Hey, guys. I finally decided to register here and post up a noob introduction. I first found the forum 6 months or a year ago when i had first thought about trying a DE razor. I really didnt have the money to invest at the time, but finally bought my first DE around christmas. I have fairly sensitive skin and get ingrown hairs pretty easily. Getting away from the cartridge razors had pretty much taken care of that problem. I bought a Lord L6 and shaved with derby blades for a few weeks with pretty good results. At that point i had been keeping my eye on ebay for vintage razors and found 2 super speed flare tips. put in a low bid on each one and sure enough i won them both. Shaved with one with a derby for a few days before deciding to try a feather which i like quite a bit. The feather in the L6 is also a really good combination IMO. Then, about a week ago, i put in another few low bids and won those as well. 3x open comb gillette (not sure exactly what, maybe i can get some help ID'ing them) as well as a canadian fat handle tech (?) So it seems ive been bit by the bug. eventually id like to thin out this rapidly expanding collection, and i very well may give/loan out the lord or one of the flare tips to my friends or my dad if they have any interest in it (i havent really said much to anybody, just kinda going alone on this...)
my flare tips. iirc, one is a 56 and one is a 57. the one that still has the end caps is date code B2, the other is date code C1. I've shaved with the B2 many times and like it quite a bit. I have not shaved with the C1, but i'm sure it shaves just as well.
a little help dating these would be appreciated. starting on the left is what i believe to be a canadian fat handle tech. it is marked "PAT. CANADA" "1932" "MADE IN CANADA" and has the diamond shaped Gillette logo.
the next one over is gold tone (likely brass) and appears to have a red/orange coating left in the knurling and lettering. not sure if it may have been painted or lacquered at one point but it does not appear it was electroplating. the comb has a gillette logo as well as (MADE IN USA) stamped into it. The handle says "PAT. JAN. 13, 1920 USA OTHER PATENTS PEND (illegible)" the tube portion of the handle has a few very small cracks in it at the ball end.
third from left, another likely brass, open comb. nothing stamped into the handle. this handle has a few larger cracks at both ends and the handle will pull apart if you try. still feels snug enough to use though. the comb is stamped with the Gillette logo as well as "Made in USA" and also has a serial number stamped into the blade side. no plating or coating of any kind is evident anywhere on this razor.
lastly, far right. this open comb razor is plated, im assuming in chrome, and is worn showing the brass underneath. it is stamped with the gillette logo as well as "Made in USA" and has no other markings. The handle shows very small cracks at both ends, but the handle feels solid.
i'll also add for completeness that i started shaving with a VDH starter kit that included a brush, soap and a mug. I'm not crazy about the brush, its nearly falling apart. I'm also not crazy about the soap, i just cant seem to get it to lather. I also have a cheap burma-shave brush i found at meijers, as well as a puck of williams mug shaving soap. i favor both of those over the VDH stuff. but what do i know, im still a noob. i'm looking for a decent brush and soap on a budget, and id also like to find some pre/post shave cream. there's no brick and mortar type store around here that sells stuff like that, ill have to order online i suppose.
so there you have it folks, all of this within about a month and a half of my first shave with a DE. i've done a lot of reading and still have much more to do. any help/advice/input would be appreciated though!
my flare tips. iirc, one is a 56 and one is a 57. the one that still has the end caps is date code B2, the other is date code C1. I've shaved with the B2 many times and like it quite a bit. I have not shaved with the C1, but i'm sure it shaves just as well.
a little help dating these would be appreciated. starting on the left is what i believe to be a canadian fat handle tech. it is marked "PAT. CANADA" "1932" "MADE IN CANADA" and has the diamond shaped Gillette logo.
the next one over is gold tone (likely brass) and appears to have a red/orange coating left in the knurling and lettering. not sure if it may have been painted or lacquered at one point but it does not appear it was electroplating. the comb has a gillette logo as well as (MADE IN USA) stamped into it. The handle says "PAT. JAN. 13, 1920 USA OTHER PATENTS PEND (illegible)" the tube portion of the handle has a few very small cracks in it at the ball end.
third from left, another likely brass, open comb. nothing stamped into the handle. this handle has a few larger cracks at both ends and the handle will pull apart if you try. still feels snug enough to use though. the comb is stamped with the Gillette logo as well as "Made in USA" and also has a serial number stamped into the blade side. no plating or coating of any kind is evident anywhere on this razor.
lastly, far right. this open comb razor is plated, im assuming in chrome, and is worn showing the brass underneath. it is stamped with the gillette logo as well as "Made in USA" and has no other markings. The handle shows very small cracks at both ends, but the handle feels solid.
i'll also add for completeness that i started shaving with a VDH starter kit that included a brush, soap and a mug. I'm not crazy about the brush, its nearly falling apart. I'm also not crazy about the soap, i just cant seem to get it to lather. I also have a cheap burma-shave brush i found at meijers, as well as a puck of williams mug shaving soap. i favor both of those over the VDH stuff. but what do i know, im still a noob. i'm looking for a decent brush and soap on a budget, and id also like to find some pre/post shave cream. there's no brick and mortar type store around here that sells stuff like that, ill have to order online i suppose.
so there you have it folks, all of this within about a month and a half of my first shave with a DE. i've done a lot of reading and still have much more to do. any help/advice/input would be appreciated though!
