My "new" Gillette Old Type.

[Buddyg583]

This is my first post so I hope it is in the right place.

Today I received a Gillette Old type in what I presume is a "Brownie" set from a recent buy-it-now purchase. I have to say this razor looks better in person than it did online. Almost zero plating loss and it shaves as good as it looks. The handle does have a crack and it was loose, but some superglue fixed the that for now. The blade bank held two Gillette three hole blades, one from the 35th week of '29, and the other from the 36th week if I am interpreting the date codes correctly. On the mr-razor site, the brownie case has purple felt while mine has dark green. On the handle, it says "PAT NOV 15, 04", and there is no serial number as I expected. Did all 1920s OT's have the patent date on the handle as I heard the patent ran out in 1921 leading to the development of the NEW? Is there any way to find a more specific date on this razor? Anyway, I got a better shave with this than with my slim or my superspeed, no irritation and a DFS.

Some Photos:

Gillette "Brownie" Set

• Buddyg583
• Mar 24, 2018

Gillette Old Type

• Buddyg583
• Mar 24, 2018

 

[Mlee]

Looks like you've done your homework. Congratulations on getting one of the best razors Gillette ever made. As for the date, 1921 to 1928 is about as close as you can get.

 

[nemo]

Nice condition! It's silver plate, right?

 

[Buddyg583]

Nice condition! It's silver plate, right?

Yes, I believe it is silver. All I had to do to clean it was to scrub with some detergent and water, and an isopropyl alcohol bath to disinfect.

 

[John Rose]

Anyway, I got a better shave with this than with my slim or my superspeed, no irritation and a DFS.

Arguably, Gillette got it right the first time.

This is my first post so I hope it is in the right place.

Yup. It's exactly the right place.

 

[bdehne]

Great find. I have super glued numerous OT handles and they are still holding after years of use in rotation. What type of blade did you use in it?

 

[ShavingPanda]

Congrats! Great looking razor.
Just make sure that the blade is aligned evenly in the Old Types before shaving with it. The Old Types with the thicker base plate (the one you have) are easier to align the blade than the thinner ones.

 

[ajkel64]

Congratulations, that is a nice looking razor.

 

[Neil-O]

Congratulations on scoring a fine razor! My various Old Types are hands down my favorite razors. This one from 1915 is silver plated and an absolute dream to shave with (I do have a preference for the thin caps, but there is nothing wrong with the thicker caps of the 1920's). Enjoy your shaves!

 

[Akis]

This razor and its case is a piece of art.

 

[Buddyg583]

Great find. I have super glued numerous OT handles and they are still holding after years of use in rotation. What type of blade did you use in it?

I used one of the Dorco blades that came with my first DE, a Weishi. It will be interesting to experiment with some other kinds.

 

[Neil-O]

I used one of the Dorco blades that came with my first DE, a Weishi. It will be interesting to experiment with some other kinds.

You will get a hundred different opinions here on B&B on which blades are best. I have found the BIC Chrome Platinum blades are a great match for these OLD razors.

 

[bdehne]

I used one of the Dorco blades that came with my first DE, a Weishi. It will be interesting to experiment with some other kinds.

I normally use Astra SP in all but I have also used a Feather in the OT. Both worked well for me. I used Dorcos for years before trying a variety pack of 25 different blades.

 

[Buddyg583]

Now I'm confused. In this thread, it seems that the 1904 patent date wasn't stamped on the handle after 1921, but mine has it. Maybe Gillette was using up leftover handles?
Gillette OLD VS OLDER - Pre 1921 and after.....

 

[BigJ]

Great razor! Congratulations!

 

[Mlee]

Could be, or someone could have switched handles.

 

[Uncas]

Old school goodness in a lovely package, congratulations.

 

[Amir]

I enjoy using my Old Type on Monday mornings, if I didn't shave over the weekend...

Single Ring: (1920) Old Type Set No 406-A . Silver-plated. Silver case.

 

[Buddyg583]

I may have misinterpreted the date code on the included blades. Is 2365 a code for 1929?

 

[jd11798]

Great find and beautiful razor!