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

[mgbbrown]

Thank you John! it was quiet-my wife and I did go out and eat at a small albeit wonderful Chinese restaurant in Roxboro. I did do as I said I would-the Trac II was an incredible early morning shaver! I may need to locate another and retire the 1977 X4 Atra, as I was that impressed. Monday night was Blue Monday, so I used my Blue Tip to ring in my 60th birthday. I told a friend that I felt OLD...

That would be fantastic if your father was able to locate his Super Speed! Of course we want a full report Sir! Yes- there is a definite argument for the simplicity of a three-piece razor, and I am also tempted to try a Fat Handled Tech from the same period. However, my wife says that I need to draw the line, and that means that once I locate a really nice 1947 Super Speed and a compliment of un-crazed styrene cases (particularly for the Blue Tip), as well as complete my existing 1947 box or find one in better condition- I must declare this a done deal as they say. Besides, it will be time to move on to finishing my historic MGB SCCA rally car restoration, and if you think vintage razors are a bottomless pit-they are a welcome and refreshing change in expenses!

Thank you for the compliment-I did but only scratch the surface in my discussion, particularly tying in the cultural element to Super Speed razors. There is room for more discussion should that be desired-the crowd needs to say the word though.

Happy Thanksgiving John to you and your family, and all of the folks at the Badger and Blade! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[Roderick]

Because of this thread I used my 55 Red Tip for today's Williams Wednesday shave. Great razor paired with great soap = a wonderfully close shave.

 

[mgbbrown]

Happy Thanksgiving Roderick! You have much to be thankful for with that '55 Red Tip Super Speed! Me too-a wife who lets me indulge-but within reason of course, and is the joy of my life! After eleven or twelve hours at the hospital, it is good to come home to a close shave and a wife, but not in that order of course... I am glad that you got reacquainted with your razor! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Ever since discovering the photograph of my father on the deck of the Veritas with two other shipmates who were obviously friends- I was captivated with the possibility of uncovering the identity of these two sailors. The National Achieves lists the quarterly muster rolls of the USS Veritas from 7/19/45 to the decommissioning roll call for 1/31/46. Of the 210 crew members, there were 6 radar men besides my father, who shared radar duties once the ship was underway:

Cain Underwood McCullouch S2c (RdM)
Patrick Murphy S2c (RdM)
Joseph Stegel S3c (RdM) (Note that he also mailed three of the US Postal covers that I have)

Coy Brown S3c (RdM) (My father)
Ralph Shaffer S2c (RdM)
Howard Sprung S2c (RdM)
Donald Howard Utter S2c (RdM)

There is a high probability that two of these radar men are pictured with my father. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[jcs266]

What a great thread Tony, I'm really enjoying it. Only one Super Speed here - a '55 A1 in mint condition. A classic razor. I remember watching my Dad shave with a SS when I was a kid in the 60's.

 

[mgbbrown]

Thank you JCS266 and Merry Christmas! I actually have located several more thermograph US postal cachet covers from the ship that were posted by Joseph Siegel, so those will be brought into the fold once the smoke clears from the holidays. We will be spending the majority of our time-off with my mom in Raleigh, so hopefully more photographs will be uncovered depicting my father from his service days. I only vaguely remember my him shaving when I was younger- I believe he was a nighttime shaver with a morning touchup. I do remember his decision that the safest way to start his two terror-twin boys shaving was with a Gillette Trac II cartridge razor. My hope too is that more research will uncover the identities of these crew members. The photograph was taken while the ship was ported-probably in the summer of 1945 based on their duty dress without pea coats. It actually is one of three-the sailor to the left of my father is holding a dead fish behind his back, with the series capturing this eventual prank on my father. I will post them all as I am able. It was common to write names on the back of a photograph, so hopefully that practice too will provide the answers I am seeking. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[beamon]

Just completed the second reading of this thread, Tony. Having just turned 80, earlier this month, it has been such a treat to read through your posts and relive those halcyon days of growing up during WWll, and entering the 50s as a young man using the very razors you've been describing. Of course, it was de rigueur to be using the Gillettes of the day, but think nothing of them other than as a necessary tool to do a necessary job defined by the mores of the times. How nice that they are now receiving their just due for the role they played in America's development.

