razor and a 1962 ball end Tech. Every time I use one of my old 3-piece Tech's I too wonder why I have these other modern 3-piece razors. I would agree with the others that commented that the Gillette Tech is one of the best razors ever made. They are also easy enough to find for sale at a decent price since Gillette produced millions of them.

 

[Rayotech]

Congrats on the RT. I also bought one from wheatshocker a few weeks ago. Love it! Nice and smooth shaves, feels good in the hand.

I have always used Gillette razors, they all shave well!

Enjoy!

 

[CCS]

I meant to say '38-'41 Fat Handle.

I looked on Epay, RazorEmporium, etc for a nice ball-end but everything had pitted or worn finishes. Lots and lots of examples, but all too worn for my liking. Saw a nice gold plated one on RE but I don't like gold. So bought a clean-looking Fat Handle.

Check out DapperStudioCC on Etsy. My highest recommendation as a seller.

 

[Joezamboni]

I was close to buying that razor but too similar to the super speeds I have. Received a different one from the same seller instead that I enjoy as well. The vintage Gillette razors can become an endless hole. Next it will be the adjustables but you’ll want to try a variant of each one. I’m hunting for random deals and seeing how they clean up.

 

[WVShaver]

You did good by getting the fat handle, I prefer it over the ball end. But like you, I often use my favorite handle on every razor head which is the Razorock BarberPole.

For all of you looking to jump on the vintage bandwagon and travel down that rabbit hole I really recommend taking some time on the bay and search for Razor Lots and check the new listings often.

That’s how I’ve gotten most of my vintages - most of which I probably don’t have more then $5-10 in including some adjustables. Because often times people don’t want to buy 10 razors for $50-60, they’d rather have the single one they want for $20. But it’s a great way to try lots of vintage razors for cheap.

 

[airmech]

As was mentioned above, get an Aristocrat, I think you will love it! I love mine as they give me an easy, effortless, comfortable DFS shave every time! I have settled into a 4 razor rotation with a ‘37 & ‘45-‘46 Aristrocrat and a ‘37 & ‘47 MiLords which from my understanding are Gold plated Ranger Techs.

Tom

 

[BradWorld]

... ‘47 MiLords which from my understanding are Gold plated Ranger Techs.

My understanding is that the Ranger Tech was produced in 1941, then again, briefly in 1946 after the WWII metal rationing was over. The only difference being the 1941 has no endcaps, and 1946 introducing the endcaps. 1947 would start the Super Speed era, and I believe the 1947 Milord is a gold Super Speed for that year.

 

[md1234]

I never used the Ranger Tech but I do have two Milords, a 46 and 47. To me these have are more efficient than the notched later models.

 

[Maxwedge]

I had my second shave with the '41 RT tonight. I used the same Shark blade and Mitchell's WF soap. And I am still impressed with this 'lil guy.

It's not the most efficient razor, as I needed multiple passes and buffing. But I am fine with that. I would much rather take some extra passes than end up with nicks and irritation, like many of my recent "high-end" razors have delivered.

One of the things I always liked about my old Muhle R89 was that I didn't need to be overly careful with it. It felt safe, and with a few touch-ups it left me smooth and comfortable. I've tried several supposedly "mild" razors lately that left me feeling irritated, or worse, with bloody dots on my cheeks and neck. I don't want to worry about that when I'm rushing to get to a holiday work party.

Well this classic Gillette is so gentle that it feels like there's no blade in it. It just glides over the corners of my mouth and the mole on my chin. I know many guys like a certain amount of blade-feel, but I just want a close safe shave. And this razor delivers. I am very happy and smooth right now.