Let's Talk About The Gillette NEW Some More -

[Jeff_H]

- in all it's variations. American, English, Canadian. Short comb, long comb. Goodwill, Otto Roth, NEW Improved, NEW Deluxe, 7 O'Clock. What do you like the most about the NEW? Which do you like the most? What have you found special about each? Share any special combinations of blades, handles, techniques, juju, voodoo or anything else that makes this your favorite type of razor.

There seem to be a few of us that dominate the NEW discussion. I want to hear from everyone. Seasoned NEW users, brand new NEW users, those who want to become NEW users. Give us some history we don't know about, share a rare or unusual model you have, ask any question about any aspect of the NEW you may have and share the score of the century that you found in an out of the way antique shop in Kalamazoo MI.

Let the discussion begin.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

I've got a Brit New and what I like about it is that it gives a great shave and also looks superb. I'm not keen on the handle tbh, but the head is really simple and classy. I don't think there's been any better looking head made in the 70-odd years since it was produced.

 

[gmgaj]

I have a couple of new LCs (or 3 or 4) and a new deluxe with a goodwill on the way back from replating. From my experience, the new is one of the best shaving razors I've used. The deluxe is a bit more aggressive and less smooth but good still. I'll have to give an impression of the goodwill when it arrives. Shaves great, 80 years old, and freshly replated to last another 100 years or so. Still one of the best values out there for razors.

The only thing I've done to mine that I believe is a large improvement is to add a handle. The razorock little bastone is a great handle if you like something shorter, and I have Sabi and Maggard handles in the longer styles. They are a nice improvement over the bar or ball handles, although I would rather use a ball end than bar personally.

And all of mine have been replated. I picked them up cheap, and they had straight teeth, but needed some TLC. I cleaned them up, then sent them in to Krona Kruiser for a nickel replate. They will be around for my kids to inherit now.

 

[Haegar]

What do you like the most about the NEW?
<snip>
Let the discussion begin.

What I like most about the NEW is that the more we talk about it and praise its virtues, the more desirable it gets, hence the higher valued will be my stockpile of NEWs.
...Unfortunately, I' estimating that I have not yet accumulated enough NEWs in order to retire by selling them off in a couple of years ahead. :-(

 

[Heespharm]

Obsessed with flat bottom news now.. I have 2 and trying to get more... But they are hard to come by!

 

[ItsAllGravy]

Hi, my name is Steve and i'm a NEW addict.

http://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/media/45187&catid=member&imageuser=55719

I love the way these razors shave on my modern handles, currently the 15mm NEW Deluxe is my go to razor. I think this is the most aggressive Gillette head i have at the moment.

 

[Jeff_H]

Hi, my name is Steve and i'm a NEW addict.

http://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/media/45187&catid=member&imageuser=55719

Holy buckets Batman. Now I understand exactly why I am having a hard time finding NEW's. Between you and xillion all of the NEW's reside in one place!

Nice discussion so far gentlemen. I am currently obsessed with finding different English NEW's as well. I currently have American NEW's in LC, SC, Otto Roth, New Standard (Tuckaway) and Goodwill. For English models I have a flat bottom round pin and a 7 O'Clock bias pin en route. I have also had the pleasure of using a raised flat bottom English NEW on loan from a friend. It gave me a fantastic shave Saturday night, even though the blade did not agree with me. The English flat bottom was smoother and more efficient than any of the NEW's I've tried so far.

However, with what I have right now, the English NEW on loan not withstanding, if I need a go to razor that will shave me well but not irritate me, it's the USA short comb on my Weber or Cadet handle.

Keep the comments and conversation coming. We haven't even scratched the surface and not one person has mentioned any voodoo that they have performed with this razor yet. Where is our Louisiana contingent?

 

[xillion]

Holy buckets Batman. Now I understand exactly why I am having a hard time finding NEW's. Between you and xillion all of the NEW's reside in one place!

I've yet to take a photo of all the New heads in my collection. I'll have to do that soon.

My daily shaver is this Brit flat bottom New head with biased i pin cap on my Bull Mastiff XL handle.

This was the first British New head I bought when I joined B&B. The plating isn't perfect and
I've dropped it in my sink, twice, slightly bending the teeth. But it just seems to work perfectly
with my face. Although I have some mint condition British New heads in my collection I always
return to this one.

 

[EagleRon]

Jeff you have to go further south than me for voodoo. I have a New SC and shaves great. I am looking to add a British New LC, this should be an interesting thread. I'll be watching.

 

[mblakele]

These days I hardly ever use anything else. The positive blade alignment is better than any three-pin design. The open comb does a better job with my flat-growing beard than any safety bar. The cap and plate hold the blade firmly, avoiding the blade chatter that I get from TTO razors. And the short-thread versions work nicely with my BRW handles.

