Gillette super speed question

[auee1977]

Based on the positive comments by many members about the 1940s super speed, I am looking to get one in excellent condition. I am not a collector or restorer of razors and the condition of the razor matters to me. I have not been able to get to one listed for sale on the marketplace forum here as other members have neen faster and more dedicated. Therefore, I have been looking on ebay. There are always several for sale, but I trust our members more than an unknown ebay seller.

Anyway, I have noticed that some have been listed as having a notched center bar and some have not. How is the shave affected by having or not having the notched center bar? Which one is preferable?

Thanks everyone.

 

[newmikemac]

I am definitely not an expert here, but I think the main distinction of the "no notch" version is that it lets you date the razor to 1947 (or maybe early 1948), the first year for the Super Speed. The ones with the notch, which was intended to help you load the razor from the dispenser without touching it, can't be dated with any precision. I don't think there is any real difference in shaving, but others can chime in if I am wrong.

Mike

 

[redbike]

Based on the positive comments by many members about the 1940s super speed, I am looking to get one in excellent condition. I am not a collector or restorer of razors and the condition of the razor matters to me. I have not been able to get to one listed for sale on the marketplace forum here as other members have neen faster and more dedicated. Therefore, I have been looking on ebay. There are always several for sale, but I trust our members more than an unknown ebay seller.

Anyway, I have noticed that some have been listed as having a notched center bar and some have not. How is the shave affected by having or not having the notched center bar? Which one is preferable?

Thanks everyone.

I am not an expert as some here are, but here's my somewhat informed response. The only ss that doesn't have a notched center bar is the 1947 model. The remaining '40's style ss's run from 1948 to either late 1953 or early 1954, and they all have notched bars. Consequently the '47 is harder to obtain and will likely cost more than the others. I have a '47 and also a no-date-code (NDC) ss, which were made between 1948 and 1950, and can't really differentiate the shaves I get from each.

Gillette instituted the notched bar as a way to help catch the center slot of the razor blade when putting in a new blade. As far as I know the notch doesn't affect shaving performance.

I have bought a number of razors from eBay sellers and have had mostly very positive experiences. Look at their feedback ratings. Many have 100% positive feedback. You will probably be satisfied dealing with one of them. You can also post a "want to buy" in that area of the B/S/T forum here for what you want.

Good luck,

jim

 

[82R100]

+1 on a "want to buy" listing in the B/S/T.

Do you need the razor to be in excellent cosmetic condition or just mechanical condition? I'm sure if you could accept a little brassing it would open up more possibilities.

- Chris

 

[AsylumGuido]

Based on the positive comments by many members about the 1940s super speed, I am looking to get one in excellent condition. I am not a collector or restorer of razors and the condition of the razor matters to me. I have not been able to get to one listed for sale on the marketplace forum here as other members have neen faster and more dedicated. Therefore, I have been looking on ebay. There are always several for sale, but I trust our members more than an unknown ebay seller.

Anyway, I have noticed that some have been listed as having a notched center bar and some have not. How is the shave affected by having or not having the notched center bar? Which one is preferable?

Thanks everyone.

See the Super Speed thread in my signature for more info.

 

[auee1977]

See the Super Speed thread in my signature for more info.

Thanks to all. I just read the guide and it made things very clear. Now, I have two questions about the black handled 70s model.

Does the lower profile of the head make it shave more similar to a Merkur HD type head than the higher profile head in the earlier models? I now use the Merkur 23C, and love it.

Does the black on the handle tend to come off due to age and cleaning? I do not know how the handle is made black in color.

 

[texbilly]

Thanks to all. I just read the guide and it made things very clear. Now, I have two questions about the black handled 70s model.

Does the lower profile of the head make it shave more similar to a Merkur HD type head than the higher profile head in the earlier models? I now use the Merkur 23C, and love it.

Does the black on the handle tend to come off due to age and cleaning? I do not know how the handle is made black in color.

The black part of the handle is plastic and they tend to "silver" with age and poor care.

In terms of shaving, they are very mild so in no way resemble the Merkurs' more aggressive performance, IMHO.

 

[auee1977]

The black part of the handle is plastic and they tend to "silver" with age and poor care.

In terms of shaving, they are very mild so in no way resemble the Merkurs' more aggressive performance, IMHO.

Thank you for the response. I was concerned that the shave would be milder than the Merkur. I preferred the Merkur over the GilletteTech which I started out with and subsequently sold because of the type of shave it gives. I therefore think I will stick with the Merkur and pass on the Super Speed.

You gents are the best. So thanks again.

 

[AsylumGuido]

Thanks to all. I just read the guide and it made things very clear. Now, I have two questions about the black handled 70s model.

Does the lower profile of the head make it shave more similar to a Merkur HD type head than the higher profile head in the earlier models? I now use the Merkur 23C, and love it.

Does the black on the handle tend to come off due to age and cleaning? I do not know how the handle is made black in color.

Actually, the handle is a resin coated metal and holds up quite well as long as not abused. Boiling can damage the handle, but I never boil any razor.

I can't compare to the Merkur as I have never seen the need in trying a contemporary razor with all of the great classic Gillettes available.

