New vs Old vs Good Will

[EFaden]

Hey,

Does anyone have a good explaination as to the differences between those razor heads? Or even more of them such as the Tech, Super Speed, etc? It just seems like there are so many different heads and I can't seem to figure out the differences. Thanks.

 

[BBrad]

A great place to start learning about the various three-piece Gillettes is this thread posted by Asylumguido.

The Goodwill razors are kind of special, since they are the perfect example of Gillette's "Give 'em a free razor and sell 'em blades forever" marketing philosophy. They were made from a mixture of both "New" and "Old Type" parts. They were especially adapted so they could only use the "New" blades with the center slot. Gillette gave them away "free" with the purchase of New blades during the height of the depression. They were noted for having a very thin gold wash, and since they were viewed as a "freebie" in their day few were preserved. They are very hard to find in top quality grades.

Each variation of three-piece from Old Type to Tech has its own distinct personality and feel. They are all good!!

 

[EFaden]

Awesome... thats a good link. Any others?

 

[Buck Melanoma]

Old styles have a thinner head and are very, very maneuverable. The blade gap is small, but they can bite if not given proper attention and respect. They are capable of a great shave and can be very, very smooth.

The Goodwill has a larger gap, but can shave very well. However, they are poorly designed in terms of blade retention.

The NEW is the polished version of the Goodwill and can be found in great shape. It has a larger blade gap than the old style, but is still only medium aggressive and is a celebrated shaver.

 

[Zumkopf]

+1 to Buck's remarks. I'll add that the Goodwill is a little harder to load than the NEW; you have to balance the blade over the diamond-shaped lugs while placing the head. Once loaded, the shave is very similar. Not surprising, since as far as I can tell the Goodwill head is identical to the long-comb NEW except for the method of clamping the blade.