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Help Identifying Vintage Gillette

E

eSteve

I started using a safety razor about a month ago. I've used a couple modern razors. I just got 3 vintage Gillette razors from eBay. I need help identifying 2 of them.

One is a 1951 Super Speed. It has the date code stamp and also the Gillette logo, but nothing else. No made in or patent. So I wonder if anyone can tell me where this Super Speed may have been manufactured? The other two razors in the lot are made in US.

The other is a 1950s Ball End Tech. No Date code stamp. It has the logo etching on the cap. I read somewhere that the etching started in the early fifties. Can anyone confirm when the etching started? That would narrow the year of manufacture somewhat. Thanks. Shave on.
 
nemo

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
On a '51 the made in US is at the bottom opposite (right) the Gillette logo.
 
AndyPanda

AndyPanda

I'm not an expert but 1952 is about the year when the etched Gillette logo on cap appears. This is a '52 from the Mr-Razor site
1717707953835.png
 
Hair Scraper

Hair Scraper

eSteve, you got me curious about the lack of stamped info on your Super Speed. I took a quick look at some of mine and they have all the usual stamped info on them. If I had to guess your '51 is a Gillette Oops! It probably never got fully stamped with the "REG. U.S. PAT. OFF." and the "MADE IN U.S.A." stamps at the factory.

The mr-razor website shows Techs with the etched top cap from as early as 1946. Without a date code your Tech would have been made before 1951. Does your Tech say, "PAT.NOS.ON PACKAGE," or "PAT. NO. ON PKG." on the inside of the bottom plate? Gillette abbreviated the word package in 1950. Does your Tech have slightly triangular slots in the bottom plate, or more oval slots? Triangular slots = 1938-1945, aka, a pre-war Tech. Oval slots = 1946 and beyond, aka, a post-war Tech.

I could be wrong about the timelines for the different markings and features. The dates I've quoted are generally when people have noticed features appear or change. I think Gillette made rolling changes, so the years could be a bit squishy. ;)
 
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E

eSteve

Hair Scraper said:
eSteve, you got me curious about the lack of stamped info on your Super Speed. I took a quick look at some of mine and they have all the usual stamped info on them. If I had to guess your '51 is a Gillette Oops! It probably never got fully stamped with the "REG. U.S. PAT. OFF." and the "MADE IN U.S.A." stamps at the factory.

The mr-razor website shows Techs with the etched top cap from as early as 1946. Without a date code your Tech would have been made before 1951. Does your Tech say, "PAT.NOS.ON PACKAGE," or "PAT. NO. ON PKG." on the inside of the bottom plate? Gillette abbreviated the word package in 1950. Does your Tech have slightly triangular slots in the bottom plate, or more oval slots? Triangular slots = 1938-1945, aka, a pre-war Tech. Oval slots = 1946 and beyond, aka, a post-war Tech.

I could be wrong about the timelines for the different markings and features. The dates I've quoted are generally when people have noticed features appear or change. I think Gillette made rolling changes, so the years could be a bit squishy. ;)
Click to expand...
Oval slots, package. 1946-1949 is getting narrower. Thanks Mr. Scraper. Also I was reading stuff about a solid or split bar under the cap. I think the solid one is later.
 

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Hair Scraper

Hair Scraper

I think you’re right about the timing of solid/split bar under the cap. Although on the mr-razor website he has examples of pre-war Techs with solid bars, so that was probably a change Gillette made all by itself with little fanfare, or without advertising it as an improvement.

Another difference I’ve seen, that’s consistent, is the pre-war bottom plates, or guards as Gillette called them are flat on the top surface. The post-war ones are curved to match the top cap.

Here’s a nickel plated pre-war and a gold plated post-war.


IMG_6013.jpegIMG_6014.jpeg
 
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E

eSteve

Hair Scraper said:
I think you’re right about the timing of solid/split bar under the cap. Although on the mr-razor website he has examples of pre-war Techs with solid bars, so that was probably a change Gillette made all by itself with little fanfare, or without advertising it as an improvement.

Another difference I’ve seen, that’s consistent, is the pre-war bottom plates, or guards as Gillette called them are flat on the top surface. The post-war ones are curved to match the top cap.

Here’s a nickel plated pre-war and a gold plated post-war.


View attachment 1859062View attachment 1859063
Click to expand...
Interesting. I like Techs and Super Speed from this time. I like the gold one in your photo. A Fat Handle Gold Tech was the 4th razor I was trying for on eBay, but I missed it. It may be the one I'd like the most next.
 
E

eSteve

Hair Scraper said:
eSteve, you got me curious about the lack of stamped info on your Super Speed. I took a quick look at some of mine and they have all the usual stamped info on them. If I had to guess your '51 is a Gillette Oops! It probably never got fully stamped with the "REG. U.S. PAT. OFF." and the "MADE IN U.S.A." stamps at the factory.

The mr-razor website shows Techs with the etched top cap from as early as 1946. Without a date code your Tech would have been made before 1951. Does your Tech say, "PAT.NOS.ON PACKAGE," or "PAT. NO. ON PKG." on the inside of the bottom plate? Gillette abbreviated the word package in 1950. Does your Tech have slightly triangular slots in the bottom plate, or more oval slots? Triangular slots = 1938-1945, aka, a pre-war Tech. Oval slots = 1946 and beyond, aka, a post-war Tech.

I could be wrong about the timelines for the different markings and features. The dates I've quoted are generally when people have noticed features appear or change. I think Gillette made rolling changes, so the years could be a bit squishy. ;)
Click to expand...
Ha! Mr. Razor to the rescue.

Here's the story. I got three vintage Gillette on eBay. A Rocket, a Tech and a Super Speed. Just as they shipped, I was looking at the photos and I was quite sure the Rocket was actually a Super Speed. It didn't have the plain band above the tip that disappears into the handle. Also, it had no point of manufacture or patent info stamped on it. And this is the Super Speed I've been asking about in this thread.

I swore I saw images of a Super Speed missing the same stuff and I've been searching for it. I found it! Mr Razor! He has exactly the same razor as mine, see the images. It's a W2 1951 Canadian Rocket. But it appears to be a Super Speed exactly and was only marketed as a Rocket. You can see the handle has an open end unlike the closed end of the British Rocket. So my razor is a Rocket only in name, walks and talks like a Super Speed. Mystery solved.

Well this is good because now I have a Canadian razor along with the two US ones. And it's a interesting and unique Canadian Rocket/Super Speed. It should have the same head and shave the same as my 1956 Super Speed but you never know. We'll see.
 

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