Superspeed and a newbie?
- Thread starter Vdubya789
- Start date
40s Superspeed is one of the most effective shavers out there.
Red Tips are heavier and a bigger blade gap makes them more aggressive.
Flare Tips (metal) are about the same as a 40s SS, maybe slightly milder.
Blue Tips are lighter (aluminum body) and quite mild. Work well for me with the sharper blades.
Excellent choices for a newbie (except maybe the red)!
Red Tips are heavier and a bigger blade gap makes them more aggressive.
Flare Tips (metal) are about the same as a 40s SS, maybe slightly milder.
Blue Tips are lighter (aluminum body) and quite mild. Work well for me with the sharper blades.
Excellent choices for a newbie (except maybe the red)!
Purchasing a Super Speed is one of the best decisions a newbie can make. I have two flare tip SS's, one of which was my first razor. Very forgiving and a no-brainer to use. Even after you purchase additional razors, the SS is a good one to go back to if you want to try a different blade, since they're about as neutral as you can get.
Absolutely a great way to go for the reasons already stated. A random find of a $5 Super Speed at an antique store sparked my return to DE shaving 9 months ago. Something to consider... millions of young men and women learned to shave and continued using Super Speeds from the 1940's-1970's. If a 15 year old learned to shave with a DE then, you can now. Great razor then, great razor now.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Super Speed. My favourite is the late 40s version. But they are all excellent and forgiving shavers.
Just to add my voice to the chorus, for my money the '40s-style and flare-tip Super Speeds are about the best starter razors out there. They're effective without being crazy aggressive, but they're also not so mild that a new shaver would pick up bad habits. Because of that it's also a razor that someone won't quickly "outgrow." They're also very easy to find in the wild or to pick up cheaply on the B/S/T or even on eBay. Thumbs up all around. 
+1 Couln't have said it better.
When I got my son started in DE shaving...it was with a late 40's Super Speed. It won him over and now he has a few different DEs and brushes.
In a practical sense, I don't think you'll find the Red Tip much more aggressive than the usual Super Speed, so if you find a good deal on one I'd pick that up.
- Thread starter
- #10
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/56974-Super-Speed-Identification
That is a visual guide I have found most helpful
The one with the lateral grooves on the knob is the '50s style, and the one without is the '60s style. The '60s-style one also likely has the slightly more streamlined head if you look at them both from the side.
Also, we'll let you off this time since you're new
, but for future reference:Flare Tip:
View attachment 264863
Flair Tip:
View attachment 264862
Besides looking at Asylum Guido's guide, read post #2 below. When you get the razors, look at the date codes and compare the heads side to side. From now on, if you aren't exactly sure of which type of 60s razor you are looking at, I'd stick with the Super Speeds that have the double rings on the tip.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/305686-flare-tip-vs-non-flared
The Super Speeds are great durable forgiving razors. My favorites are from the late 40's-50's.
I've used Slims and their older brothers at "7" settings for 50 years or so, compared to a Red Tip, which I'd place at about a "5" on the adjuster. The 40s style Super Speed seems to be about a "3", and the particular Black Tip SS that I have lands at "4", maybe even "4 1/2". I don't have any other Super Speeds with which to make comparisons.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Another fan of the 40's Superspeed.
Besides being great shaving razors, the 40's Super Speeds just look good, IMHO.
I've yet to meet any variety of Super Speed that didn't shave just fine.
I've yet to meet any variety of Super Speed that didn't shave just fine.
The oft-unmentioned black tip, aluminum handle 40's SS was my first DE shave. I got it for a dollar. I have acquired close to 40 different styles since then, but used it the other day and still got a dfs. Wonderful starter/everyday razors.
- Thread starter
- #19
