LRod's Acquisition and everything else Thread!

[LRod]

Great score there, it looks brand new.

Thanks!
This one really surprised me. The adjustable slim I got last week too!
Two perfect old Gillette's that probably sat in a drawer somewhere for years.
It's very satisfying to find them in such a dirty state but seeing them look new after a cleaning.
Especially when you pick them up cheap!

 

[LRod]

So this week has been a vintage razor week for me. I started by using my Schick Krona a few weeks ago and then my current Gillette's. Next I'll probably pull out my old GEM's this coming week and give them some exercise too.
I used the new Flare tip tonight and had a great shave!
Between the last 3 Gillette's I got, here are some quick takes:
The '64 Adjustable slim:
To me, this is the best of the lot (out of the Gillette's). For some reason it gives the smoothest shaves and reasonable efficiency (setting 3 is my favorite!)
The '55 Super Speed flare tip:
The next best one giving almost equal results as compared to the Slim adjustable.
The replated '50-'51 Super Speed:
Not as good as I expected. It's a harsher shave for some reason. Not aggressive but harsher!
I had read that these early Super Speed's are less forgiving in that sense. I guess they're right!

One thing I have noted is that all these Gillette's (the Tech's are the exception) do not seem to be aggressive but can give an overshaven (razor burn) feel if you're not careful. I'm guessing it's the (not perfect CNC machining or lack of) that you normally do get with modern razors.
The tolerances just aren't anywhere near modern razors. Also the small gaps + some exposure contribute to this.
Charming never the less!
The winner though, is still the Schick Krona DE. I've had them before and used them previously along with other vintage Gillette's and it's simply a superior shaving razor.
Strange since Schick pretty much dedicated themselves to Injectors!

I won't compare my old GEM's to these vintage DE's because those give a totally different experience.
I'll rate those individually when I put them back in use!
All in all, as always, the vintage razors are fun and nostalgic but my opinion still doesn't change from
my previous try's:
Thing's evolve and most modern razors are fantastic!
They don't have the old time charm but they're better at what they do.
The perfect tolerances and the technology used in the designs, yield better shaves.
That's my take anyways!

 

[spacemonkey42]

I have several vintage Gillettes. I too don't like the shave of their TTOs, I think a big factor is they don't have good blade rigidity. I've kept them so far for fun, but I don't reach for them much.

 

[LRod]

I have several vintage Gillettes. I too don't like the shave of their TTOs, I think a big factor is they don't have good blade rigidity. I've kept them so far for fun, but I don't reach for them much.

Good, so I'm not the only one!
I guess it goes back to the lack of tight tolerances and the fact that the lack of rigidity you mention is because of the TTO. It makes sense since most of the modern razor designs are 3 piece designs with some exceptions.
But as you say, they're quite fun and also nostalgic.

 

[thombrogan]

GEM Micromatic razors are the best TTOs in my opinion. Are they best razors? They paid Bob Hope to endorse them, so maybe. Even if there are better razors, they’re still the TTOs

 

[LRod]

GEM Micromatic razors are the best TTOs in my opinion. Are they best razors? They paid Bob Hope to endorse them, so maybe. Even if there are better razors, they’re still the TTOs

Very true, can't argue with that. They're probably the best out of the vintage razors!
And a rigid blade no matter what the design!

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'm very new to the Vintage razor genre..... I still haven't tried my birth year and quarter razor yet: the 1953 Y2 Super Speed I just had re-plated in white platinum by Chris @ Back Roads Gold.

I will say, the other 5 give me brilliant shaves. The Souplex metal, NEW 1933? Canada Regent Long Comb, 1934 US NEW Short Comb and the two Techs: Canada Pre-war and the Flat Bottom Tech (I think.. I haven't used one since I sold the one I had very early on, but I remember getting pretty good shaves with it and it was the first DE I bought).

 

[LRod]

I'm very new to the Vintage razor genre..... I still haven't tried my birth year and quarter razor yet: the 1953 Y2 Super Speed I just had re-plated in white platinum by Chris @ Back Roads Gold.

I will say, the other 5 give me brilliant shaves. The Souplex metal, NEW 1933? Canada Regent Long Comb, 1934 US NEW Short Comb and the two Techs: Canada Pre-war and the Flat Bottom Tech (I think.. I haven't used one since I sold the one I had very early on, but I remember getting pretty good shaves with it and it was the first DE I bought).

The (non-TTO's) are an easy and gentle shave since they have good clamping.
The TTO's are another story i.e., your birth year Super Speed!
I have a birth year black handle Super Speed that I've used twice and then put it away.
It's not great!
It's stayed with me because of the birth year/quarter thing. I did seek it out for that purpose anyways!
Hopefully you'll get good shaves with yours since this is all YMMV!
Sidenote:
I still don't know how you guys do it where you buy a razor and inaugurate it months later.
I need to learn that discipline!
I get a razor and I'm running to the bathroom to try it out.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I have so many great razors, the Super Speed just sat in storage. It looks pretty nice now that it's been re-plated. I'm still not in a rush to use it.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Sidenote:
I still don't know how you guys do it where you buy a razor and inaugurate it months later.
I need to learn that discipline!
I get a razor and I'm running to the bathroom to try it out.

