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Super Speed Razors: The Post World War II Shaving Culture in America to 1955

Thank you Farmer Tan and Tanuki! I have looked for a nice example for some time. This one appears unused and will be a centerpiece in my Super Speed era mug collection. It is the same size as most standard restaurant ware mugs, and quite heavy!
 
Arguably, Old Spice was the quintessential shaving accessory brand during the early Gillette Super Speed period, providing shavers with soap, after shave, talcum powder, and mugs which depicted sailing ships involved in the India spice trade. Their initial mug offerings were produced by Hull pottery, and featured a side view of the Grand Turk. This was quickly followed by the sailing ship Friendship, with production changing to war contracts during World War ll. Following the cessation of hostilities, Shulton looked to the American Glass Company to provide both mugs and stoppered bottles with greater production uniformity and less flaws. The first mugs in white and cream milk glass faithfully replicated the Hull pottery mug in general appearance, and were smooth on the inside. The second series featured three ribs molded on the bottom sides of the mug to aid in preventing the shaving soap cake to not turn during lathering. A paper Shulton sticker was affixed to to the bottom of the mug.

A friend and his wife found this series two American Glass mug in Binghamton, New York for a mere three dollars. Amazingly, the bottom paper sticker has survived over half a century. This will go nicely with the earlier series two Hull Old Spice mug in my collection.
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Shulton offered gift sets of Talcum powder and after shave in Hull earthenware bottles. As demand for their products increased- production quality correspondingly decreased. Sealing the after shave bottles tightly so they would not leak was particularly problematic, forcing Shulton to eventually change to containers made of molded milk glass which was tinted to mimic the earlier Hull earthenware.
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One form of authentication of Gillette production practices is to locate New Old Stock (NOS) examples.
This NOS Black Tip Super Speed, a W3, or 1951 third quarter manufacture, shows that the demonstration Blue Blade dispenser was sized for ten blades and wrapped in cellophane. The blue styrene case, a hallmark of Korean War production, was designed to also hold a larger, twenty blade, Blue Blade dispenser, as the removable paper insert indicates. An instruction pamphlet on how to properly use and care for your new Gillette Super Speed razor was also included inside the case.
 

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Gillette advertisements for the period, although rendered by an artist, were accurate representation of their products. In 1947, Gillette introduced the first Blue Blade dispensers in blue or cream plastic, which many assirt was Catalin rather than another material such as Styrene. Gillette's use of the early Blue Blade dispenser as demonstration blades within Super Speed cases persisted until 1950.
 

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I have been making Pre-War Gibson banjo truss rod covers for some time now that match the tuner buttons on the banjo- either in Ivoroid from period lady’s powder boxes or Durham Duplex razor cases, or shaped from the flat bottom of Dopp Kit amber colored styrene containers that match Catalin tuner buttons that first appeared on these instruments in 1928. A friend in Oregon shipped a Dopp Kit he purchased on eBay directly from the seller to me, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nice 1949, no-date Super Speed inside. It was clean with no soap residue, something that often erodes the factory nickel plating. I am suspecting that this was a travel razor and saw only limited rather than daily use. Besides the razor- there were travel bottles of Mennen Skin Bracer aftershave, a bottle of Mennen hair cream, a tube of Mennen brushless shaving cream, and a pack of Star double-edged razor blades. Not a bad haul.
 

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Our new farmhouse in Chatham County, North Carolina, allows for displaying my Gillette 1947-1955 Super Speed collection, although it is smaller than our previous home. A tall shelf tower is situated along the counter to the right of the hallway bathroom sink, and holds the entire collection of seventeen Super Speed razors produced by Gillette from 1947-1955, including three prototypes, as well as cases and demonstration Blue Blade dispensers. An 1890's hotel room medicine cabinet, fitted above the toilet alcove, houses various shaving brushes and sundries in the collection. The shelf at counter level, holds six of my daily shavers, with a seventh, a 195 Gillette Adjustable from 1959, rests in a North Carolina vernacular custard bowl from the 1950's. In the back right corner, one can see an M1 Garrand rifle oiler used to lubricate the twist to open mechanism in each Super Speed handle. Behind the daily shaving razors are an assortment of shaving mugs- eleven are filled with shaving soap cakes, lending a very manly scent to the bathroom when one enters it. Tony Brown, mgbbrown
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The final block has been laid to the 1947-1955 Super Speed collection- a Pre-War, April 1941 back stamped, Carr China mug has finally been located in absolutely fantastic condition! This was made in Grafton, West Virgina, and has been the object of a fifteen year search. Appropriately, it will house a boxed Contract Tech razor from the same period. Alas; retirement means enjoyment; and l will certainly use examples in the collection sparingly. Surprisingly, the 1950’s Super Speeds are some of the best shavers of the lot. Their aluminum handles and light weight offers mobility and handling for effortless close shaves. Because of its design, the heaviest of the lot, a 1955 A2 Super Speed from my birth year, is a close contender for best of the seventeen lot honors. God Bless! Tony, mgbbrown
 

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False alarm on this being my final hoopla for the collection. It turns out that l already had a very early footed, white Carr China mug, probably a military contract issue for WWl judging by the back stamp. This one, although in relatively good condition, showed too much wear to be displayed. The upside is that this will be a wonderful morning coffee mug, as it is perhaps the largest Carr China mug l have come across- a full eight ounces. Too many glaze scratches on the outside and spoon marks on the inside only add to its overall charm. Tony, mgbbrown
 
The location of our new house is in close proximity to an excellent antique store on the way to Pittsboro- Hickory Hollow Antiques. Their large shop focuses on American Primitives, but does include several cases, two of which got my attention, yet only six feet into the door of the place. One displayed a copper matchbook cover which had a Scottish Terrier stamped onto the front, and a circular emblem added in bronze which, upon close inspection, was a kneeling George Washington at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the location of the 1951 Boy Scouts of America National Camporee. This was an inexpensive souvenir that an attendee could take home with them. It ticked-off my Scottie antiques and Boy Scout collectable boxes easily, and would be the perfect way to display a Gillette matchbook case that l have in my early Super Speed collection. In the second case near the doorway was a Post-War Gillette Ball-End Tech razor. Close inspection revealed that it was a transitional razor- no expected date code was present on the bottom plate. It was in excellent condition, so quite a find. Not too bad for a couple of bucks each. IMG_9099.jpegIMG_9100.jpegIMG_9329.jpegIMG_9331.jpegIMG_9330.jpeg
 
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