Gillette Tech Razor, Is it Da Bomb?!

[warman2012]

Yo! So, I've done some research and experimentation on my Schick Injector Type I razor, which gives me adequate, if sometimes tricky, shaves. What it has going for it that I like would be the light head, short handle, and relatively stiff blade.

This got me thinking, what if there was a razor that could be almost like this in principle. I looked into a Fattip because the blade is pretty sandwiched between the top cap and guard, leaving no room for flexing on the face, but this razor was from my research still heavy on the head. (Correct me if I am wrong on that). So I looked to the Techs, and these seem to fit the bill, sandwiched blade, flat cap, and mild shave. So, are Gillette techs really the easy shave that is light on weight and leaving the blade with little to no gap between the guard and top cap?

 

[Benzadmiral]

I enjoy shaving with my Tech enormously. It's from the postwar period, fat-handled, in gold, and I find it a mild shaver and very effective when paired with the sharp Feather blade.

 

[BigJ]

This may be a great choice, but only you can determine if a Tech will fit the bill!

 

[Laird]

Fat Handle Tech (all brass):

Ball End Tech (all brass):

Later Techs with aluminum handles and Zamac top caps:

In my opinion the Fat handle has the poorest balance, being slightly head-heavy.
The ball end Techs have better balance as the handle is solid brass, albeit smaller size.
The later Techs with the spiral/plaid aluminum handles and Zamac top caps are extremely light, balance well and still shave great. If the "dreaded Zamac issue" is a concern, these razors can be picked up for very little money and are often found attached to extra-short handles as travel razors in NOS condition. You could easily get a lifetime supply of these for less than $100.00. If you want light, that's the one I'd go for.

 

[warman2012]

Fat Handle Tech (all brass):
View attachment 932392
Ball End Tech (all brass):
View attachment 932393
Later Techs with aluminum handles and Zamac top caps:
View attachment 932394
In my opinion the Fat handle has the poorest balance, being slightly head-heavy.
The ball end Techs have better balance as the handle is solid brass, albeit smaller size.
The later Techs with the spiral/plaid aluminum handles and Zamac top caps are extremely light, balance well and still shave great. If the "dreaded Zamac issue" is a concern, these razors can be picked up for very little money and are often found attached to extra-short handles as travel razors in NOS condition. You could easily get a lifetime supply of these for less than $100.00. If you want light, that's the one I'd go for.

What's the whole issue with Zamac? Is that like some kind of chemical hazard?

 

[Laird]

It is not the most robust of metals once the plating begins to come off. Once the underlying material itself is exposed it begins to deteriorate. Some Zamac razor heads have the center screw post cast as part of the whole unit and they've been known to snap off if dropped and also just rot away with threads that become useless. Gillette's (and others) all brass razors were meant to last. The aluminum handle late model Tech I referred to does have a cast Zamac top cap but as I said, they're great mild but effective shavers and are plentiful out there on auction sites etc. as a lot of the focus is on finding the original all-brass models. I have one and it shaves very well for me. If you search for Gillette Tech travel razor you may find these with the super short handles and as people rarely buy them they're quite often brand new old stock. Ditch the weeny handle and use the spiral aluminum one and you're set.

 

[dpittman70]

I have the Ball End and the Fat Handle Techs. The ball end is my go-to razor. Every now and again I'll shave in a different bathroom with the Fat Handle.

 

[jtface]

If you can grab an English Flat Bottom, I say go for it! I love the effortless nature and safety of shaving with this razor!

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[DoctorStrobe]

I recently bought both a postwar ball end and fat handle gold tech.
I happen to prefer the fat handle. The knurling is fantastic and it's very easy to handle.
The ball end feels too thin and I keep finding it sliding till my fingers are right at the baseplate...

I think the aggressiveness depends on what blade you use.
It will still bite you with a sharp blade loaded.

 

[REV579]

They really are that easy. The only reason someone doesn't want one is because they are too mild or they "think" it can't be good enough. As much as I like my Old Type razors, Goodwill 162 & 164, and NEW razors, the Pre-War Tech is worth having for a variety of reasons
1. It's not too aggressive
2. They are not expensive
3. They are built like a tank
4. They are a piece of history

 

[dmshaver]

They really are that easy. The only reason someone doesn't want one is because they are too mild or they "think" it can't be good enough. As much as I like my Old Type razors, Goodwill 162 & 164, and NEW razors, the Pre-War Tech is worth having for a variety of reasons
1. It's not too aggressive
2. They are not expensive
3. They are built like a tank
4. They are a piece of history

+1
It is “good enough”

 

[sharpstar90]

I think they're rather unimpressive. I would far rather shave with one than a cartridge razor, but I think just about any other vintage Gillette is better than a Tech. They're quite mild, and mild razors make me wanna press down. Mild razors are more "dangerous" for me, either due to pressing down or needing an excessive number of passes to get a smooth shave.

 

[troy]

It took me a while to warm up to Techs, but once I found the angle they really do work well, and it wasn't as hard to keep as I first thought. Both the pre and post war heads work well for me, and the fat handle is one of the best handles ever made.

 

[tankerjohn]

Techs are great. I particularly like the pre-war "triangle slot" model. It's got that "Goldilocks" level of aggressiveness. I like the fat handle myself. Its hollow, therefore easy to weight with ball bearings or tungsten putty, should you wish to make it heftier.

 

[ajkel64]

I love Techs as I love mild razors. They can be as cheap as chips to buy so if you bought one and did not like it you have not outlayed too much money.

 

[Northstonehill]

I recently bought both a postwar ball end and fat handle gold tech.
I happen to prefer the fat handle. The knurling is fantastic and it's very easy to handle.
The ball end feels too thin and I keep finding it sliding till my fingers are right at the baseplate...

I think the aggressiveness depends on what blade you use.
It will still bite you with a sharp blade loaded.

+1. Fat handle for me, ball-end is too thin and slippery for me too. And I use Feather blades in my Techs - perfect combo! Techs are awesome shavers.

 

[glm38]

Give one a try. I've been able to find them as cheap as 10 bucks on eBay including shipping.

I really like mine a lot. One of my favorites.

 

[AshleyC]

I've acquired three Techs over the last couple of weeks just looking around locally. One was $15, the other two about half that. I've shaved twice with these Techs, using a Persona blade. Mild, sure. You have to use the right angle, but I've not had a bleeding nick or irritated skin so far with one.

I think it is certainly a "three pass" razor though. Straight down, across the grain, then against the grain.

I considered going in for a Schick Injector, but I just didn't see any savings on blades there. About $7 per pack of 7 or so. It would be a novelty.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I shaved with a ball end Tech for a dozen years. A Feather or other sharp blade works very well. Swell razors.

 

[Claven2]

Pre war Canadian tech. Just do it. Fat handles rock.