I'm with you. Seems like lately most of my razors arrive on Saturdays for somw reason, and invariably (seriously, every time) the mailman comes while I'm halfway through my shave. Regardless of if I shave early or late. And then I'm mildly annoyed that I have to wait a day to try it out.

Any razor that's even remotely shave-reasy gets cleaned up and tried ASAP even if it's just for one pass, or even a partial pass.

 

[LRod]

the mailman comes while I'm halfway through my shave. Regardless of if I shave early or late.

The solution is what I do: Shave really late, Lol!!
I bathe and shave right before bed which guarantees that the mailman has already delivered!

 

[AJMiami]

The solution is what I do: Shave really late, Lol!!
I bathe and shave right before bed which guarantees that the mailman has already delivered!

That’s what I do as well, the downside is that my wife complains about the aftershave scents

I used stuff like Floid Vigoroso, Fine Platinum, etc etc

 

[LRod]

That’s what I do as well, the downside is that my wife complains about the aftershave scents

I used stuff like Floid Vigoroso, Fine Platinum, etc etc

Same here man!
My wife is sensitive to some scents. What I've done is test a new fragrance during the day by asking her if she likes it and if she can handle it.
So at night I've narrowed down what'll make her happy and reserve the other scents for the weekend.

 

[thombrogan]

As a fellow before-bed shaver, my nighttime aftershaves are Aqua Velva or homemade Snake Bite and I wash them off as best I can before launching my noggin onto a pillow. That way, any lingering scent is either a faint, exhausted grandpa or misplaced piece of Doublemint.

Then Southern Witchcrafts Samhain EdP in the morning if I remember. With my memory…

Did youse guys know a tiny bottle of SW Samhain EdP lasts virtually forever?

 

[huck1680]

My wife is sensitive to some scents.

So she's "SCENTSITIVE". BADABOOM! Ok, Ok I'm going...

 

[LRod]

Hello friends!
Just checking in!!
Not much new here except my usual never-ending razor trials.
This week has been back to modern razors after I spent a few days with the vintage Gillette's.
As I mentioned before, the vintage stuff has the nostalgia & fun factor but the modern ones are simply
better performers. The last vintage I used a few days ago was my Gillette Slim adjustable. I still say
it's the best out of my Gillette's. Where it lacks is efficiency but for days where I don't care for that,
it's fine. It's very smooth and more refined than the Super Speed's!
Modern:
This week it's been my recent favorites, the Barbaros TR3 OC, Pils 101NE, Tatara Nodachi OC and the Reggie's stainless Saturn!

The Barbaros TR3 OC:
I still can't get over how good this razor is. I smile every time I use it. A Turkish made open comb with
a massive gap/exposure that's as smooth as any of the other smooth(er) razors I have. And of course with
mega efficiency thrown in the mix. I can use it daily with no issues!
It's simply a phenomenal razor that's built like a tank with an incredible fit & finish.
It's most definitely in my top 5 favorites!

The Pils 101NE (aka Thor's hammer):
Another winner for me that was another surprise when I first got it. Beautifully crafted & engineered in Germany, amazingly smooth and super efficient. A work of art!

The Tatara Nodachi OC:
Not the smoothest of the bunch but the balance, feel and engineering that went into it is A-1.
And Tatara takes the prize for having the slimmest and most maneuverable head out of any razor I've tried.

The Reggie's Stainless Saturn:
Another top shelf, incredible and little known razor (for now).
Weight, balance, head design, smoothness, efficiency etc..
And incredible razor!!
The only razor I've ever used that keeps my face almost smooth after passing the 21 hour mark.
And of course, that's without any ATG shaving!
It's remarkable!!

Other than that, I've been waiting for 3 other ones to arrive.
-The Yates "New winning razor" in stainless steel
-The Yates "Merica" razor in Brass
They're from Yates which means they take a while to get made which I guess isn't a bad thing in order to
keep the razor buying under control. I guess they're behind on production!
I ordered the Winning razor like a month ago and still nothing. Supposedly it should be ready to ship this coming week.
And the Merica was ordered 10 days ago so I'm guessing it'll be a while for that one too. We'll see!

-1937 Gillette Sheraton TTO open comb that's coming from Turkey. Supposedly it gets here on Tuesday!
And once it arrives, it'll be on it's way to Backroads Gold for it's replating.
I'm also trying to hold back a bit on purchases for the Lambda Ares. I believe they'll be shipping sooner than later so I need to be ready for that purchase whenever they send me an invoice. I'm still not 100% sure about that one but we'll see what decision I make from here to the day of invoicing.

So that's all for now folks!
Hope you all have a great Memorial Day!!

