The elusive British Red Tip

[MajorBurnz]

I've had a bit of a resurgence in interest in DE razors, and have gone looking for ones I missed out on trying the first time around.

To that end, I've been looking for a British Red Tip SuperSpeed for a while now, but they seem to be impossible to find. I guess it would be referred to as the Red Tip Rocket.

The 'aggressiveness table' lists the blade-gap as 0.81 mm on these as opposed to 0.66 for the US Red Tip. Given that the normal rocket is heavier and more substantial than the normal SS, I'd assume that these would be significantly more aggressive than their US counterparts.

So, has anyone actually used one of these elusive beasts? if you have, what did you think of it?

I know that Blue tips are usually the rarer version of the SS, but I think I recall seeing a Blue Tip Rocket or two up for sale on BST over the last year, but I've never seen a UK Red Tip. It's hard to search the archives on B&B as the words 'red tip' are too short to use in a search.

Any information on these would be great.

 

[Wisdom]

I have a Red-Tip Rocket.. it's my absolute favorite razor. The Blue-Tip is rumored to be the rarest of the Rockets, but they don't appear to be as treasured as the Red-Tip. The irony is that I love the shaves it provides so much that I am reluctant to use the razor at all and do so at most once a week (the only cure, as you are all aware, is to buy a second one).

The shave is close and smooth.. I can't replicate the experience with any of my adjustable razors or British Aristocrats. On occasion I can get a similar shave with my Bull Mastiff TTO, but the shave with the Red-Tip is just more elegant.

Best of luck in finding one..
-\Visdom

 

[pedro083]

I have one but not been able to try it as one of the doors is slightly bent and stops it closing fully.
I agree they are fairly rare i have only been using DE for about 6 months but even here in the UK I have not seen any others come up.
Now if someone would be able to tell me how to take a rocket apart i have another i would scrap for the doors so i could try this bad boy out. I have searched all over B&B but can only find it on superspeeds how to take them apart and the rocket does not have a screwhead like the superspeed.

 

[maxman]

Don't be fooled, there are 2 Red Tips from the UK.
One is a Red Tip Rocket and the other is a Red Tip SS.
The SS looks very much like an American SS but it has the pointed end caps.
There was a Red Tip SS that just went on Ebay UK for about $63 US dollars.
I was watching it but bidding escalated fast.

I've never seen another one since I've been looking.

 

[MajorBurnz]

Don't be fooled, there are 2 Red Tips from the UK.
One is a Red Tip Rocket and the other is a Red Tip SS.
The SS looks very much like an American SS but it has the pointed end caps.
There was a Red Tip SS that just went on Ebay UK for about $63 US dollars.
I was watching it but bidding escalated fast.

I've never seen another one since I've been looking.

Aha! I never knew that (not surprisingly, I guess).

Any information on the relative aggressiveness of the Red Tip Rocket vs. the Red Tip SS?

Pedro and Wisdom, given this observation, do you know if you have a Red Tip SS or a Rocket?

Perhaps we could document the blade gap.

 

[pedro083]

Mines is defiently a rocket.

 

[Wisdom]

As is mine.. TTO knob recedes into the handle.

 

[Merkur25]

I have been looking for the Red Tip Rocket for a while now as well.

 

[MajorBurnz]

Would either of you guys be able to measure the weight of the Red Tip Rocket in grams, and the blade gap?

Also, some pics would be nice.

 

[maxman]

There is an article on the shave den that has all you need to know about rockets. I'll try to dig it up for you. If not, just search the forums there.

It has pictures, descriptions, weights and everything.

It will make you want rockets more than ever. beware.

 

[Wisdom]

There is an article on the shave den that has all you need to know about rockets. I'll try to dig it up for you. If not, just search the forums there.

It has pictures, descriptions, weights and everything.

It will make you want rockets more than ever. beware.

As stated above, read at your own risk!
http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9206

I'll weigh the Red Tip tonight!
-\Visdom

 

[Lando]

Isn't that one of the awesomest posts in shaving history? Kudos to that guy, MTGrayling I believe is the handle.

 

[brianw]

I have a English Red tip SS... it would seem from the article on the shave den that they are a little harder to find... it weighs in at 66 grams

 

[Wisdom]

Yes.. 66g exactly according to my kitchen scale and here are the pictures as requested..
-\Visdom

 

[brianw]

heres the red tip SS

View attachment 115444

 

[Radar O\'Reilly]

Have you checked Major Houlihan's tent sir?

 

[MajorBurnz]

Have you checked Major Houlihan's tent sir?

Hmm....there's no truth to that rumour!!

 

[MajorBurnz]

So, combining information I got from a person who has a Red TIp SS, and what's posted here and on the 'Rocket thread' (very informative, by the way), I've figured out that the weights of the razors are both equal at 66 g.

No information on the relative blade gap between the two. Still, it's looking like the main difference between the Red Tip SS and the Red Tip Rocket is the TTO knob.

 

[gobeavs]

okay, so now I have to have some of these.

Thanks a lot you guys.

 

[maxman]

okay, so now I have to have some of these.

Thanks a lot you guys.

C'mon...what do you expect from a bunch of enablers?
give in to your RAD...everyone else here is doing it...