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Gillette New Improved: underappreciated?

The guy (Or his son) whom bought this 1904 Double Ring back in the day liked the New Improved so much when it came out that he decided to grind down the baseplate to resemble one.

Think of it basically as an Old Type with a blade gap. Pretty aggressive but a very good shaver. Was tempted to have some fun and tell everyone I did this but the pitchforks and torches would be outside my house before I could render a joking reply.
Can't imagine taking a grinder of any type to a Double Ring. Yikes.
 
Can't imagine taking a grinder of any type to a Double Ring. Yikes.

Back then, he probably thought it was just an old (Then twenty something) razor and just liked the next design better, saved some bucks and did it himself.

I thought previously about finding a bent, beat up Single Ring and using the baseplate as a donor. Came to the conclusion that although doing so would be ok and it would still be a Gillette, the problem is it just wouldn’t be a complete original anymore, to me anyway. At least now I don’t have any qualms about having it replated. I always said I’d never have a Double Ring replated if I landed one, but since it was already modified, well heck, I’m thinking about platinum.
 
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Strictly imho:
New Improveds are quite rare, are no way cheap, so I suspect way less enthusiasts have one than for eg. a New or Old type.
Shave wise it’s somewhere between an Old and a New SC, there are other razors with better qualities.
It’s beautiful, but doesn’t have any “special” abilities, so I purged all from my den.

Adam
Which razors are your favorite?
 
R

romsitsa

Which razors are your favorite?

Tough question. I can shave with almost everything, but prefer efficient razors.
The Swing AB (modded) in my avatar is one of my keepers, other favourites are my BigBoy Deluxe, two piece SC New (modded), Senator, LeCoq safety bar.
 
Tough question. I can shave with almost everything, but prefer efficient razors.
The Swing AB (modded) in my avatar is one of my keepers, other favourites are my BigBoy Deluxe, two piece SC New (modded), Senator, LeCoq safety bar.
How do these razors compare to the Old type?
 
R

romsitsa

This raises another question, which Old type? The thin cap is nice, the thick cap is a pig, imho. The above razors are quite different, but all can deliver a (mostly) smooth and efficient shave.
 
This raises another question, which Old type? The thin cap is nice, the thick cap is a pig, imho. The above razors are quite different, but all can deliver a (mostly) smooth and efficient shave.
I have a Bulldog Old (Thin Cap??), a New Improved and New Deluxe. I've been shaving daily with the New Deluxe for almost 10 years now and I just purchased the bulldog and the new improved to see if I liked them any better. So I'm trying to see if I prefer a different razor to my New Deluxe.
 
I have a Bulldog Old (Thin Cap??), a New Improved and New Deluxe. I've been shaving daily with the New Deluxe for almost 10 years now and I just purchased the bulldog and the new improved to see if I liked them any better. So I'm trying to see if I prefer a different razor to my New Deluxe.

Those are 3 of my favorite, Bulldog being the most. The Bulldog is like a thin cap Single Ring but with a thicker handle. I've tried hundreds of razors, the Bulldog is the one I use 99% of the time.
 
Those are 3 of my favorite, Bulldog being the most. The Bulldog is like a thin cap Single Ring but with a thicker handle. I've tried hundreds of razors, the Bulldog is the one I use 99% of the time.
I was able to shave my head and checks with the bulldog without nicking myself but I tore up my neck. I need to improve my technique. Compared to my New Improve and Deluxe, the bulldog seems to get a cleaner shave against the grain. I feel like it has a high skill ceiling.
 
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