Super Speed question

[awa54]

How close are the blue tip flare and the later black handled flair tip in terms of shaving characteristics?

I just got a black handled flair and it seems like it's a much milder shave and physically lighter than the regular all chrome flair tip that it ostensibly replaced.

 

[CGW409]

While I can't give you a direct SS to Blue Tip comparison I do own a 1954,1955 and my Grandfather's 1970 Super Speeds and the 1970 does seem to be a tad milder than the two mid 1950's.

 

[awa54]

While I can't give you a direct SS to Blue Tip comparison I do own a 1954,1955 and my Grandfather's 1970 Super Speeds and the 1970 does seem to be a tad milder than the two mid 1950's.

yeah, the older plain chrome flair tip is both heavier and seems to have a more aggressive head than the later black-n-chrome version.

 

[jskywalker]

I've a flair tip but is very mild. I usually end up going for more passes and irritation...

 

[bnalley]

The blue tip SS is way to mild for my beard. I Have a '62 & '66 and flare tip that I love, and a '57 Red Tip for when I need some extra oomph. I would say the older '66 and down flare tips are a good choice for most beards, Try a Red Tip SS if your beard is particularly coarse.

 

[BBrad]

How close are the blue tip flare and the later black handled flair tip in terms of shaving characteristics?

I just got a black handled flair and it seems like it's a much milder shave and physically lighter than the regular all chrome flair tip that it ostensibly replaced.

When the black-handled SS (1970s-style) was introduced in the late '60s, its performance characteristics were similar to the 1960s version (nickel-plated) Super Speed that it replaced. As the '70s progressed, the razor got lighter and the head components thinner. Design changes to the base plate and spider (the part that moves up and down that the doors hook to) made the razor lighter and less aggressive. By the end of the razor's production run in the mid '80s, it was nowhere near the same performer as when it was introduced. Gillette's "mission" at that point was to make the DE product as cheaply as possible, with performance designed to "upgrade" the user to their cartridge systems with proprietary blades.

Comparing it to the blue-tip 1950s-style razor is like comparing apples to oranges. Way different, but still fruity! Blue-tip was a mild version of the standard razor, marketed to those with lighter beards. (Young shavers, fair-skinned lads, etc.) The last black-handle Super Speeds were just filling a hole in the product plan-o-gram!

 

[awa54]

When the black-handled SS (1970s-style) was introduced in the late '60s, its performance characteristics were similar to the 1960s version (nickel-plated) Super Speed that it replaced. As the '70s progressed, the razor got lighter and the head components thinner. Design changes to the base plate and spider (the part that moves up and down that the doors hook to) made the razor lighter and less aggressive. By the end of the razor's production run in the mid '80s, it was nowhere near the same performer as when it was introduced. Gillette's "mission" at that point was to make the DE product as cheaply as possible, with performance designed to "upgrade" the user to their cartridge systems with proprietary blades.

Comparing it to the blue-tip 1950s-style razor is like comparing apples to oranges. Way different, but still fruity! Blue-tip was a mild version of the standard razor, marketed to those with lighter beards. (Young shavers, fair-skinned lads, etc.) The last black-handle Super Speeds were just filling a hole in the product plan-o-gram!

hmmm... Interesting, The black handle flair SS I have is an M4, so late '67 and it shaves more like my pre-war tech than it does like the '54 "regular" flair tip I own (which in turn shaves like a lighter weight red-tip IMO; as if the blade exposure is the same, but the '55 red-tip is heavier)

Guess I'll just have to get a blue-tip and form my own opinion

 

[kcb5150]

yeah, the older plain chrome flair tip is both heavier and seems to have a more aggressive head than the later black-n-chrome version.

Man...... I've never bit the bullet and tried the black/chrome ss. It sounds kind of wretched. How can you get more mild than a flare tip?

 

[awa54]

How can you get more mild than a flare tip?

First, I wouldn't consider the all chrome 1950s flair tip SS I own to be mild, more of a *slightly* aggressive razor. Second, don't confuse mild shaving razors with poor shaving razors....with decent technique I have gotten some of the closest and smoothest shaves so far from the black handle SS and a pre-war tech (which is even milder IMO).

 

[kcb5150]

My g2 flare tip is milder than my ball end tech. I have to buff like mad to get my chin and neck completely clean.

 

[kcb5150]

I actually like a mild razor with a sharp blade. I go for my superspeed or g bar when I have been shaving a lot and my skin needs a break of sorts. One of these days I will find a Krona I feel liek buying. That seems to be the gold standard for mild razors that get it done.

 

[BBrad]

. . .

Guess I'll just have to get a blue-tip and form my own opinion

Be very, very careful what you say with all the enablers around here . . . sounds like full-blown RAD is right around the corner!!

Also, individual examples of razor models may shave more or less aggressively than "average" for that model, or as we are fond of saying around here, YMMV.

Try a blue-tip (they're not bad) but be prepared for an extra pass and some clean-up . . . unless your beard is lighter than average.

 

[oscarc]

I also found my black handle SS (1967) less agressive than my all chrome SS (1963), and I discussed it in this thread.

 

[awa54]

My g2 flare tip is milder than my ball end tech. I have to buff like mad to get my chin and neck completely clean.

that sounds quite different from my Z3 "regular" flair tip, mine shaves almost identically to the red tip flair that I own and most people describe the red tip as a somewhat aggressive razor.

