Russian Super Adjustable Clone (New or NOS) on eBay?

[nehpets4627]

Has anyone seen or know anything about this razor which looks to be a new production or NOS clone of the Gillette Super Adjustable from Russia? It matches the old-style knurling, looks to have a plastic bottom, and the description claims it is made of stainless steel. The handle has a greyish color to it, not black, and the adjustment indicators/numbers have an over-filled red paint. The listing also mentions it is manufactured by M.A.Kalinin Factory, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151090140656?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
(I am not the seller nor am I affiliated with the seller in any way.)

Any thoughts?

I'm going back-and-forth on giving one a try. I want a SA (regret selling my first one a couple of years ago) but the prices seem to have shot up in the last year or so... I'm thinking about giving this thing a try until I can track down a C3 (birth year) SA as a keeper.

 

[chgruver]

If you try it let us know how it is.

 

[jamesspo]

I've got a similar Russian adjustable - clone of a Slim, more or less. It works well. The one I have looks to be vintage late 70's to early 80's, I'd say. For ten bucks, what's pictured there is probably worth a shot. I very much doubt it's stainless steel, however. The doors look reasonably thick, which is where a lot of clones or copies go cheap.

 

[nehpets4627]

I also questioned the providence of the Stainless claim. I may put in an offer and try to get one for $15 shipped.

Any pics to share of the Slim clone?

 

[nehpets4627]

Ok, fess up... who bought them all? When I posted 2 hours ago there were 4 left, now they're all gone! Guess I'll just have to hold out for a birth year SA.

 

[Oel]

You can still buy them from another seller - for 49 Dollars for one razor on the bay. Whoever bought the razors can sell them for a higher price now, maybe for 49 dollars or a little less. I guess that's business.

I have one of these razors. I bought it a while back from another seller for 20 dollars but I cannot remember the price I paid for sure. On the instruction paper from the set is stamped a datecode from 2001.

Other owners of that model report that they have a datecode from 2002 printed on the paper.

Anyway, I prefer the Consul adjustable (another Gillette adjustable clone from the Ukraine), because of it's higher quality.

 

[edw]

I bought one of this razor, but paid higher price from other seller.

It does not worth, due to bad blade alignment.

Would not buy again even for US$ 10.

 

[olschoolsteel]

I have one of these I bought off the BST here. It was new and unused. I used it regularly and the handle started to discolor just like the one in the ebay sale you linked. I would say it shaved OK for me. I wanted to set it on 1 number and go through the whole shave on that number. As the blade wears, I would kick it up a notch. My last shave with it was a little too close. I parked it since then hoping when I come back to it, it will have a different additude. Mechanically it seems OK with the plastic and metal. I researched it here on B&B. Someone who knows Russian translated it as the Russian "Ideal" razor. I would say it serves as a cheap alternative to a Gillette adj. razor, but if you were hiding money to buy one or the other, save longer for a Gillette.


It was fun to try but nothing to brag to your buddies about.

 

[Haegar]

Some months ago I also bought one of these, for $10 plus some combined shipping. It shave OK ...on setting 9. Few happens on the lower settings, but I agree that this is a matter of taste, and I like razors which require a minimum of passes. If I would be only allowed to have one single razor I would be happy with a R41. But back to this Russian TTO adjustable: it does not only shave OK it also posed a minor problem. Blade alignment which apparently has been a problem for others was not an issue with my Ideal, but when opening and closing the doors the blade did not sit even:



When not carefully balancing the blade with one or two fingers one of the blade edges would touch the door. not good for the door, very bad for the blade, and potentially even much worse for my face.

As I like this razor quite a bit (on setting 9) but hated to be so careful every time I would open or close its doors I had a closer look to what actually happened, and fortunately fixing the problem was quite easy. It was just the post that had gotten squeezed too much at some point during assembly and now did freely slide through the center hole of the blade. Some pictures tell better than I could, how I fixed the razor.








It works now like a charm.

Well worth the $10 or $15 if one likes tinkering as much as shaving!

 

[edw]

I have one from eBay, it is useless due to bad blade alignment.

Today I would not buy it even for US$ 1.

 

[Haegar]

Blade alignment is perfect on mine. And I am confident that misalignment on this Russian super adjustable clone can get fixed about as easily as it can be done with an original Gillette super adjustable that had suffered some minor mistreatment or accident.

 

[Timbo35]

Some months ago I also bought one of these, for $10 plus some combined shipping. It shave OK ...on setting 9. Few happens on the lower settings, but I agree that this is a matter of taste, and I like razors which require a minimum of passes. If I would be only allowed to have one single razor I would be happy with a R41. But back to this Russian TTO adjustable: it does not only shave OK it also posed a minor problem. Blade alignment which apparently has been a problem for others was not an issue with my Ideal, but when opening and closing the doors the blade did not sit even:

View attachment 389456

When not carefully balancing the blade with one or two fingers one of the blade edges would touch the door. not good for the door, very bad for the blade, and potentially even much worse for my face.

As I like this razor quite a bit (on setting 9) but hated to be so careful every time I would open or close its doors I had a closer look to what actually happened, and fortunately fixing the problem was quite easy. It was just the post that had gotten squeezed too much at some point during assembly and now did freely slide through the center hole of the blade. Some pictures tell better than I could, how I fixed the razor.

View attachment 389455

View attachment 389458

View attachment 389457


It works now like a charm.

Well worth the $10 or $15 if one likes tinkering as much as shaving!

Hello, i've got the same problem, but do not understand what you fixed?

 

[malocchio]

Some of these are new clones of the Rubin-1 razor made at the old Soviet tank factory.I can't speak for the current production,but my original Soviet razor works just fine.Not as much finesse as the American Gillette it copied,but great shaves nonetheless.

 

[LeViAtHaN_AFO]

I'm gonna have to try one of those. It may seem silly, but it feels more fun to try 15 ten dollar razors to find that sweet little gem that no one has heard of than to buy a $150 razor and trying to convince myself it was somehow money well spent. Now maybe if my salary was 15 times larger......

 

[Teppanyaki]

$15 on eBay if you search, FYI. I'm happy with my Slim and Fatboy.

 

[Haegar]

Hello, i've got the same problem, but do not understand what you fixed?

Have a look at the center post, best seen here:

It was just the post that had gotten squeezed too much at some point during assembly and now did freely slide through the center hole of the blade. Some pictures tell better than I could, how I fixed the razor.

View attachment 389458

I had to file and grind the rough spots off until the post was slim enough to not longer hold the blade above the tray when closing the doors.

 

[Timbo35]

Have a look at the center post, best seen here:


I had to file and grind the rough spots off until the post was slim enough to not longer hold the blade above the tray when closing the doors.

aaah, i know understand, thanks

 

[Haegar]

You're welcome!

 

[BSAGuy]

Typical Russian quality control - Nyet!!