Gillette Rocket Flare Tip?

[GeorgeMason]

I have been lurking here for a while now and just taking in information, well today I was given a razor and from what I can tell it is a Gillette Rocket Flare Tip. If I am wrong please let me know, if I am right is there any way to tell what the approximate age of it is? It is in great condition and I have used it. I find it is a very gentle shaver compared to my Edwin Jagger 89L. The stamping on the underside of the head are Gillette on the left and Made in England on the right with a faint II stamped beside the handle on the left side, Brit. Pat. 694093 is stamped in the blade tray. I have done some searching here but it is hard to lock down any idea of age from what I have found. If it helps here are a few pictures of it.

I did find this thread http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9206 To me it is the same as razor #13.

Any how thanks for any help and information you can give me

 

[gobeavs]

Do the rockets have the date codes like the other gillettes? I can't tell from your pictures.

 

[GeorgeMason]

From what I have read in the thread I linked and in the wiki pages they don't have date codes

 

[whydert]

From what I have read in the thread I linked and in the wiki pages they don't have date codes

You are right and this is a nice example of a Flair Tip Rocket from the mid '50s

 

[GeorgeMason]

Well I like it and have used it already. I find it is very light and gentle, comes in handy because I am shaving right now with my wrong hand due to an elbow surgery. The shorter length and lightness makes it easy to control, I can't wait till I lose the soft cast and can bend my arm again so I can see what it will really do.

Mid fifties is what I was guessing at from comparing it to the SS so that's good enough for me. All and all a great little razor for the price of $0

Thanks for the input

 

[Cutthroat Bill]

I also have one of these with all the same markings. Mine is in much lesser condition but is still part of my usual rotation. Many of these vintage Gillette razors were built like tanks and only need a slight dusting off in order to start preforming like new again.
This model is more rare on this side of the pond because they were only manufactured/available in England. Im placing this model in the mid 50s era.

 

[GeorgeMason]

I also have one of these with all the same markings. Mine is in much lesser condition but is still part of my usual rotation. Many of these vintage Gillette razors were built like tanks and only need a slight dusting off in order to start preforming like new again.
This model is more rare on this side of the pond because they were only manufactured/available in England. Im placing this model in the mid 50s era.

Well I got that one over a year ago, and have picked up some friends for it too. It was covered in soap scum in the picture because of the hard water I get from the taps and only having one usable arm at the time. It sparkles when clean, but not as much as the 40 Rocket I picked up. My razor count goes up and down between 15 and 20, but there are some that I never let go of and the rockets are in that group.

 

[alex2363]

Nice 2 year old thread bump.....

 

[GeorgeMason]

Now now, he only bumped a 1 year old thread, no need to exaggerate

 

[bhatcher]

Ok so made in england called a rocket made in the us called a super speed?

 

[livingontheedge]

One of mine has a date code, the pics are before cleaning.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/183276-Help-dating-razor?highlight=

 

[GeorgeMason]

Ok so made in england called a rocket made in the us called a super speed?

There are differences between the two, mainly the space at the TTO knob rockets have them and SS's don't. There is also a general consensus that Rockets are better built than SS's. I have both a 40s style Rocket and SS and I would tend to agree with it, my Rocket does seem to be more solid than the SS.

 

[brucered]

here's mine: Grandpa's Razor

 

[bhatcher]

There are differences between the two, mainly the space at the TTO knob rockets have them and SS's don't. There is also a general consensus that Rockets are better built than SS's. I have both a 40s style Rocket and SS and I would tend to agree with it, my Rocket does seem to be more solid than the SS.

OK I think mine is just a SS it does not have the space. i'll have to look for one. I have two ss flair and two ss 40's want to get a blue red and black tip eventually

 

[GeorgeMason]

You do realize that I got my Rocket about 4km from your location(N49° 53.733 W097° 08.316), right? I was still in the peg at the time and it was given to me by a coworkers father. Unfortunately I haven't been having much luck finding razors here. I think it has something to do with the whole town and many others along the river being moved in the mid fifties. I am sure that when people were packing up a lot of the the old razors were just disposed of

 

[Cutthroat Bill]

This in mine with some vintage blades. I pulled it out of the rubble of an abondoned house years ago

 

[eastomjac]

brit tv super speed looks more correct but i may mistaken;http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/One-Piece solid guard bar/1958 British TV.jpg

 

[Cutthroat Bill]

Oh, Im quite sure its a Rocket... But you could be right!

 

[redbike]

I had one of these for a while but sold it off because it was a very mild shaver.

 

[ShankS]

here's mine: Grandpa's Razor

Yours is in great condition. I've been using my dads Gillette Rocket Flare Tip.. great DE Razor

When I found it, it was pretty gunked up with years of use and he didn't clean it very often. The handle was smooth with hardened soap in the grip. I soaked the whole razor in hot water with bicarbonate of soda and scrubbed the handle with a tooth brush. The handle is now back to a shiny condition, but the head is dull with no shine. I'd like to get it back to the condition of yours, but don't want to damage the surface. Is there anything I could use to clean or get the shine back?