After trying just about every variant, my favorite is the flat-bottom Made in England with a BRW Bull Mastiff handle. The pin style seems to be unimportant for me. But its mild nature is good for my problem areas, where I want to blade buff but do not want to irritate the skin. The 17-mm Deluxe and the USA SC and LC also work well for me, but they feel just a little less smooth. My Made in Canada Goodwill and Probak are even more aggressive, and rarely see action.

 

[coonskinner]

This is the razor I most want to try next.

 

[tfinch]

I have only used the common SC and LC. Between the two the SC is the clear winner. It's a good effective smooth shaver, removes a lot of whiskers in one pass but at the same time is extremely forgiving. I probably need to use the LC some more. I imagine it's just some small variation in angle vs. the SC that I need to get the hang of to enjoy it just as much.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I have tried the US long and short comb News as well as the British raised flat bottom and the British 7 O' Clock. The 7 O' Clock was replated. I find that I can't tell the difference between the 7 O' Clock and the raised flat bottom, to be honest. Both British ones are a little smoother/friendlier than the US versions, and between the US versions I find the short comb a little friendlier than the long comb.

All are among my favorites, however.

I am curious to someday try out a prewar Tech based on http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/162987-Photo-Analysis-of-Razor-Designs?highlight=, as I need a travel razor and I'd be worried about losing my replated short comb or my flat bottom. I sure as heck do not intend to travel with my 7 O' Clock!

 

[gmgaj]

I've been (unsuccessfully) looking for a short comb or SC head to add to the collection. I don't need it, but it would make a nice addition to the setup. I'm sure I'll find one eventually. This thread has me back on the hunt again, though.

 

[Jeff_H]

xillion; I'd love to see that pic of all your NEW's. I will take a pic of mine later tonight and post it....not that I have an impressive collection by any means. I love that handle.

mblakele; Gosh I love all those BRW handles. My only concern (other than they cost silly money now) is how thick they are. The Muhle Grande handle was too thick for my fingers. I have some nerve damage in my fingers and holding that handle made my fingers and hand ache before the end of the shave. I even tried pushing through it for two weeks to see if my hands would adjust, but they didn't. The normal Muhle handle is the perfect width. I just received the Weber Classic handle and it is the perfect width/diameter for me...and length. I think the UFO handles are gorgeous as well. I think maybe the Kaiser long would be about right for me, but I'm not sure. I'd hate to spend that much on a handle one day and have it be too big.

Coonskinner; if you've never used an open comb razor before, I would recommend the short comb first, if you can find it. In my experience they are a bit harder to find, but worth the effort. The long comb is a fine shaving razor, but a bit more efficient/aggressive. Not in a bad way though. It just demands a little more attention and care, but once you get the angle down it's a fantastic razor.

tfinch; I have found with the long comb that 2 angles work best. Either a really shallow angle, having put the cap on your face and handle parallel to the floor and just tilt the handle down enough until the razor cuts hair....that shallow. Or, if you are shaving with a sharper blade, but it doesn't have to be a feather, a very steep angle will work also. I go with the handle closer to parallel with my face. My guess would be a 45 degree angle....maybe a bit steeper. I've learned to use a combination of angles. Steep angle for my WTG pass and XTG passes where I can. I use the shallow angle for my ATG pass and any buffing. It seems to keep any irritation to a minimum. I only discovered this about 5 shaves ago, but it seems to be working.

Oh, and Ron; I'm really disappointed that you don't know any voodoo, or know a witch doctor personally. Really disappointed.......

 

[tfinch]

Thanks for the tips Jeff! I will use the LC tonight and try your method. I hadn't tried quite that shallow of an angle, and never thought to give a steeper angle a try.

 

[DrAwkward]

I've yet to take a photo of all the New heads in my collection. I'll have to do that soon.
<snip>

NOOOOO! Are you telling me that your legendary pictures of those NEW heads does not contain your entire collection? I have been using that as a shopping list and still have several more to buy!
In all seriousness, I would love to see more pics from your collection.

Here are two user-grade razors in my collection. They are both based on the raised flat bottom NEW head. One is a British #77 / #88 and the other is a 7 O'Clock. Both are wonderful shavers and often forgotten in the NEW family because their handles are attached to the head (thereby preventing use of third party handles).

 

[Teppanyaki]

Xillion - the Smithsonian called. Something about you having more Gillette News than every museum in the continental United States put together.

 

[mblakele]

Xillion - the Smithsonian called. Something about you having more Gillette News than every museum in the continental United States put together.

That does not sound too difficult. I guess some of the Western-oriented museums might have a few straights. But how many museums have even a single NEW? This might be a good place to list them. Anyone?

 

[bryan1980]

I only have a short-comb NEW, but it might very well be the best-shaving razor I own. So, of course I want to try all of the other NEW variants! I'd really like to have a go with a British version, after hearing they have the edge in smoothness over the US versions.