"Must Have" vintage safety razors

[eastomjac]

lets see...my first was a red tip,then a 40's ss,then a new with a bar handle then a flair tip ss,(replaced with a birth year flair tip),a fat handle nickle tech,a gold tech a plastic handle tech,a goodwill,a blue flair tip ss,an old type with a ball end handle,a vest pocket knock off,now for se,a ocmm gem a bullett tip gem,a flip top gem, a gem jr,a star,an ever-ready, then a 7 day assortment of str8's,i tried some brand new razors and they just arent the quality of the vintage ones,also working to clean up an old shick injector,and trying to find some feather blades for my proprietary valet auto strop's,i use which ever on that strikes my fancy when i open the den:}life is in the details,enjoy it ,itll be over soon

 

[klm099]

1923 Richwood open comb, that's a smooth shave
ken

 

[bassmanlarry]

My favorites are my Micromatic Open Comb and my Micromatic Clog-Pruf. Though these are my favorites, I keep many others on hand for variety.

 

[man00ver]

Toggle
GEM 1912
Any rhodium Aristocrat.
Double Ring

Agree on the 1912, but the other three are much more "bucket list" than "must have." My other "get one" suggestions:

Late-model (thick-cap) Old Type
NEW short-comb
Fat-handle Tech
GEM Micromatic Clog Pruf
40s Superspeed
Flare-Tip Superspeed (esp. Red Tip)
GEM Featherweight
Fatboy (or Slim, either)

 

[Presbyteros]

Some discussion will catch my eye and I'm interested in varios things. But I think everyone should try to get their birth razor. I have a SuperSpeed that's one quarter off, and I have a Tech which nails it exactly. They're both in better shape than I am.

 

[pauls51]

At least an open comb and TTO (That about covers them all)

Gillete Old Type
Fatboy/Slim/President

 

[Dalejr]

Super Speed, any Open Comb, Any Aristocrat...

 

[Allison's Anarchy]

A 40's SS and a Red-Tip SS are absolutely unavoidable must-haves. The only other DE I really want is a #66. That razor is the pinnacle of class.

 

[T-Dog]

1930's era Gillette "New" style razor: one of the best shavers ever in my opinion.

 

[Silver Badger]

Thanks for the suggestions all.

For some reason I have an Adjustable fetish, so I did order up a Gillette Super Adjustable long handle, looks like a very nice razor and they're going for $30ish well cleaned-up.

Anyway I'm genuinely curious why so many folks are recommending the single-edge razors? That doesn't really appeal to me this early in the game as I really don't want to deal with another sampler pack of a different type of blades.

 

[dpm802]

No shave den is complete without these two items:

Your Birthday Razor ... something that rolled off the assembly line the same year/quarter that you did.

Family Heirlooms ... Spread the word among your parents, aunts, uncles, cousins ... see what they can dig out of their medicine chests and cabinets and basements and attics. Everybody has something stashed away. You'd be surprised what you'll round up. Don't just ask for razors, you should seek out anything that's shaving related; brushes, soaps, strops, hones, etc.

 

[man00ver]

SE razors use a thicker, stiffer blade, and a steeper angle is typically used for the shave. It's a bit of a different experience from DE, simpler in a way since you don't need to keep flipping the edges for even wear. It's also simpler when it comes to blades, since there are only about a half-dozen shave-grade options available. You won't find any blade samplers, but most shaveable kinds can be found at the local drug store (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid, as well as some independents). Careful drying and storage is important when using the carbon-steel varieties. I think they're a great option in rotation, and many will tell you they're the best.

 

[Topgumby]

I'm with you, Silver Badger. I've been at this awhile and have resisted the SE gig simply because I'm swimming in DE razors and injectors.

Besides your excellent choice of a Super Adjustable, I'd say you should try a Tech, a Super Speed ( I like the Red Tip or the '40s variety) and an open comb razor, like an Old Type or NEW.

There's no denying the appeal of rare and collectible razors, but for something to use and to get a taste of what's out there, these plus what you have on order will fill the bill nicely.

 

[ikeyballz]

I'm in your position right now..

What I did was:
Purchase SS flair, SS 40's, adjustable.

If I were to do it again, I'd go with the adjustable slim or fatboy first, figure out if you like/dislike the weight, more aggressive or less aggressive and go from there. After you find one you like, you should try out "the different" ones.

For the price I paid for the SS flair/40s, it wouldve been better for me to just pick up a cheap slim or fatboy (oxymoron..i know).

 

[spinyeel]

My only must have would be a 1912 Gem. The most amazing shaving tool ever invented.

 

[JCinPA]

newer (notched bar) Gillette Aristocrat

 

[ssultan]

Agree on the british aristocrats...for the coolness factor, you just can't beat the toggle

 

[Greggy_D]

Heck, the one who gave birth to all the SS's. The Ranger Tech.

 

[kirk 988]

ide say that they are

Doublering
flair tipped aristocrat
toggle
darwin
slants
rockets
thats some of the expensive ones now cheap ones
Tech british 40's
superspeed
rangertech
NEW
Old type
wardonia
but what i own is not a whole lot these items. mostly a couple of slims .40s brit tech .ranger tech .brit tech. NOS wardonia .brit NEW. canadian old type. slim twist. valet auto strop. rocket/ parat. british flair tipped super speed.gold tech a few straights nothing expensive in my lot think thats all i have a cheap lot would like a slant or flair tipped aristocrat they are my fave

 

[Stubblefield]

I no longer collect or use vintage, but the must haves (safety bar), in terms of shaving performance, are:

Aristocrat Jr.
Aristocrat #58 and #16
Schick Krona
Ranger Tech.

Open combs are another story.