Bottom line is if your one of the group that don’t get desired results from Vintage Gillette.
Find something you like, that works, and repot back via NEW POST.
Find something you like, that works, and repot back via NEW POST.
Rant: Just can't get a good shave with vintage Gillettes...
- Thread starter Umma2gumma
- Start date
You can read lots of posts here from people who do get BBS shaves with these razors. So, that means it is possible to get that result with these razors.
Unfortunately, you are not getting the BBS results you want, even though many others have. Meaning, it is probably not some limitation in the razors themselves, and you might be able to get similar results, also.
That doesn't seem contradictory.
- Thread starter
- #23
Well, chiming in to say that I went on a small shopping spree, bought 5 different vintage Gillettes (6 actually but two were identical) and four of them give me good to great shaves, with one (40's style Superspeed) being a bit temperamental and sometimes "angry".
The ones that I love using:
1972 Super 84. It shaves better than my 1971 Super 109, most likely because of different balance. It's a very nimble shaver.
1956 Flare tip Superspeed. Mild yet efficient.
1967 Black handle Superspeed. Very similar to the older one, a bit lighter.
1962 Slim Adjustable.
I am getting better with Pre-War Tech. But the post-war one... no luck. Just too mild.
The ones that I love using:
1972 Super 84. It shaves better than my 1971 Super 109, most likely because of different balance. It's a very nimble shaver.
1956 Flare tip Superspeed. Mild yet efficient.
1967 Black handle Superspeed. Very similar to the older one, a bit lighter.
1962 Slim Adjustable.
I am getting better with Pre-War Tech. But the post-war one... no luck. Just too mild.
I hardly mess with my Super Speeds and two Techs anymore. It isn't that I can't get good shaves from them, but the aggressive stuff and/or technologically interesting stuff just gets my attention more. I passed on a $14 black handle Super Speed today, even though it was the best-looking specimen of a black handle I've seen in the wild.
I knew it would just end up as a display model, and I think it is better that someone else discover it. If you live in southwestern Ohio, I can tell you where it is!
My vintage Gillettes that still get action are my red tip Super Speed--I just painted the tip with fingernail polish while listening to the Reds pre-game--my two Fatboys, a Slim, a 109 Super Adjustable, and a Soviet copy of the 109.
Otherwise, it's my modern stuff.
I knew it would just end up as a display model, and I think it is better that someone else discover it. If you live in southwestern Ohio, I can tell you where it is!
My vintage Gillettes that still get action are my red tip Super Speed--I just painted the tip with fingernail polish while listening to the Reds pre-game--my two Fatboys, a Slim, a 109 Super Adjustable, and a Soviet copy of the 109.
Otherwise, it's my modern stuff.
That's a pretty common opinion about the post-war Tech.
For me, the mildness had the opposite effect to what you might think--I was pressing harder and getting horrible razor burn. Now that I've learned more about how to use it, I'm up to a comfortable DFS shave with a Feather in it.
I think it was made to produce a "safe" everyday shave, not a perfect one, at a time when facial hair was not socially acceptable and "days off" were impossible. However, there are certainly gents here who achieve BBS with their post-wars. It was also designed to be cheaper to manufacture than the NEW had been.
- Thread starter
- #26
It co-existed with Flare Tip Superspeeds, which I think are great shavers. (And of course the adjustables). So clearly there was an attempt to provide the customers with at least three different options for finding the best razor that worked for them.
The flare tips are also very mild and a tad less efficient than my modern razors, but the needle was moved towards efficiency just far enough that I can still get a BBS shave using a sharp blade without all the extra scrubbing and irritation. So with the Tech, the mildness doesn't offset the poor quality of shave (DFS is not good enough for me when I can get an effortless BBS with a Variant, sorry). With Superspeeds, the mildness is great because it also comes with the ability to get BBS.
The Tech was made to be inexpensive. If the SS gave a worse shave, no one would have paid more for them.
