My first vintage razor ..... And it's my birth year !
- Thread starter Adam18
- Start date
You do!
- Thread starter
- #24
Thank you Mr. Ladd. You are correct —- Optical illusion.
In fact, the handle broadens out slightly towards the red tip.
Last edited:
Beautiful razor, Adam.Hello Gents .....
Just simply want to share my excitement with you. I just ordered my very first "vintage razor," a 1955 Gillette Super Speed Red Tip.
My current rotation consists of only "new razors" --- Timeless Bronze, Timeless Aluminum, Rockwell 6C (plate 4), RazoRock Lupo .72,
and RazoRock SS Hawk. Since I was born in 1955, and have been thinking about a birth year Super Speed for quite a while now, here
was an offer from Razor Emporium that I didn't want to pass up.
1 Item
Subtotal$100.00
1 x 1955 Gillette Heavy Red Tip A2 Super Speed Razor | Nickel Revamp
$100.00
15.00% off each item-$15.00
ShippingFree
AZ State Tax$0.00
Total (USD)$85.00
So, I feel really good about this, and ya' know what ? ..... I deserve to be good to myself (and my wife agrees 100 %).
I'll post some pix and initial impressions after I receive it and have a few shaves. Happy Shaving Gents !
- Thread starter
- #26
Okay Gents, so here's the story .....
Four consecutive evening shaves with my beautiful 1955 Super Speed Red Tip, and one word ---- MAGNIFICENT !
With a Gillette Nacet blade, and a variety of different brushes and soaps, each shave has been absolutely perfect.
Three passes of sweet, smooth, sublime shaving ---- all with a BBS result and absolutely no irritation or weepers.
This is truly a magnificent razor, and will remain a proud member of my regular rotation.
Four consecutive evening shaves with my beautiful 1955 Super Speed Red Tip, and one word ---- MAGNIFICENT !
With a Gillette Nacet blade, and a variety of different brushes and soaps, each shave has been absolutely perfect.
Three passes of sweet, smooth, sublime shaving ---- all with a BBS result and absolutely no irritation or weepers.
This is truly a magnificent razor, and will remain a proud member of my regular rotation.
Well played, Adam! That is a fine looking razor! Good things happen to good people. I've got a user grade red tip lying around somewhere - now I need to dust it off and have a shave in your honor. Enjoy the fruits of your labor this weekend!
great score with your birth year. I am still looking for my birth year razor, finding it hard to get a vintage Gillette from the nineties 
Adam, Great looking razor, as well as a great performing razor.
I know I certainly appreciate the one I have.
Enjoy, sir!
I know I certainly appreciate the one I have.
Enjoy, sir!
- Thread starter
- #30
Okay Gents, so here's the story .....
Four consecutive evening shaves with my beautiful 1955 Super Speed Red Tip, and one word ---- MAGNIFICENT !
With a Gillette Nacet blade, and a variety of different brushes and soaps, each shave has been absolutely perfect.
Three passes of sweet, smooth, sublime shaving ---- all with a BBS result and absolutely no irritation or weepers.
This is truly a magnificent razor, and will remain a proud member of my regular rotation.
Okay Gents .... so here's some more good news. I am absolutely loving this razor ! Every single stroke with it and a Nacet
has been pretty perfect. Should it be my only razor ? Should I sell my Timeless Bronze, Timeless Aluminum, Rockwell 6C,
RazoRock Lupo, and RazoRock Hawk ? ..... No way !
I'll keep them all, and enjoy them all ! Why ? Because we all love this traditional shaving hobby and we really look forward to
the regular conversation and sharing our thoughts here on Badger & Blade. After all, with all the craziness in our world right now,
we all need a little place of peace and solace. Badger & Blade, and our forums interaction, is our oasis !
I recently acquired a '55 A3 red tip, and have been a little shocked at just how good a razor it is!
Very, very smooth, very easy to find a good angle, cuts very close. Somehow it is the best razor I've ever used when it comes to the point of my chin - it's just really easy to follow a curve with it.
There sure is something to be said for razors that were made back when all men were expected to shave.
These things had to be good - people needed them to work well back then.
