Inheritance from a deceased grandfather

[Mbuckwash]

I have been asking my mother for some time now about my deceased grandfather in general and also asking about his shave routine... all the while somehow knowing that he was a wet shaver until he passed away. I think when I was a child I remember seeing his brush (very small and short black bristles) and DE shaver on the sink. She had been cleaning the house up for some time and keeping in the back of her head not to throw away or give away his shaving gear. Well well, look what she found!! I am really excited that she was able to dig his old DE razor up!! I am not a huge vintage razor junkie, but this seems to be a Gillette Superspeed. Am I right? Any estimates on it's age? My grandfather died in 1990 and I believe he was 76 years old.

I am really happy to have inherited this awesome razor nearly 25 years post mortem and feel like this razor brought back some really cool memories for my mother. She even mentioned how my grandfather would lather up her cheeks for her when she asked him too as a small child, just because she enjoyed the feeling and wanted to spend the time with him.

I know I always enjoy reading stories like this on B&B and hope you enjoyed the story too!

 

[Dools]

Wonderful story!

You have a Gillette Slim there, Very Nice!!

Enjoy the shaves and the memories.

 

[Xepher2792]

That is a Slim Adjustable
Super cool that it was found.
Happy shaving!

 

[Klopstick]

Nice razor, and a wonderful story. I have my dad's Slim and wouldn't trade it for the world. Good shaver too! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pattorashu]

What are the numbers on the bottom of the razor head?

Very nice, I'd clean it up and make it shiny again, and enjoy many many years of vintage goodness

 

[tiernan22]

Thank you for sharing. I love these stories. Truly.

 

[Mbuckwash]

On the bottom of the razor, there is a C on one side and a 4 on the other. What's the reference?

Thank you all for your kinds words!!

 

[tiernan22]

A C4 would tell us that it was manufactured during the 4th quarter of 1957. Gillettedatecodes.com is a pretty good resource.

Edit: could it be a "G?"

 

[Mbuckwash]

After double checking and triple checking it, it is a "G". Man, the letters are small! Here is a pic:

 

[arthurdl]

You can polish it with Maas after a deep clean up. Congrats on finding such a treasure!

 

[cb91710]

So a 4th quarter 1961.
Noice!

I picked up a birth-quarter (I-4) last year, even though I've been using a straight since the end of '11.

 

[Badger Bill]

What a special find you got there. Enjoy the slim. And even more, enjoy the heritage that comes with it.
I can only wish that I had something like that from my grandfather.... I'm very happy for you.

- Badger Bill

 

[Reevers]

Great story, and a great razor. I'm very pleased that you now have this heirloom that you will treasure forever! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cacique]

Thanks for sharing the story, and what a great looking razor! Hope you enjoy the memories along with the shaves!

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

This is great! I know the feeling. I wound up with a 1920s Gillette Old Type open comb from my grandfather when he passed on in 1979. In fact, I think I will use it this morning.

Enjoy yours!

Stan

 

[redrako]

The Slim Adjustable is a fantastic razor. it's even better because it's your Grandfather's razor.

Be sure to open the silo doors somewhat if you want to adjust the blade gap.

 

[AceByTerror]

That's awesome! What a great keepsake! Enjoy!

 

[Riff Raff]

What are the numbers on the bottom of the razor head?

Very nice, I'd clean it up and make it shiny again, and enjoy many many years of vintage goodness

Those numbers represent the distance between the blade and the safety bar, which is adjustable. The higher the number, the bigger the gap (read more agressive). I would recommend starting off at a setting of 3 and work your way up if desired.

As a cleaning tip, I highly recommend using Scrubbing Bubbles. That stuff is amazing. Wet the razor, spray on the Scrubbing Bubbles and let it do it's magic. When the bubbles are gone, rinse and enjoy!

 

[UndrAGlassMoon]

Very happy for you. My father has kept a full beard since 1967 and my grandfathers both used electrics, yuk. I hope some day to teach my kids wet shaving and to pass my things on to my children. Help start another generation of AD's.

 

[Pasttense]

Very nice! Enjoy it!