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Gillette Goodwill razors!

I was just about to end my vintage crusade and stop buying more vintage razors and then I saw a couple of Goodwill models at a very tempting prices and I just got hooked yet again. The only Goodwill I have at the moment is the #160.

The ones I see 90% of the time are - #160, #175, #162, #164 and from time to time the British Empire Goodwill set. I don't remember seeing the Brazilian and the Argentinian models for sale as well as the ''L'' shaped version.

I've read on a couple of very old threads that some folks find the standard British Goodwill versions different from one another. It would appear that for whatever reason, both ''Made in England'', but with different pattents on the plate shave a bit different as well as the ''Importe D'Angleterre''.

How does the different British Goodwills compared to one another? I'm also curious about the Canadian reverse studs #175, which I was told by a friend of mine that shaves even better than the #160. I'm also qurious about the Brazilian and the Argentinian models, since some of them are based on the Short Comb version of the NEW and are quite unique compared to the most.

Any information as well as pictures would be appreciated.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I owned both the patented and patent pending English made versions and could not tell any difference at all in the shave.

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I owned both the patented and patent pending English made versions and could not tell any difference at all in the shave.

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The only thing that I've noticed is that the ''other pats. pending'' version has a more space around the thread hole similar to the first and late US NEW LC versions, which makes the late version a bit better, since it can be used with other handles other than the ball end. If we follow that logic, it means that the ''other pats. pending'' is indeed the late version of these two.

You sold both of them? Didn't you said a while ago that this was your favorite Gillette razor?
 

lasta

Blade Biter
I've only owned the same one as Eclipse.

Not much different to regular US LC's.

Other than aligning the blade being more of a hassle. Bigger hole on the baseplate, top cap is pretty much free-floating.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
The only thing that I've noticed is that the ''other pats. pending'' version has a more space around the thread hole similar to the first and late US NEW LC versions, which makes the late version a bit better, since it can be used with other handles other than the ball end. If we follow that logic, it means that the ''other pats. pending'' is indeed the late version of these two.

You sold both of them? Didn't you said a while ago that this was your favorite Gillette razor?
I sold the patent pending version as I am trying not to be a collector although sometimes it feels like it. The Goodwill is indeed my favourite Gillette razor and possibly my favourite razor of any brand. Not sure why - it shaves the same as many others, the New long comb for example, something about the way the Goodwill makes me feel rather than the razor itself; I just enjoy it for some intangible reason. I do like the elegant way the blade is held.
 
R

romsitsa

Technically all Old type, New LC and SC based "Goodwills" are the same.
These were produced by the millions and the survivors are worn down to different degrees, replated, etc. So picking out two and comparing them will not tell you wether there was any difference between production batches.
How they shave is also a question of personal preference. I do not feel any difference between LC based designs except the optical pleasure and skin feel of silver plating. The same is true for SC based designs.
With the Old type based "Goodwills" the ones I had a chance to try were more aggressive than standard Old types as the cap locating corners did not match up with the baseplate.
 
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