My "new" New.

[Wrangoleer]

Sooo, the day before yesterday my gf and I stopped in at a local antique shop and I bought a Gillette New for $10.50. I just shaved with it and I'm not sure what to think. As I started it seemed very aggressive and as I finished up it seemed as though the blade had dulled during the shave. Maybe I'm just imagining. Anyway, here's some crappy photos for you. In the first picture, if you can see it, it seems as though the "reveal" is rather extreme. I dunno. I think that the lower plate on the head is wrong. I took a look at the New razors on Mr. Razor's site and all of them had a small vertical notch in the center on each end of this bottom plate, mine, as you can see, doesn't. Hmmm! Wrong bottom plate perhaps? It came in a "red and black" set box but perhaps it's a different razor or a mismatched razor. Anyone know what's going on here? Thank you for your help.
PS: Thanks to Snargle for the links to Mr. Razor's website and to another post here showing date codes and such.

 

[Mick]

What you have is a Goodwill NEW not a "normal" NEW.

Nice find but not a very typical OC razor and one I would not want to start out with

The typical NEW long comb head should look like this

 

[Wrangoleer]

What you have is a Goodwill NEW not a "normal" NEW.

Nice find but not a very typical OC razor and one I would not want to start out with

The typical NEW long comb head should look like this

I came to that conclusion myself. This would not be a good first DE razor. I was very careful as it felt like my first shave with my R41!! I do, however, believe I will put it into the rotation. Thanks for the help turtle.

 

[Mick]

I came to that conclusion myself. This would not be a good first DE razor. I was very careful as it felt like my first shave with my R41!! I do, however, believe I will put it into the rotation. Thanks for the help turtle.

Aw rats. I thought if I poo pooed it enough you would sell it to me <jk>

 

[Wrangoleer]

So I'm guessing someone at some time switched the heads on two News. I have the "red and black" box for a standard New but the head is from a Goodwill? So how similar are the shaves from either head, Goodwill vs. standard New? I'm wondering if I should trade off the New handle and box for a Goodwill handle and maybe a box too or lose the Goodwill head?? I like the way the Goodwill head shaves........

 

[Mick]

Someone else is going to need to help you on those questions....

I have not owned one so never gotten into researching all about them.

Maybe Mr. Razor (Achim) will see this thread an give you "the" answer.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Aw rats. I thought if I poo pooed it enough you would sell it to me <jk>

Great Poop job
But better luck next time

OP, nice find i haven't seen one of those Heads in a while )

 

[santamariasteve]

Based upon your #2 picture, your razor is fine. You have a circa 1931 Gillette Good Will razor. I have one, and it has the identical square and diamond shaped configurations that your razor picture shows.

The Gillette Good Will is a fine razor for a newbie. I don't think it is quite as aggressive as a Gillette NEW, which is a personal favorite of mine. Let's start all over. Disassemble and soak the three pieces of your razor in warm soapy water. Scrub it lightly with soapy water and an old toothbrush. Install a new quality blade carefully, and tighten the handle with "light firmness." Focus on beard prep, a good lather, light pressure, and a proper angle of the handle. You should do fine.


Let us know how it goes.

 

[Sled Dog]

So I'm guessing someone at some time switched the heads on two News. I have the "red and black" box for a standard New but the head is from a Goodwill? So how similar are the shaves from either head, Goodwill vs. standard New? I'm wondering if I should trade off the New handle and box for a Goodwill handle and maybe a box too or lose the Goodwill head?? I like the way the Goodwill head shaves........

Correct, you have the handle from the Red and Black set matched with a Goodwill head and cap.
Keep your eye open for a Ball End New and trade heads with your Goodwill, then both will be correct
Use your razor as is, it is unique and works good for you...good score

 

[Wrangoleer]

Thanks everyone. Yes, it is a rather good razor. The lady at the antique store said she had a bunch of razors and would bring them in for me to pick through. She has a LOT of straight razors too! I don't have any idea what to look for as far as straights go but I'll pick through them looking for anything with Solingen Germany on them and snatch them up. She had several silver flair tips there but I'm not interested in them. If any of you guys are looking for something particular post a pic. here and I'll snatch it up for you.

 

[MacDaddy]

The typical NEW long comb head should look like this

That looks like a short-comb NEW that you're showing there, but the cap would look the same.

So I'm guessing someone at some time switched the heads on two News. I have the "red and black" box for a standard New but the head is from a Goodwill?

That particular handle that you've got there is actually the one we most commonly see on the NEW DeLuxe Red & Black. Notice how the shoulder where the neck joins the handle is flattened out rather than rounded over. Below is a side-by-side example from a photo I shot a while back. The handle on the right is like yours and the one on the left is the style most commonly seen with a NEW Bostonian or Blue & Gold, etc. with the fully rounded shoulder.

Given that, what you'd want to be looking for is a NEW DeLuxe head, and to complete the Goodwill you'd want a NEW ball-end handle.

So how similar are the shaves from either head, Goodwill vs. standard New? I'm wondering if I should trade off the New handle and box for a Goodwill handle and maybe a box too or lose the Goodwill head?? I like the way the Goodwill head shaves........

When that style of Goodwill is completely assembled and in proper working order it shaves more or less exactly like a long-comb NEW. I could be wrong, but from your first photo there it looks like something's a bit off. It might just be the angle of the shot, but it seems like either the bits aren't quite mated up properly or the head didn't get screwed together all the way.

The Goodwill is a bit of an odd fish in that the two pieces of the head don't positively lock into each other. Instead they both lock into features in the blade -- the corner studs on the cap fit into the corners of the blade from above, and the studs on the guard lock into the knockout inside the blade from below. If either of those isn't quite seated properly the whole head will float around a bit. The other possibility is that the handle you've got there might not quite fit the bottom of the guard plate properly, in which case it may want to drift to one side of the central ridge or the other while you're tightening it up.

 

[Wrangoleer]

Excellent info MacDaddy. I noticed the fitment oddities early on. That is what made me think something was amiss. The blade does actually align quite well but I made a point of wiggling the cap as I was snugging the handle down to help center everything. Like I said earlier, it gives a rather good shave. So I guess I'll have to start perusing the flea markets looking for handles and heads now. Lol! I'm going back to the antique shop today, maybe there will be the matches for my mismatched stuff there??

 

[MacDaddy]

I'm going back to the antique shop today, maybe there will be the matches for my mismatched stuff there??

Well, if you see a NEW DeLuxe head on a ball-end handle there then you'd definitely know that those were the pieces you're missing, since the DeLuxe never originally came on a ball-end handle.

Happy hunting!

 

[Wrangoleer]

Well, if you see a NEW DeLuxe head on a ball-end handle there then you'd definitely know that those were the pieces you're missing, since the DeLuxe never originally came on a ball-end handle.

Happy hunting!

Yep, I'm hoping!

 

[mr-razor]

the handle is called "Husky" handle and comes 1934 with the Red and Black Special Set (we called it Red&Black DeLuxe). Here is a Ad from 28 July 1934:



the head is from a GoodWill razor:

 

[Wrangoleer]

the handle is called "Husky" handle and comes 1934 with the Red and Black Special Set (we called it Red&Black DeLuxe). Here is a Ad from 28 July 1934:

View attachment 295657

the head is from a GoodWill razor:

Yes, that is exactly what I saw on your website. Love your sit btw. I gotta find the handle then the head for the handle I have. Thanks Mr. Razor.