The Elusive (for me) Gillette NEW Improved and The Goodwill

[NoahYoung860]

Looking at Mr Razor's site, the only categories I don't have a razor from are the NEW Improved and The Goodwill.
Other than for completeness, am I really "missing" anything? I haven't done enough research to work out how the geometry of The Goodwill differs from a garden-variety NEW. (I have both the SC and LC.)

I have noticed that the NEW Improved is much harder to find than a NEW, and one of the more expensive of the Gillette vintage razors

 

[nemo]

Do you have a New Deluxe? Flat bottom, no guide pins. To me, that is better than both the ones you mentioned.

The New Improved is a little more harsh than the New and smoother Goodwill.

 

[slimshavy]

I'm the same way, where I'm waiting for any of these in betweeners to fall into my lap. The Goodwills all seem like splitting hairs (NPI), as I already have a NEW and Old Type. But the New Improved is its own animal. Same with the New Deluxe.

Both are expensive because of their scarcity. I get the sense that the New Improved are coveted more as a collector's item than a shaving tool. They are nice to look at but people describe them as harsh. The DeLuxe seems to get better reviews as a shaver.

It also seems to me that razors that have the guard attached to the handle (all the two-pieces and some of the three-pieces like the DeLuxe pictured above) are more likely to show up with bent teeth. I don't know if there's anything to that. From the other angle, Gillette did make a lot of bad handles, and if your handle is inseparable from the baseplate, a broken handle means a broken razor.

 

[NoahYoung860]

Do you have a New Deluxe? Flat bottom, no guide pins. To me, that is better than both the ones you mentioned.

No, I don't have that one. I guess I'll add it to my list.
lol

 

[NoahYoung860]

Both are expensive because of their scarcity.

Yes, I noticed that. Plus, they are rarely listed as a New Improved. You need to go through hundreds of listing a day to find one. I would say maybe 2 or 3 show up per week, as opposed to like 10 - 20 Techs per day -- maybe more.

 

[nemo]

.... Plus, they are rarely listed as a New Improved. You need to go through hundreds of listing a day to find one. I would say maybe 2 or 3 show up per week, as opposed to like 10 - 20 Techs per day -- maybe more.

Most eBay sellers don't what they have, those that do -- ching ching. So yeah, finding the gems at a decent price takes some time-consuming sleuthing. Cool stuff can sometimes be found lurking in big razor lots.

 

[NoahYoung860]

Most eBay sellers don't what they have, those that do -- ching ching. So yeah, finding the gems at a decent price takes some time-consuming sleuthing. Cool stuff can sometimes be found lurking in big razor lots.

Yeah, tell me about it. It took hard work and patience getting an Aristocrat, Ranger Tech, '48-'49 SS, Blue Tip SS, Neutral Tip SS, 70's Black Handle SS, 50s Black Tip SS, Milord, and Sheraton over the last few months. I'm taking a bit of a break now -- if you don't check at least twice a day, you have 200-300 listings to sift through. I've used all sorts of filters, but as you said, you really need to look at everything to sleuth and get a decent deal. The Ranger Tech was the only one really hidden, and I got a great deal with a BIN. So I just search on Gillette in collectibles/vanity and shaving/safety razors. If they mis-spell Gillette, I'll miss it, lol.

Don't laugh, but the only one I have shaved with so far is the '48-'49 SS.

Before you ask, I already have: Fat Boy, Slim, Black Beauty, Red Tip SS, pre-war tech, post war tech, old type, and the NEWs I mentioned.

And I haven't mentioned my Schicks!

 

[Graydog]

1934 or the 1936 Aristocrat?

 

[nemo]

1934 or the 1936 Aristocrat?

I'm guessing later 40's Aristocrat, Steve.

Yeah, tell me about it. It took hard work and patience getting an Aristocrat, Ranger Tech, '48-'49 SS, Blue Tip SS, Neutral Tip SS, 70's Black Handle SS, 50s Black Tip SS, Milord, and Sheraton over the last few months. I'm taking a bit of a break now -- if you don't check at least twice a day, you have 200-300 listings to sift through. I've used all sorts of filters, but as you said, you really need to look at everything to sleuth and get a decent deal. The Ranger Tech was the only one really hidden, and I got a great deal with a BIN. So I just search on Gillette in collectibles/vanity and shaving/safety razors. If they mis-spell Gillette, I'll miss it, lol.

Don't laugh, but the only one I have shaved with so far is the '48-'49 SS.

Before you ask, I already have: Fat Boy, Slim, Black Beauty, Red Tip SS, pre-war tech, post war tech, old type, and the NEWs I mentioned.

And I haven't mentioned my Schicks!

You're on a tear! Slow down there.

 

[NoahYoung860]

1934 or the 1936 Aristocrat?

I believe late 40s. Forgot exact year. '48-'49'?
End caps, gold plated, notches, package.

 

[Graydog]

1934 and 1936 are both open comb
1934 was first Gillette TTO

 

[NoahYoung860]

You're on a tear! Slow down there.

I hear ya. I hadn't, however, bought any razors in about a year, and now I'm taking a break -- but I did want to know about the 2 razors in the subject title for future reference.

Thing is, once you start putting in the effort to scour the listings for decent deals, and wait out auctions and offers you make, you tend to buy everything that's on your list. TBH, the hunt for and collectibility of the razors is fully half the fun. Once I get the razor, I look at it and say to myself, "It's not that much different from ones I already have." And in pics they all look larger than life, when in fact they are usually 3.5 inches long or less.