Glad you're enjoying your red tip
Very, very smooth, very easy to find a good angle, cuts very close. Somehow it is the best razor I've ever used when it comes to the point of my chin - it's just really easy to follow a curve with it.
There sure is something to be said for razors that were made back when all men were expected to shave.
These things had to be good - people needed them to work well back then.
Glad you're enjoying your red tip
Congratulations Adam! Simply beautiful! I know I love my Red Tip. Glad to hear you’re enjoying your new Red Tip from Razor Emporium.
Does anyone think that the British and American Red Tips shave noticeably differently?
Is it worth hunting down a British one if I already have an American?
Is it worth hunting down a British one if I already have an American?
lasta
Blade Biter
Congratulations! Great first vintage!
@Theodore TL
R. Probably not, except for curiousity value. A marginal performance difference.English colleague here.
I have been lucky enough to obtain a B4 US Red Tip which I have not used yet, through the help of our Brother @mgweatherly
I already have an English Rocket 1953, not the HD, but an identical razor except for the handle, which appears solid aluminum, about 60gms.
Eyeballing them it would seem the blade gap is pretty much the same, and if it shaves like the Rocket, I will be very pleased. That is a superb razor, significantly more efficient than my 1948 Super Speed. I am assuming the US Red Tip will shave exactly like the English Rocket HD, which is highly sought after. They also weigh about the same, around 70gm.
The English Red Tip has a slightly higher blade gap, but this would be more than compensated for with a halfway decent technique in my opinion. Shave results should be the same on the hands of a competent user.
The true magic of the English Rockets and indeed Red Tip, to my mind, is the superior TTO mechanism. It appears a completely different design. That is what fascinates me.
Were the London Gillette design team given a free hand for a new TTO mechanism by Gillette HQ in Boston? The same goes for the English Flat Bottom Tech. There appears to be no US equivalent for this short-lived sub type.
It seems a fascinating area to study further.
Last edited:
Thank you for this thoughtful reply! I also am quite curious about this, having recently acquired both an American Red Tip and a late 50's Rocket (II marking under the head). Does seem like there is a story there, with the obvious difference in the TTO mechanisms.@Theodore TL
English colleague here.
I have been lucky enough to obtain a B4 US Red Tip which I have not used yet, through the help of our Brother @mgweatherly
I already have an English Rocket 1953, not the HD, but an identical razor except for the handle, which appears solid aluminum, about 60gms.
Eyeballing them it would seem the blade gap is pretty much the same, and if it shaves like the Rocket, I will be very pleased. That is a superb razor, significantly more efficient than my 1948 Super Speed. I am assuming the US Red Tip will shave exactly like the English Rocket HD, which is highly sought after. They also weigh about the same, around 70gm.
The English Red Tip has a slightly higher blade gap, but this would be more than compensated for with a halfway decent technique in my opinion. Shave results should be the same on the hands of a competent user.
The true magic of the English Rockets and indeed Red Tip, to my mind, is the superior TTO mechanism. It appears a completely different design. That is what fascinates me.
Were the London Gillette design team given a free hand for a new TTO mechanism by Gillette HQ in Boston? The same goes for the English Flat Bottom Tech. There appears to be no US equivalent for this short-lived sub type.
It seems a fascinating area to study further.
Haha, noooo! Don't do that to me with one of the more expensive ones! Get me worked up about a tech or somethingThe only way to satisfy curiosity is to know.
lasta
Blade Biter
Okay, no need to get worked up.Haha, noooo! Don't do that to me with one of the more expensive ones! Get me worked up about a tech or something
After all, if you take apart a Super Speed, you'll see remnants of a Tech baseplate. If you have one, no need the other!
Though, I am curious. If you take apart an English Red Tip, will you find an English Flat Bottom?
Is a service issue EFBT smoother and milder than the commercial EFBT?
My Canadian Tech is milder than my US/UK variants. Is it because it's made different? Or because I used a lighter handle?
Last edited:
Aren't the Canada made Gillette's more aggressive than the USA made ones?
From what I've read, in terms aggressiveness:
1. England
2. Canada
3. USA
Or is this just subjective?
I've only read this and wouldn't really know since all my Gillette's are USA made.
That's why I'm asking!
Similar threads
