May 16th - New Improved Day

[mblakele]

Gillette launched the New Improved on May 16th, 1921. Retailers were told about the new product line in late April, and on May 16th Gillette took out newspaper ads in the USA and Canada.

In 2012, next Wednesday will mark the 91st anniversary. What will you be shaving with on May 16th?

 

[mblakele]

Just to get the ball rolling, here are two of mine: I think I will use the second one.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

It's in my calendar! We will all have to PPP (Please Post Pics).

 

[kingfisher]

If I had a New Improved, i would definitely use it on that day.

I came into possession of one several years ago, but sold it after only one shave. My technique wasn't very good back then and I had never before used an open comb razor. I didn't like the shave.

I have no doubt that I would like it a great deal if I tried it again, but alas! that ship has sailed.

Maybe somebody i will find another one......[sigh].....

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Maybe someday maybe May.....

 

[man00ver]

I think I'll break out the shiny silver Richwood; seems like an event special enough to warrant!

 

[mblakele]

I will be on the road Wednesday, so I am packing for the shave now. I wanted to include products that might have been available in 1921. Besides the New Improved I am taking a Simpsons Colonel, decants of 4711 and Veg, a vintage Williams stick, and GBE blades. These are not vintage 1921 pieces, sadly. The oldest might be the Williams, but I think it is probably post-1940.

Anyway this is as close as I can get to the shave that someone might have had on the day the New Improved went on sale. I am looking forward to the shave.

 

[cxg231]

I have a New Improved Big Fellow at home and a New Improved Bostonian in the mail. It'll be the Big Fellow if the Bostonian isn't here in time!

 

[Porky Pine]

Cool post. Interesting info.

 

[cxg231]

I have a New Improved Big Fellow at home and a New Improved Bostonian in the mail. It'll be the Big Fellow if the Bostonian isn't here in time!

My New Improved Bostonian arrived yesterday! I'll be taking it on its inaugural run tomorrow in commemoration of New Improved day.

 

[Snargle]

I've got a silver New Standard that will perform for the ceremony tomorrow morning. It's hard to beat some of these old Gillettes for great shaves!

 

[jdrum3]

My first no irritation shave with my New Improved was just today. Looks like I am just in time, sign me up!

 

[jdrum3]

Had a nice BBS with my New Improved today with some Proraso, a red Personna, and finished with some Clubman!

 

[Snargle]

I've got a silver New Standard that will perform for the ceremony tomorrow morning. It's hard to beat some of these old Gillettes for great shaves!

Good shave with the New Standard this morning. Got a couple of weepers (my fault...was rushing), but the results with a Rapira blade were BBS.

 

[cxg231]

My New Improved Bostonian arrived yesterday! I'll be taking it on its inaugural run tomorrow in commemoration of New Improved day.

First shave with the New Improved Bostonian today. DFS with a couple of very small weepers. Derby Extra blade and T&H Grafton cream.

My New Improved razors are quickly becoming my favorites. I really like the heft of the "barrel in barrel" three piece design. More aggressive head than the Tech, but still pretty mild on my face.

With my old types I can get a pretty decent shave, but they tend to tear up my face a bit. My NEW razors tend to bite me. Yowza.

 

[kpg102]

Great shave today with my new improved gold Tuckaway, Gillette NOS Bleue Extra (last one ), and AOS Sandalwood soap, topped off with AOS Sandalwood Balm.

 

[mblakele]

Did I really want a shave today? The old Gillette was not attractive this Monday morning, with those bent teeth where I had dropped it once or twice over the past ten years. I noticed I was down to my last blade, and thought it had not been too comfortable for my Sunday shave. Maybe I could skip today - no business appointments, and there were worse-looking gents on the street. I would pick up some new blades on the way into the office, and shave tomorrow.

Strolling into town I stopped into the corner drugstore. The owner was putting up a new sign when I walked in. "Another Triumph of American Invention!" it shouted "The New Improved Gillette Safety Razor!"

"What's new, Jim?" I asked. A few minutes later he was showing me the new razors: silver and gold, with fancy boxes. There were models for travel and a model for ladies, all of them shiny and modern-looking. Well, you know how that goes. I bought my pack of blades, plus a New Standard model razor. "Anything else you lack, sir?" Jim asked, "Shaving soap, toilet water?" So I also had a new holder-top stick of Williams and a new bottle of lilac water.

Nothing much was happening in the office, and around noon I could feel my stubble rubbing up on my collar. So I stepped out early and went home to try out the new razor.

I made up a good lather with that Simpsons Colonel and the Williams stick, then put a blade in the "new improved" Gillette. The extra weight of it felt good in my hand, and there was little trouble setting the blade straight. Shaving took some getting used to, not quite the same as the old one. But once I had the feel of it I thought I could see the improvement. In fact it is hard to see how this razor could be improved upon. After a few minutes I had a very fine shave indeed, and finished off with some lilac water. There really is nothing like shaving yourself.



...Or anyway that was how it went in the 1921 flashback inside my head. Happy New Improved Day!

 

[man00ver]

My '23 Silver Richwood, with the Avon "Maxwell '23" decanter riding shotgun:

Couldn't bring myself to crack into the NOS bottle of Deep Woods (I have so many open ones with that juice), so I went with something different. The razor, as expected, was a joy.