But, I will make you a deal. I will send you a Super Speed to try. If you like it you can keep it for a predetermined price. If not, you can return it in the original shipping box. PM if interested.

 

[auee1977]

Actually, the handle is a resin coated metal and holds up quite well as long as not abused. Boiling can damage the handle, but I never boil any razor.

I can't compare to the Merkur as I have never seen the need in trying a contemporary razor with all of the great classic Gillettes available.

But, I will make you a deal. I will send you a Super Speed to try. If you like it you can keep it for a predetermined price. If not, you can return it in the original shipping box. PM if interested.

PM sent. Extremely generous of you.

 

[Hughies_online]

The generosity of members on this site never cease to amaze me. Well done, Guido!!!!

 

[Slamarche]

Guido, that is an excellent offer to extend.

 

[auee1977]

I am awaiting Guido's response to my pm as a result of his very generous offer to give me an opportunity to shave with a Super Speed. Of course, I will report back here after I have tried the Super Speed and compared it to the Merkur 23C, which is the only DE razor I currently have.

I am using Crystal blades as I find them noticeably better than the Personna blades purchased from Walmart, which are much better than the two different types of Dorco blades that I received from another generous member when I purchase a Gillette Tech from him. I hope the Crystal blade is as good a match with the Super Speed as it is with the Merkur.

 

[tom myers]

I am using Crystal blades as I find them noticeably better than the Personna blades purchased from Walmart, which are much better than the two different types of Dorco blades that I received from another generous member when I purchase a Gillette Tech from him. I hope the Crystal blade is as good a match with the Super Speed as it is with the Merkur.

I know some folks feel that different blades work better or worse in one model razor than in another, but personaly, once I found a blade I liked, I seemed to prefer in in any razor I used it in.

I think you will find that the Crystal blades will work just fine in a Superspeed.

When I was using a DE, I used that blade sucessfully in all the razors in my rotation; a red tip Superspeed, a New Gillette, a Pomco Diagonal (slant) and a Barbasol.

regards,
Tom

 

[auee1977]

Thanks for the reassurance. I do like the Crystal blades; I think I found my daily DE razor blade.

 

[auee1977]

AsylumGuido sent me one of his Super Speeds, which is in very fine condition. I wanted to report back to you all about my time with the Super Speed.

I used his Super Speed three times and I simply did not have as good a shave with it as I do with the Merkur 23C. I may just be used to the long handle. It is more comfortable for me than the Super Speed's short handle and it allows me to maneuver the head better. I also got a closer shave with my Merkur, probably because of the shape of the head and my experience in getting the best blade to skin angle.

On the positive side, I did get a good shave with the Super Speed and did not cut or scrape my skin once. This is much better than I did when I used Gillette DE razors many years ago. I also confirmed that the razor I have is the right DE razor for.

If I get curious, I may try the 2009 version of the Muhle/E&J razor, but since I have now tried the Gillette Tech and Super Speed, my curiosity with vintage Gillettes have been satisfied.

AsylumGuido gave me a great opportunity and I am very grateful to him.

 

[T Rick]

Might want to try at least one Old Type and a NEW before you write off vintage Gillettes. To me anyway, these are substantially different, and I find they give me a better shave than the 40's style Super Speeds. I should qualify, I've only tried the SS with one blade type, and today got very near a BBS on my first shave ever with a 50's SS with a different blade type.

Leads me to suspect that some blade/razor combinations will indeed work better for some people than the same razor with a different blade. I guess what I'm saying is, I think a proper evaluation of any razor will require at least several different blade types to get an honest interpretation of what the razor can do (which means I also need to revisit the 40's SS with different blades).

 

[Sodapopjones]

AsylumGuido sent me one of his Super Speeds, which is in very fine condition. I wanted to report back to you all about my time with the Super Speed.

I used his Super Speed three times and I simply did not have as good a shave with it as I do with the Merkur 23C. I may just be used to the long handle. It is more comfortable for me than the Super Speed's short handle and it allows me to maneuver the head better. I also got a closer shave with my Merkur, probably because of the shape of the head and my experience in getting the best blade to skin angle.

On the positive side, I did get a good shave with the Super Speed and did not cut or scrape my skin once. This is much better than I did when I used Gillette DE razors many years ago. I also confirmed that the razor I have is the right DE razor for.

If I get curious, I may try the 2009 version of the Muhle/E&J razor, but since I have now tried the Gillette Tech and Super Speed, my curiosity with vintage Gillettes have been satisfied.

AsylumGuido gave me a great opportunity and I am very grateful to him.

What blade were you using?

Kind of a shame you didn't like it, try a Red Tip and see if you go back to a Merkur non slant fixed head

 

[buddydog]

40s SS with Derby extra,gives a super shave for me.....

 

[auee1977]

I used two different Crystal blades to minimize the possibility of manufacturer defect had I only used one.

I am not putting the Super Speed down. I am only saying that I like shaving with the Merkur 23C barber pole better.

I think it is a good thing for one to find a razor and blade combination that provides a great shave and is a joy to use. This is where I stand with the Merkur and Crystal blade combination along with a Schick Paul Revere version injector razor and Chinese Schick blades.