How Aggressive Is An Old Type.Really?

[mjclark]

Opinion seems to vary as to how aggressive Old Types actually are and I read that they have a negligable blade gap
with the blade almost resting on the combs since they wee designed for the original thicker blade. Are there different aggressions for different incarnations and variants?
Of course clones aren't comparable since they're all going to be made to widely different tolerances, but interestingly I have two Old Type clones which are at the extremes of mild and aggressive:

,

The one on the left appears to be a copy of a Canadian model with thin handle and unadorned ball, and it's very agressive- large blade gap and large blade extension. It requires a very mindful shave.
In contrast, the one on the right is made in England and matches in weight and dimensions to the Ivory Soap promo razor. It's extremely mild, even more so than a Tech. The blade rests on the combs and only has a very slight extension beyond the cap. It's given me a great shave everytime.

So how do genuine Gillette Old Types shape up in terms of aggressiveness? And how widely does the aggressiveness of clones vary? I'd be really interested to see a gallery of Old Type clones posted somewhere- there must be so many different copies, made in so many different places, to so many different tolerances...

 

[XTrooper]

An excellent and timely question!

I'd be very interested in knowing the answer myself as I currently have en route a Loew of Germany razor head (Gillette Old Type clone believed to have been manufactured by Gillette of Germany) mated to a Gillette Tech fat handle.

Will I need a QuikClot Trauma Pak handy when I shave with it for the first time?

 

[Foyle]

All I know is I had an Old Type I found in an antique shop and I simply could not shave with it. It was super aggressive. Honestly, if I had lived back in the early 1900's, I might have just gone bearded or learned to shave with a straight.

 

[WhiteWolf]

I have been using some old types and clones. So far I have not found any of the mild ones. My old types have given me some of my best, and worst shaves. Very efficient, but not forgiving. If you want to go from heavy multiple day stubble, to interview ready bbs the Old is up for it. Dont let your mind wander though.

I like them.

Jim

 

[coolbus18]

Like everything else--ymmv. Yes as your pic shows the top cap and bottom plate are thicker (102 & 102A). I too have both types and for more effectiveness, I use the early head which helps under my nose. Some folks find them mild some not. But they did give me the shaving confidence to experiment with new blades and help to perfect my technique so that I've been able to try other more effective razors.For me , they are always in my rotation for a dfs.

 

[mjclark]

This thread is starting to make me reconsider the concept of aggression altogether.
Although everbody's face willreact differently with any given razor surely relative aggression is the same for everyone- it would be universally agreed that a Fatip is more aggressive than a Tech etc.
Also blade gap and extension are fixed quantities and it's clear that these quantities are going to be different for the pre-1921 thin 102 head and the post-1921 thicker 102a head, but are they consistent for each type?
So are they blade gap and extension the same for every post-1921 102a Old Type head, in which case we could objectively say how aggressive they are in comparison to other razors, or does it vary depending on the year of manufacture, whether it's Canadian, English or US etc?
There at least seems to be some agreement that the 102 head Canadian Old Type is a sleek yet vicious beast:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/295293-Old-Type-with-Thin-Handle

but what about the other incarnations?

 

[ryan2022]

I had one when I first started. My technique wasn't great, and I didn't find them too aggressive. It was a kitten compared to the Fatip. That thing was a rabid badger.

 

[Mick]

I have several old type heads and they all give me an outstanding shave.

It might have the most bite of the Gillette razors but it is mild when compared to some of the other/newer razors that have come out recently