I could never get a decent shave with the vintage Gillettes. That's why i like the modern razors.
- Thread starter
- #29
Well did you read my last post ?
Mr. Gillette’sRazor freed lot of folk from shaving with straight.
Small percentage of population did not like Gillette Razors.
Gillette own large prying of shaver loyal to Gillette.
Small percentage of population did not like Gillette Razors.
Gillette own large prying of shaver loyal to Gillette.
I've only tried one retro Gillette razor so far and I'm honestly glad I didn't like it, thus saving me a lot of money for a possible retro razor obsession. It didn't go smoothly and was significantly less efficient than the modern razors I have.
I have quite a few vintage Gillette's which deliver a very nice shave. I have several others that deliver a superb shave. I also have several modern razors that deliver a superb shave. It's all about what works for you. Find it & it doesn't matter what others say, it's what works for your face.
Some razors work for some people and not for others. Vintage razors simply being old doesn't make them an exception to this. Technology marches on.
Vintage razors are generally well made in that many are still in serviceable shape a century later, but it seems to me that they didn't have as much thought put into their designs as many modern razors. In any case, I almost never use vintage razors now that I've discovered razors like the 6S and Meta-4.
Vintage razors are generally well made in that many are still in serviceable shape a century later, but it seems to me that they didn't have as much thought put into their designs as many modern razors. In any case, I almost never use vintage razors now that I've discovered razors like the 6S and Meta-4.
Glad to read this. I was about to suggest that the original title was too broad. There are quite a few vintage Gillettes out there and some will work better than others.
It would be fairly easy to experience the same thing with a modern razor. If you purchase a Wolfman with the wrong level of aggression for your face/beard/technique (wrong level either way) you could easily conclude that a Wolfman doesn't work as well as your cheaper razors - when in truth you'd found one Wolfman that didn't work as well.
Many faces/beards/techniques and many different razors. I don't know any inexpensive way around the problem, but you really don't know until you try some. I do believe pointed questions and recommendations here on the forum can really help to narrow the search, but sometimes you need to get the thing in your hands.
- Thread starter
- #35
After all is said and done, a 1956 flare tip Superspeed is now one of my favorite razors.
I now only have 3 razors I haven't used: My mother's two Schick injectors (G4 and G8) and my 1953 Y2 Super Speed. I really need to use that one. I just had it re-plated by Chris @ Back Roads Gold in white platinum. It isn't perfect, as Chris noted, but it's certainly shave-worthy. @luvmysuper gifted it to me during a PIF he did for @Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker some time ago. He gifted all of us who entered a SuperSpeed and mine just happened to be my year and quarter razor. As the guy who taught me the carpentry trade used to say: "More dumb luck than good management."
Same here. I use a variety of razors, new and old, with Wizamet blades. But whenever I bring out the Fatboy, it just blows everything else away.
Dude, you gotta shave with the Y2 and post delicious pictures.
As you know, we're the same age. I shaved with my Y2 a couple of weeks ago, right before my birthday and I got really lucky because it's literally pristine and one of the best razors I have, new or vintage.
But I can't imagine it with a white Platinum plating. Holy
!Drop a blade in that puppy and give us a report!
And Happy Birthday, my friend.
Back before internet, u-tube, forums, and online communication. People needing to remove beard, bought a razor, t Gillette, Schick, or. Then they would buy soap, brush, blade, septic pencil, and few choices off blades were available. If you were lucky you had someone give you pointers. If not you learned by doing.
This was way we did things back in 1950’s, 1960’s. Before some of you were born. Choice of gear was few we used what was available, and I can recall people complaining about shaving, yes we got cuts, nicks, and can't recall anyone bleeding to death.
This was way we did things back in 1950’s, 1960’s. Before some of you were born. Choice of gear was few we used what was available, and I can recall people complaining about shaving, yes we got cuts, nicks, and can't recall anyone bleeding to death.
Similar threads