I wish You and Yours a Blessed Christmas and a Bountiful New Year.

 

[mgbbrown]

Of course I will post addendums and further commentaries, perhaps bringing the various permutations of the Korean War Black Tip Super Speed razor here, rather than referencing it in a separate discussion. As a salute to Daiku's response to my Gillette 1955 A2 Blue Tip Super Speed photograph, I would like to add that I have finally procured a case for it- pictured below. With this case, I now have acquired all of the styrene case type variants for the early Gillette Super Speed razors to 1955, and if the wife allows- proper cases for all of my individual razors will follow as they present themselves. Noticeably lacking is a nice and complete 1947 thermofoil presentation box for the early post-World War II, un-notched blade loading center bar type Super Speed razor. This, I am afraid, will be a most difficult nut to crack as far as cases go for this group of early Super Speeds. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Beamon; I am truly honored that I can provide you this pleasure. I am reminded by it, just how complex and tumultuous those times actually were- we enjoyed as a nation the fruits of our wartime industrial expansion, yet were faced with the ever-present spread of Communism, the politics of the McCarthy era, the real threats and gestures behind Cold War diplomacy, and our race to take a lead against the Soviets in the quest for reaching out to the heavens. May we all touch Heaven this joyous Christmas, remembering that Jesus is indeed the reason for this season. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[jcs266]

Just completed the second reading of this thread, Tony. Having just turned 80, earlier this month, it has been such a treat to read through your posts and relive those halcyon days of growing up during WWll, and entering the 50s as a young man using the very razors you've been describing. Of course, it was de rigueur to be using the Gillettes of the day, but think nothing of them other than as a necessary tool to do a necessary job defined by the mores of the times. How nice that they are now receiving their just due for the role they played in America's development.

I wish You and Yours a Blessed Christmas and a Bountiful New Year.

Wow that's awesome... You could easily be our Honorary President here at B&B with that resume!

Anyone want to second the motion???

Happy Birthday to you!

 

[mgbbrown]

And I second that motion-Happy Birthday Sir! May I too be so fortunate to wield my razor with such finesse as you still do-your avatar is certainly testimony to that! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

By the turn of 1950, Gillette had resumed its production focus back to manufacturing razors and razor blades for a world-wide audience. As the world began to recover economically from the devastation reeked upon it from the Second World War- the demand for shaving goods grew exponentially. No longer could Gillette manage production records with serial numbers stamped individually on the razor head; it simply was far too time consumingfor its line workers and for them to meet daily output quotas. Gillette introduced an alpha-numeric date coding system, first on Blue Blades, in the second quarter of 1950. The letter chosen to lead off this product date coding effort was a V- perhaps as a reminder to the world that Gillette played its part in supplying the victors in that conflict. This was followed by a number, one through four, indicating the quarter of the year that the razor or razor blade was manufactured in.

Date-coding on razors began in the third quarter of 1950, appearing on the handle attachment platform on the underside of the head. Therefore, razors produced in the third quarter of 1950 were stamped with a V and a 3. This however, was accomplished by striking the head using a separate die stamp-adding yet another step in the manufacturing process and due to the rapidity in which the assembly lines were flowing, prone to error. Often razor heads were die-struck upside down in relationship to the hallmarks already appearing on the head, and are actually no more desirable than ones struck correctly in relationship to the Gillette logo, as this occurred as often as not. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown View attachment 625011

 

[mgbbrown]

There is some argument as to whether Gillette designed a new styrene case for its date-coded Super Speed razor in 1950. Gillette made no real effort to differentiate dated Blue Blades in the V2 production period, and due to the already popular and practical point-of-purchase display for their slotted styrene case that also had been earlier modified with a larger Blue Blade dispenser cavity capable of holding a 20 blade dispenser- there was simply no need, nor no need to re-supply its existing sales network with new displays, or spend the additional monies in designing, developing the mold tooling for this new case, advertising, and producing these cases in the first place. Gillette simply placed V3 date-coded razors in the existing red and clear lidded styrene case already being produced, and would use that same case until the introduction of the Black Tip Super Speed razor in the second quarter of 1951. A full half of a year separates the introduction of this blue based and redesigned presentation case- truly an eternity when considering Gillette’s razor manufacturing history. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown View attachment 625012View attachment 625015

 

[nuclearblast]

Gillette introduced an alpha-numeric date coding system, first on Blue Blades, in the second quarter of 1950. The letter chosen to lead off this product date coding effort was a V- perhaps as a reminder to the world that Gillette played its part in supplying the victors in that conflict. This was followed by a number, one through four, indicating the quarter of the year that the razor or razor blade was manufactured in.