 

[spaceboy2001]

Hi, Newb DE shaver here.

I have a light beard in terms of color and texure and only need to shave every 4 days to keep my face clean. I have been looking at the SS Blue tip as a good vintage razor.

Any opinions?

?

 

[awa54]

I have a light beard in terms of color and texure and only need to shave every 4 days to keep my face clean. I have been looking at the SS Blue tip as a good vintage razor.

Well I have yet to get a blue tip, but if you're looking for a mild shaving TTO razor for small bank the black handle flair we have been discussing here (hoping to compare to the blue tip, but sort of failing) is a great razor that sells for significantly less than the blue tip flair on average. I guess it lacks the vintage appeal, being a decade or more newer than it's predecessor and black is not as flashy as that nice bright blue However the only exposed aluminum is right under the head (the black area is anodized) as opposed to the entire handle excepting the TTO knob on the blue tip, which means that there is less of the razor to get chalky or outright corroded with the black handle variant. this combined with the age difference may explain why it seems to be easier to find really clean or NOS black handles.

Lots of folks here seem to favor aggressive razors and lack much enthusiasm for mild shavers like the black or blue flair SS variants, but I think that with a good sharp blade they give excellent results, often with less irritation than their more aggressive counterparts, just don't expect a 2 pass DFS from one of these unless you're using one of the ultra-sharp blades (I like Feathers in this razor)!

 

[BBrad]

Well I have yet to get a blue tip, but if you're looking for a mild shaving TTO razor for small bank the black handle flair we have been discussing here (hoping to compare to the blue tip, but sort of failing) is a great razor that sells for significantly less than the blue tip flair on average. I guess it lacks the vintage appeal, being a decade or more newer than it's predecessor and black is not as flashy as that nice bright blue However the only exposed aluminum is right under the head (the black area is anodized) as opposed to the entire handle excepting the TTO knob on the blue tip, which means that there is less of the razor to get chalky or outright corroded with the black handle variant. this combined with the age difference may explain why it seems to be easier to find really clean or NOS black handles.

Lots of folks here seem to favor aggressive razors and lack much enthusiasm for mild shavers like the black or blue flair SS variants, but I think that with a good sharp blade they give excellent results, often with less irritation than their more aggressive counterparts, just don't expect a 2 pass DFS from one of these unless you're using one of the ultra-sharp blades (I like Feathers in this razor)!

One thing that we are fond of believing here at B&B is YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary. Many people, myself included, are quite capable of getting a great shave from the "less aggressive" razors, as well as getting safe, bloodless, and non-irritating shaves from the "more aggressive" razors. It all comes from learning how to use the tools that you choose for this day's shave.

The black-handled Super Speed, also known as the "1970s style" went through a few design changes during its production run from the late '60s through the mid '80s. Certainly a 1968 example is a different razor than what was sold in 1983. While the length of time in production exceeded the rest of the Super Speed line-up, it was never the top-marketed Gillette of its lifetime. (That honor went to the Trac II and Atra razors.) Frankly, both "in the wild" and on eBay, I find more of the earlier SS razors than I do the 1970s versions. These factors may make the black-handled SS seem "less popular" than other versions, but they are all capable shavers. (My personal favorite is the early 1940s version.)

The Blue-Tip razor was lighter in weight than the standard Flare-Tip (please, not flair) SS, and had a slightly smaller blade gap. These factors combined to make the razor less aggressive, but when used at the proper angle and with the proper pressure was still capable of shaving anyone's whiskers close and smooth. Conversely, the Red-Tip was heavier and had a larger blade gap, but was still able to shave as gently as the Blue-Tip when appropriately used.

Best advice - give them all a try and see for yourself what factors make the various Super Speed razors perform differently for YOU. If you find one you don't care for, it is an easy matter to sell it on B/S/T or donate it as a PIF to a new wetshaver. I'm willing to bet you will find one or more of these venerable performers to your liking!

 

[kcb5150]

that sounds quite different from my Z3 "regular" flair tip, mine shaves almost identically to the red tip flair that I own and most people describe the red tip as a somewhat aggressive razor.

To be fair, it's entirely possible one of these razors had the bars tweaked by past owners in their lives either through drops or intentional adjustment..

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Both are pretty mild.

 

[The Kiwi]

Not that long ago, I spotted a particular Old Spice mug I wanted, and it came with a razor and brush. I doubt I will do anything with the brush. Give it away, donate it to a charity thrift shop, whatever. There is no puck of soap in that mug yet, and it is June. I do have several SE razors, but I carried them out of the bathroom for a family group photo, and didn't get them back in there (my bathroom).

I did get the Black Tip Super Speed back in there, and so I stuck an Astra SP in it, whipped a Tweezerman into some Cella, and tested the little Black Tip (I say little because the handle is both slender, and relatively light if compared to my favored DEs, the SA and Slim Adjustables.

It shaved amazingly close in two passes. There is even a slight irritation on my left cheek from the XTG pass (I'm no great fan of the BBS; I get along fine with a DFS obtained in two passes). Well, damn, but in two passes with this cutie, I'm well past DFS, and right on the edge of an all-over BBS! How about that! Better than my Red Tip managed in its three chances so far.