Origin of a 1951 W2 Superspeed?

[marcallain]

Recently got one of these but it just seems different that what I've seen online.

It has the Gillette logo and the W2 underneath but that's it. Nothing else inside or out. I've seen other pictures where it has "Pat. Nos. On Pkg." inside and "Made in the USA" outside. This one has none of that.

Any ideas? It looks exactly as this one: http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/One-Piece solid guard bar/1951 (W1) Super-Speed.JPG

 

[nemo]

Looks like they mistakenly let one slip through. Get out the camera.

I have a W-1 and W-2 which have all the stampings.

 

[Copierguy]

I do not know exactly about your razor. There are several variations in material during the early 50s thought to be inspired by brass shortages caused by the Korean conflict. I recently acquired a similarly marked razor with only the Gillette logo and the date code of X-1. This is purely speculation on my part. But I wonder if this was done to leave a certain amount of flexibility within Gillette's international manufacturing and distribution.

 

[marcallain]

Yeah! Mine is exactly like the one above. No markings other than the W2 and Gillette logo.

 

[77TransAm]

I have a 50's gillette tech that's basically the same thing. Says Gillette on the cap, and underneath only has "J 2", no gillette stamp or Made In "X" on it. I've always wondered why it's like that.

 

[Copierguy]

As a follow up I checked the X-1 in the photo with a magnet. The handle and head both do not attract like some of the Black Tips Super Speeds from this period so the materials used seem standard.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

It was Friday Afternoon, The guys at the plant had a few beers and were running behind schedule, So off they went and skipped a few steps in the assembly line so they can get catch up on productivity and get out at 5 O'clock on the dot and party like it's 1999 ? And that my friends is how the 5 O'clock shadow came about )

That sounds like a good story, to bad it's Fictional )

 

[mr-razor]

sounds like the Canadian one. I´ve seen many of these razors with the Rocket case:

 

[77TransAm]

Mr-Razor to the rescue! (with his seemingly endless amount of knowledge on Gillette's)

 

[nemo]

Aha!

 

[Copierguy]

sounds like the Canadian one. I´ve seen many of these razors with the Rocket case:

So would you consider this an English razor as stated on the case Achim, or maybe just using up cases?

 

[mr-razor]

I don´t know it. I´ve only seen many of this Rocket sets with the 40s Super-Speed without "Made in..." It´s the same case like the 1949 solid handle Rocket.