The alpha-numeric system was actually introduced in 1930 with the New Gillette Blades, started with A1

 

[mgbbrown]

Thank you and Merry Christmas! I will ask the moderators to help me with an appropriate correction. I was using what was referenced by Achim as pictured. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[Zeppelinkarte]

Mentioned earlier in the thread was Joseph Spang Jr. 1893-1969) who served as the President and Chairman of Gillette from 1938 until 1955 which encompasses almost the whole era of the Superspeed razor era. Probably greatest years of Gillette were under his leadership. He is credited with Gillette's association with sports marketing which continues till today, the development of the company's most famous vintage products and the diversification of Gillette into such things as the acquisition of Papermate. He was born in Massachusetts and was a Harvard undergraduate.

 

[mgbbrown]

Edgar; In regards to your earlier posting number 113; I too visited the Mr. Razor web site for further clarification: http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierklingen/Rasierklingen.htm. Achim documents with photographic evidence the initial alpha-numeric date coding sequence beginning with A1 in 1930 for the New Blade as you state in your posting. With each subsequent year, letter prefixes would logically follow in order to the next letter. If this were the case-in 1946 Gillette (it appears by the evidence which Achim has presented) skipped the letter Q altogether, with an R1 appearing that first production quarter. He further records dating anomolies for each of the years following to and including 1950, listing a Y3 for both Thin and Blue Blades and a V letter prefix as well for that year. If 1950 were indeed lettered sequentially from 1930- that production year should have received a U designation altogether. Interestingly, tan Speed Pak dispensers also show variance, and reappear for a brief period between established production of blue plastic dispensers holding Blue Blades. This would be suggestive of Gillette's practice to exhaust outdated inventories whenever possible, avoiding a loss in profit, albiet a small one. Thank you for bringing this to our attention- I am sure there is more to this story as it relates to 1950 and V as the initial letter designation for Super Speed dating as practiced by Gillette. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Zeppelinkarte; Thank you so much for mentioning Joseph Spang and his contributions to Gillette within the period of early Super Speed production. I certainly agree- his decisions to both diversify Gillette's corporate holdings through acquisitions of profitable companies such as Patermate, as well as the continued development and expansion of Gillette's sports marketing strategies in print, radio, and television were borne of genius. God Bless and Merry Christmas! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[nuclearblast]

I'm pretty sure that Y3 - 1950 is only a typo, as you can see the blade clearly shows a V3 code. Y corresponds to 1953.

And yes, they skipped the letter Q (although there's examples of Super Adjustable razors with a Q prefix). If you start in 1930 with the letter A, and skip Q, in 1950 the letter will be V.

 

[mgbbrown]

Thanks Edgar and Merry Christmas Sir! I was coming to the typo conclusion too, as Y is indeed the well-established letter prefix used by Gillette to represent 1953 production. I will be migrating information to this thread, on the Black Tip Super Speed and anomolies during manufacture which occurred, of course inclusive of Gillette resuming the 1940's style Super Speed in 1953. You have provided exactly what was needed here to establish the omission of the letter Q as a prefix, and hopefully someone will chime in with a reasonable answer as to the motivation used to do so. At any rate, both razors and razor blade date coding nomenclature began simultaniously in 1950 with the letter V as the designated prefix, followed by W for 1951, X for 1952, Y for 1953, and Z for 1954, the year of the workhorse Flare Tip Super Speed's introduction. Gillette would further expand the Super Speed lineup due to customer demands for light, moderate, and heavy beard growth in 1955, using the A prefix. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown