Hey, I thought this might be a cool idea - we could rank the top 10 DE razors! But this list will be different. I suggest we not only rank which 10 we think are best, but do it in these terms (in no particular order):
1) Utility: The razor was simply a great razor (or is, as we can't go back in time)
2) Design: The aesthetics of the razor was excellent / artistic
3) Influence: it had a significant impact and influence on the course of later razor production.
*(We could choose to explain our choices as well. For me, for example, a small part of the criteria includes how it shaves today as well - tip factor, maybe.)
The 10 Greatest DE Razors
1) The 1905 Double Ring Gillette razor - Featured with the booklet, "The Gillette Way," this razor is, simply put, the beginning of it all - the Jim Brown of razors, the Jimi Hendrix of DEs. This is the design that started it all, in the case with 12 blades that ran for 5 bucks back in the day.
2) The New Standard razor, circa 1920 - the heft and weight, coupled with the (in my mind) unparalleled handle design - from head comb to shaft to bottom third - make this simply an aesthetically great razor, an artistic marvel of the DE world where form and function merge. Also, the head design marked the transition from Old Type to the awesome New! Even more, the New Deluxe, that awesome head featured as well in the shiny rhodium Tuckaway, sprang from this one.
3) ABC razor series (various dates) - The beauty of the set series ABC has never been equaled. These are by far some of the greatest artistic works in the shaving pantheon. Not only that, they paved the way for later - and cheaper (lower cost, that is) - Old Type series sets as well as military issues. While arguably "prettier" than the Standard, the ABC didn't quite merit the transitional marks - they didn't alter the course of DE history as much, in my mind. Regardless, they DID hold enough historical weight to warrant 3, and they are simply beautiful.
4) The 1934 Aristocrat - The Aristocrat not only paved the way for other open comb one piece razors, it also boosted the name Aristocrat to Gillette's ultimate razor series from then on. And it was, in its 1934 Christmas premier, Gillette's first twist to open razor. Merging the older open comb style with the developing tto and thus paving the way for all other ttos, the Aristocrat earns high marks for its instrumental role in DE history. It's box was magnificient, as was the golden sheen of the heady Aristocrat.
5) The Gillette Super Speed NDC - simplicity of design, utility, and ease of use make this a contender for the top 3, but there are (at least) 4 others above it. Nevertheless, the Super Speed inspired a change, and it marks the foundation from which virtually every other closed comb razor evolved - the flare tip in its countless manifestations among them and the Fat Boy following this in rank. Simple, stylin', and popular. And a great shaver. The standard setter, the archetype really, for closed combs of the future. 'Nuff said.
6) The Gillette 195, circa 1959 - while the Fat one may have its detractors, it has earned its spot in the top 10 by the very nature of its position as the first adjustable razor - and what a design it was! As many have noted, its heft and squat build are perfect for great shaves. Paving the way for future adjustable models, it's really a finely built machine whose durability has never been equalled in the 1-9s - it's a tank.
7) The Gillette New - the mass-produced New moved the DE into a new realm. Marketed to younger shavers who had no experience with straights, the new was just that - a "new" model for a new generation of shavers. While somewhat cheaply built (the thin plating on the News is notorious for its fading) the New established Gillette as THE razor maker and introduced volumes of shavers to the Gillette Way. The model style came in nickel and was in England (in a bakelight box) and Canda, too. Besides, it's STILL a great shaver!
8) The Gillette Tuckaway razor set - Far and away the greatest achievement in the travel razor department, the Tuckaway features the awesome splendor of the Standard - and, in some cases, with a New Deluxe model head to boot - and the amazing meld of artistic form and function, all of this "tucked" into the elegant and shiny Greek key-lined clip box. This style, coupled with a shorter, squat build makes the Tucky a great daily shaver even today. Truly the pinnacle of the travel genre.
9) The Gillette Tech 1938 - mild and simple, the Tech proved its usefulness during the war years and after. While not the most elegant of the Gillettes or even the best shavers, the Tech modified the three piece into a closed comb and paved the way for later manifestations, such as the popular ball end and the plastic handle, the latter used during the war. And c'mon - who doesn't have a Tech?
10) The British Aristocrat #48 (1947?) - I had to include a rocket on the list, of course, and it had to be an early one! The rocket is infamous for being hefty. Weighing in at around 62 gs, this razor arguably spawned - or at the very least inspired - such later heavy greats as the English Aristocrat #21 and the Gillette President, to name perhaps the greatest razor not to make my list (I would put it at 11, if I could), as well as numerous other Rockets. An awesome shaver, as everyone knows.
Many, many, MANY runners up. Kind of tough to make a list like this, once you get doing it. Yours may differ from mine, but it's a lot of fun to look around your den and think of all the history in the grand shaving history and all the razors that made an impact on others!
1) Utility: The razor was simply a great razor (or is, as we can't go back in time)
2) Design: The aesthetics of the razor was excellent / artistic
3) Influence: it had a significant impact and influence on the course of later razor production.
*(We could choose to explain our choices as well. For me, for example, a small part of the criteria includes how it shaves today as well - tip factor, maybe.)
The 10 Greatest DE Razors
1) The 1905 Double Ring Gillette razor - Featured with the booklet, "The Gillette Way," this razor is, simply put, the beginning of it all - the Jim Brown of razors, the Jimi Hendrix of DEs. This is the design that started it all, in the case with 12 blades that ran for 5 bucks back in the day.
2) The New Standard razor, circa 1920 - the heft and weight, coupled with the (in my mind) unparalleled handle design - from head comb to shaft to bottom third - make this simply an aesthetically great razor, an artistic marvel of the DE world where form and function merge. Also, the head design marked the transition from Old Type to the awesome New! Even more, the New Deluxe, that awesome head featured as well in the shiny rhodium Tuckaway, sprang from this one.
3) ABC razor series (various dates) - The beauty of the set series ABC has never been equaled. These are by far some of the greatest artistic works in the shaving pantheon. Not only that, they paved the way for later - and cheaper (lower cost, that is) - Old Type series sets as well as military issues. While arguably "prettier" than the Standard, the ABC didn't quite merit the transitional marks - they didn't alter the course of DE history as much, in my mind. Regardless, they DID hold enough historical weight to warrant 3, and they are simply beautiful.
4) The 1934 Aristocrat - The Aristocrat not only paved the way for other open comb one piece razors, it also boosted the name Aristocrat to Gillette's ultimate razor series from then on. And it was, in its 1934 Christmas premier, Gillette's first twist to open razor. Merging the older open comb style with the developing tto and thus paving the way for all other ttos, the Aristocrat earns high marks for its instrumental role in DE history. It's box was magnificient, as was the golden sheen of the heady Aristocrat.
5) The Gillette Super Speed NDC - simplicity of design, utility, and ease of use make this a contender for the top 3, but there are (at least) 4 others above it. Nevertheless, the Super Speed inspired a change, and it marks the foundation from which virtually every other closed comb razor evolved - the flare tip in its countless manifestations among them and the Fat Boy following this in rank. Simple, stylin', and popular. And a great shaver. The standard setter, the archetype really, for closed combs of the future. 'Nuff said.
6) The Gillette 195, circa 1959 - while the Fat one may have its detractors, it has earned its spot in the top 10 by the very nature of its position as the first adjustable razor - and what a design it was! As many have noted, its heft and squat build are perfect for great shaves. Paving the way for future adjustable models, it's really a finely built machine whose durability has never been equalled in the 1-9s - it's a tank.
7) The Gillette New - the mass-produced New moved the DE into a new realm. Marketed to younger shavers who had no experience with straights, the new was just that - a "new" model for a new generation of shavers. While somewhat cheaply built (the thin plating on the News is notorious for its fading) the New established Gillette as THE razor maker and introduced volumes of shavers to the Gillette Way. The model style came in nickel and was in England (in a bakelight box) and Canda, too. Besides, it's STILL a great shaver!
8) The Gillette Tuckaway razor set - Far and away the greatest achievement in the travel razor department, the Tuckaway features the awesome splendor of the Standard - and, in some cases, with a New Deluxe model head to boot - and the amazing meld of artistic form and function, all of this "tucked" into the elegant and shiny Greek key-lined clip box. This style, coupled with a shorter, squat build makes the Tucky a great daily shaver even today. Truly the pinnacle of the travel genre.
9) The Gillette Tech 1938 - mild and simple, the Tech proved its usefulness during the war years and after. While not the most elegant of the Gillettes or even the best shavers, the Tech modified the three piece into a closed comb and paved the way for later manifestations, such as the popular ball end and the plastic handle, the latter used during the war. And c'mon - who doesn't have a Tech?
10) The British Aristocrat #48 (1947?) - I had to include a rocket on the list, of course, and it had to be an early one! The rocket is infamous for being hefty. Weighing in at around 62 gs, this razor arguably spawned - or at the very least inspired - such later heavy greats as the English Aristocrat #21 and the Gillette President, to name perhaps the greatest razor not to make my list (I would put it at 11, if I could), as well as numerous other Rockets. An awesome shaver, as everyone knows.
Many, many, MANY runners up. Kind of tough to make a list like this, once you get doing it. Yours may differ from mine, but it's a lot of fun to look around your den and think of all the history in the grand shaving history and all the razors that made an impact on others!
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