My new Gillette Old Type ADJUSTABLE

[Cal]

DON'T DO THIS!
Back in the early 1900s, adjusting your Old Type like this for a close shave was fine:

due to the blades being 1½+ times the thickness of today's blades with three small holes along the center, rather than one BIG one (so they were quite robust and springy).

I've read several threads where people have unknowingly followed the old instructions (using today's blades) resulting in a blood bath.

Just recently I saw a post by @gvw755 where he was using a silicone O ring (between the baseplate and the handle) to get the same effect (but keeping the razor parts taut). I liked the idea and said I'd try it out.
As soon as my O rings arrived I didn't like the way they got distorted by the handle. So I invested in a few flat washers, to go between the O ring and the handle. That worked very nicely.

DO THIS!

I tightened the handle up fully (finger tight that is) and got this:

Then I slackened the handle off about ¼ turn (i.e. only enough to ensure that all the parts remained taut) and got this:

I know the difference looks minimal... but I got a MUCH closer shave (i.e. even better than normal). I could definitely feel the difference and the audible feedback was much louder.

An EXCELLENT shave! Thank you @gvw755, you' da man!

 

[Hoka Hey]

Interesting. How does it compare to shimming?

 

[Cal]

How does it compare to shimming?

Honest answer: I dunno!

Then of course, looking at the Gillette pic, the shims would go between the blade and the cap... no?

 

[Hoka Hey]

Honest answer: I dunno!

Then of course, looking at the Gillette pic, the shims would go between the blade and the cap... no?

Shim under blade increases blade gap, makes it slightly more aggressive. Shim on top of blade is supposed to make it milder. Another route to semi-adjustability.

Still trying to wrap my head around this mod. I remember seeing the original "adjustable" mention with the Old Type, and imagined it could go really wrong, really fast. Think shaving your neck with a loose blade.

 

[Cal]

Shim under blade increases blade gap, makes it slightly more aggressive. Shim on top of blade is supposed to make it milder. Another route to semi-adjustability.

Yep, I get that. But it doesn't change the blade angle the way the Gillette adjustment does.

Still trying to wrap my head around this mod. I remember seeing the original "adjustable" mention with the Old Type, and imagined it could go really wrong, really fast. Think shaving your neck with a loose blade.

Hey, c'mon Hoka Hey! One of the reasons I posted this thread was to show a SAFE WAY to do this.

 

[gvw755]

Got an O ring on my New, Tech Clone, and X3 AND I just happened to get an Old Type in a recent PIF. Okay, I got to dig out that O ring package!

 

[TobyC]

 

[Hoka Hey]

Yep, I get that. But it doesn't change the blade angle the way the Gillette adjustment does.

Hey, c'mon Hoka Hey! One of the reasons I posted this thread was to show a SAFE WAY to do this.

I get that. I was just commenting on the old, seemingly insane way of doing it.

 

[Cal]

Awwwwwww Toby. You KNOW I just love experiments.

 

[Esox]

I'm liking these old types more and more...

 

[BSAGuy]

That's a great solution, Cal. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TobyC]

Awwwwwww Toby. You KNOW I just love experiments.

How did you survive the '60's and '70's?

I'm liking these old types more and more...

Well, they're only the best double edge razors ever made!


.

 

[BigJ]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing this concept!

 

[Highspeedlane]

Great post @1Cal!

 

[Cal]

Awwwwwww Toby. You KNOW I just love experiments.

How did you survive the '60's and '70's?

I'm not sure that I follow your thinking Toby (probably the "divided by a common language" thing).
But... look at the Rolling Stones! Maybe not a pretty sight, but they're still here (barring Brian the über-experimenter of course).

 

[Cal]

That's a great solution, Cal. Thanks for sharing.

Great thread! Thanks for sharing this concept!

Great post @1Cal!

Thank you guys.

 

[ZigZiglar]

1Cal! I'm totally gonna do this with my devette! I am currently using one small washer between the handle and the blade but adding the o ring would be superb! Killer idea! Also, that's a nice Old Type you have there.

 

[Cal]

1Cal! I'm totally gonna do this with my devette! I am currently using one small washer between the handle and the blade but adding the o ring would be superb! Killer idea!

Am I correct in guessing that you want to flatten the blade out, so that it's closer to 90° from the handle Zig?

Also, that's a nice Old Type you have there.

Thank you.

 

[ZigZiglar]

Am I correct in guessing that you want to flatten the blade out, so that it's closer to 90° from the handle Zig?

Thank you.

Well, I hadn't thought of it that way, but I do believe the o ring would will grab and hold the blade in place better than the washer, giving it more stability and as you have demonstrated, more flexibility. Will you kindly share your source for the o rings? Thanks!

 

[Cal]

Well, I hadn't thought of it that way, but I do believe the o ring would will grab and hold the blade in place better than the washer, giving it more stability and as you have demonstrated, more flexibility.

Ah, right. Let's see a pic once you get your O rings.

Will you kindly share your source for the o rings? Thanks!

I got my O rings via eBay UK, a little bit distant from sunny Texas. They're simply Silicone O Rings, 4mm ID and 8mm OD. I imagine any hardware store would have them in your neck of the woods.