 

[LRod]

Get this,
My Gillette Sheraton OC is stuck in USPS limbo!
USPS has outdone themselves with this one:

-Leaves Turkey on 05/21
-Arrives in NY on 05/22
-Processes customs in NY on 05/22
-Processes in the international NY distribution center on 05/23
-Processes in the Queens NY distribution center on 05/23
-Leaves the Queens NY distribution center on 05/24
-Arrives at the Orlando FL distribution center on 05/25
-Departs the Orlando FL distribution center on 05/25
-Arrives at the Leesburg FL hub on 05/26
(This is the wrong hub for my address, it's about 1 hour North of the correct hub!)
-Departs the Leesburg FL hub on 05/28
-Arrives at the Opa Locka FL hub on 05/29
(Opa Locka is a suburb of Miami which is 4 hours South of me!)
-Departs the Opa Locka hub on 05/29
-Arrives at the Miami FL international distribution center on 05/29
(My razor had already processed through the international distribution center in NY on 05/22!)
-Leaves the Miami FL international processing center on 05/30
-Arrives again at the Opa Locka FL hub on 05/30 (the last stop so far!)

In the meantime, the seller writes me because he's wondering what's happening because he sees this mess on the USPS tracking website. And in the Turkish Post website it says that they couldn't deliver it here and they're sending it back to him in Turkey! What??

Address was verified between both of us so that part's correct. USPS is giving the razor a US tour where we'll eventually find out whether it ultimately gets delivered to me or sent back.
And if it gets sent back, I doubt the seller will reship it because of the high shipping costs in Turkey.
He'll probably just refund me and that stinks because I'd lose out on that razor. But it is what it is!
So right now I don't know if it'll come back up this way to get delivered, go back to the Miami international distribution center to get sent back to Turkey or continue North to go back to Turkey via NY. What a pain!
We'll see what ultimately happens!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Get this,
My Gillette Sheraton OC is stuck in USPS limbo!
USPS has outdone themselves with this one:

-Leaves Turkey on 05/21
-Arrives in NY on 05/22
-Processes customs in NY on 05/22
-Processes in the international NY distribution center on 05/23
-Processes in the Queens NY distribution center on 05/23
-Leaves the Queens NY distribution center on 05/24
-Arrives at the Orlando FL distribution center on 05/25
-Departs the Orlando FL distribution center on 05/25
-Arrives at the Leesburg FL hub on 05/26
(This is the wrong hub for my address, it's about 1 hour North of the correct hub!)
-Departs the Leesburg FL hub on 05/28
-Arrives at the Opa Locka FL hub on 05/29
(Opa Locka is a suburb of Miami which is 4 hours South of me!)
-Departs the Opa Locka hub on 05/29
-Arrives at the Miami FL international distribution center on 05/29
(My razor had already processed through the international distribution center in NY on 05/22!)
-Leaves the Miami FL international processing center on 05/30
-Arrives again at the Opa Locka FL hub on 05/30 (the last stop so far!)

In the meantime, the seller writes me because he's wondering what's happening because he sees this mess on the USPS tracking website. And in the Turkish Post website it says that they couldn't deliver it here and they're sending it back to him in Turkey! What??

Address was verified between both of us so that part's correct. USPS is giving the razor a US tour where we'll eventually find out whether it ultimately gets delivered to me or sent back.
And if it gets sent back, I doubt the seller will reship it because of the high shipping costs in Turkey.
He'll probably just refund me and that stinks because I'd lose out on that razor. But it is what it is!
So right now I don't know if it'll come back up this way to get delivered, go back to the Miami international distribution center to get sent back to Turkey or continue North to go back to Turkey via NY. What a pain!
We'll see what ultimately happens!

I had one like that... It got a scenic trip around the States... it got to see MN, TN, OH... NY... Florida twice in between those trips.... Finally, I got a call from the PO here in Gainesvile. The very nice lady said they had noted that they couldn't find the address..... Then she physically picked up the package.... The address was on the side of the box.. not the top. LOL... She apologized profusely and I got the package the next day..

 

[LRod]

I had one like that... It got a scenic trip around the States... it got to see MN, TN, OH... NY... Florida twice in between those trips.... Finally, I got a call from the PO here in Gainesvile. The very nice lady said they had noted that they couldn't find the address..... Then she physically picked up the package.... The address was on the side of the box.. not the top. LOL... She apologized profusely and I got the package the next day..

Wow Kim, that's worse!!
Maybe that's the issue with the label, Who knows!
I just hope they figure it out and don't send it back to Turkey (which is what the Turkish Post currently shows!)

 

[LRod]

I had one like that... It got a scenic trip around the States... it got to see MN, TN, OH... NY... Florida twice in between those trips.... Finally, I got a call from the PO here in Gainesvile. The very nice lady said they had noted that they couldn't find the address..... Then she physically picked up the package.... The address was on the side of the box.. not the top. LOL... She apologized profusely and I got the package the next day..

Well, looks like it's back at the Orlando distribution center so that's good news. One more hub left in order to go out for delivery. Hopefully they'll send it to the right hub this time. If they do, it should be delivered to me by tomorrow or Monday.