Rediscovered Gillette Red Tip - WOW!

[Teddyboy]

Please pick the most appropriate response:

Prime rib is to a Big Mac, as a Red Tip is to,

[a] flare tip superspeed
blue tip superspeed
[c] Merkur 38C
[d] Muhle R89 or EJ DE89
[e] ALL of the above.
[f] YMMV, but all of the above.

My answer is [f]. Red Tips rock! A truly under appreciated razor, b/c IMO, they are so easy to find. I see no great advancement in the Aristocrat over the Red Tip. Both are superb shavers.

 

[JCinPA]

How do uou get a "mint" red tip off the 'bay for $10????

I think the red tip has done in my Rad, also, but I'm going to give it a few weeks before selling my prize, premium razors. I'll also have to try a fatboy now based on kingfishers post. Grrrr.

 

[JCinPA]

Meh.
I had a near perfect red tip at one time. Beautiful razor. Decent shave, but not great.
To me the red tip and the Fatboy were quite similar, but even dialed up to larger gaps I found the Fatboy smoother. If I set the Fatboy gap to be identical to that of the red tip, the shave of the red tip was always harsher than the Fatboy, and never closer despite the harshness.
ultimately I decided that, for me at least, the Fatboy was the superior razor. So I sold it.
Glad you're enjoying yours, though.

Randall,

What setting on the FatBoy do you find to be about equal to the Red Tip?

And has anyone else noticed this experience, about the FatBoy being smoother? I am getting incredibly comfortable and close shaves with the red tip. Not harsh at all.

 

[the beav]

I see no great advancement in the Aristocrat over the Red Tip. Both are superb shavers.

Most of the post-WW2 TTO Gillettes used a similar head, so the differences between them were usually relegated to the handle. If a person like a particular razor due to either the design of the handle and/or its heft (which might lead to a smoother shave for some), then that's OK. If they don't care, then it's best to get a regular Super Speed. There used to be people on here who swore by a '40s Super Speed as the best razor out there, and that's something that's difficult to dispute.

 

[Teddyboy]

Most of the post-WW2 TTO Gillettes used a similar head, so the differences between them were usually relegated to the handle. If a person like a particular razor due to either the design of the handle and/or its heft (which might lead to a smoother shave for some), then that's OK. If they don't care, then it's best to get a regular Super Speed. There used to be people on here who swore by a '40s Super Speed as the best razor out there, and that's something that's difficult to dispute.

I love the 40s super speed also, but I just favor the Red Tip. Frankly, I luv'em all.

 

[the beav]

I love the 40s super speed also, but I just favor the Red Tip. Frankly, I luv'em all.

The knurling on the Red Tip is my favorite of all the post-war TTO's.

 

[JCinPA]

So you are saying the blade gap is more or less the same between the red tip and the 40's super speed? Only the handle is different? I do not have a super speed, but thought the blade gap was different, as well as the heft.

 

[kingfisher]

John, I'd say the ++ Red Tip was about the same gap as a Fatboy on about 4.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Red Tip was harsh; I'm just saying that comparatively the Fatboy is smoother (for me).

 

[kingfisher]

John, according to the Wiki, the flare tip Superspeed and the Blue Tip Superspeed have the same gap (23 thousandths of an inch); the gap on the late 40s Superspeed was 25, and the gap on the Red Tip is 26, which it says is the same as the Fatboy on 3.

The Fatboy on 4, which felt very similar to the Red Tip to me, had a gap of 29.

I think if you like the Red Tip, you might absolutely LOVE the Fatboy on 4.

 

[the beav]

There are minute differences between the razors, but they pretty much all shave the same. I also used a Fatboy on 4 in the early days.

If you want to see some real differences in razors, compare a Red Tip to a Senator, Old Type or GEM SE. They are much more aggressive, and after using them for awhile I moved up to about a 7-9 on a Fatboy.

 

[rxonmymind]

How do uou get a "mint" red tip off the 'bay for $10????.

Luck. Clicked on it and there it was. Had a bit of soap scum on it but looked promising. But I have to backtrack a bit now that I've had time to polish it and I'd say it's near mint as there are some flea bites at the neck of the handle. Here are the pics. Otherwise I think it looks pretty good and thanks to your thread it'll be on deck for tonights shave.

 

[MSstrahan]

The knurling on the Red Tip is my favorite of all the post-war TTO's.

+1 on the knurling. Only found on the Red Tip.

 

[noelekal]

I picked up a Red Tip Superspeed last year and sent it on to my son. Before I did I shaved with it a couple of times. It really was a treat.

A few weeks back I picked up another Red Tip for cheap in an antique store in a tiny, remote town in Central Texas. I've been using it all this week but am not having the same nice results either in closeness or comfort that I obtained from the other one. I'll try a Feather blade in it next week. SuperMax Platinum is the blade being currently used. The SuperMax blade has been a alternate go-to blade for me along with Feathers. I may have used an Astra or the Feather blade in the one that passed through last fall.

 

[ofercohen]

Great razors. I love mine and can't wait to clean and try the red-rocket I picked up at the flea market

 

[rxonmymind]

Great razors. I love mine and can't wait to clean and try the red-rocket I picked up at the flea market

Red roh oh! What? Pic or it didn't happen!!

 

[rxonmymind]

I just got done shaving with it and must say while it's not a mild razor neither is it to aggressive. I'll stick to my Fatboy & Apollo's.

 

[Oscroft]

I just used my red-tip this week for the first time in ages, and it made me wonder why I don't use it more often - it really is a superb shaver.

 

[JCinPA]

I just used my red-tip this week for the first time in ages, and it made me wonder why I don't use it more often - it really is a superb shaver.

Exactly why I posted this. Funny, I just used it around my birthday the last two years, did not give it much thought, as I have much more expensive razors now. It is the only razor I brought on my vacation this week, and now I cannot see why I have not used it more. Thanks for checking in, Os, love your blade comparison threads!

 

[Oscroft]

Thanks for checking in, Os, love your blade comparison threads!

Thanks

 

[RobW]

Just got back from a 4-day trip to Pennsylvania for a buddies wedding and decided to bring the Red Tip SS along...I was looking goooooooood at the wedding thanks to this mighty fine little razor.

1958 (D-3) HD Red Tip SS w/ nickel plating...picked this razor off the BST ~3 months ago and couldn't be happier with it. Though, I might have to pick up some red paint at some point...I do miss the paint on the end. I'm sure this has been asked before, but any recs on paint type / color that would match the original color?