The Ginge. Almost a great razor.

[amishmotorboat]

This is the regular Ginge, which has an entry in Wait's Compendium, not that other oddball Ginge I've talked about.

The wide gap on this thing, and plenty of blade exposure, makes it look like a beast. It's not, at all. That thick cap makes for a wide cutting angle, and I was disappointed by how mild it was. It may make a wonderful shaver for those who like milder things, but my attempts to shave with the narrower angle I am accustomed to resulted in the cap dragging and skipping.

But that head has some very familiar slots in it. An exact match for some models of Tech.

Now, the tech head has the exact same curvature to the head as the Ginge, but, those 4 corners only hold the blade in - they don't hold the blade down. A tech cap on this head allows for a narrower angle, and even a little greater blade exposure.
Here it is with the correct cap.

And here it is with the tech cap

It is no longer mild. It mows down whiskers almost as effortlessly as a Merkur slant. Now I am very happy.

 

[mjclark]

Well my Ginge arrived today -

It truly does look like it would be wickedly aggressive with the guards on the base plate falling away rapidly so I'm surprised to see the OP findings that it's mild.
I'm going to have to try for myself aren't I?

 

[mjclark]

So I shaved with the Ginge and I must say that I strongly disagree with the OP - for me this is a VERY AGGRESSIVE razor.
There's a big curve on the blade and only small extension so there's no blade flex and not a lot of blade feel but it's fiercely efficient.
Feels a lot like the Rapira PL, Wardonia and Rocnel SE50:

With a NOS British Wilkinson I got a marble-like BBS but also a lot of neck irritation and the handle is very slipper.
I do agree with the OP in one respect though, the Ginge is not a keeper for me either....

 

[BSAGuy]

Interesting razor. Never saw that one before.

 

[mbrando]

So you put the tech cap on the ginge? Or did you modify the ginge cap?

You pictures show the new blade angle well.

- Mike

 

[imatabor]

Thanks for sharing. I don't think I have seen this razor before.

 

[Bondage007]

I think it reminds me of a Lutz razor maybe. Very nice looking razor.

Cheers
John

 

[mjclark]

So you put the tech cap on the ginge? Or did you modify the ginge cap?

You pictures show the new blade angle well.

- Mike

The OP substituted a Tech cap but I used the OEM cap - apart from the hideous neck irritation and the slippy handle it actually was a fantastic shave.
If I use this razor again I will concentrate very hard on technique when shaving my neck!

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Pretty neat, I'd give it a go!

 

[nemo]

Congrats on the find!

 

[DrAwkward]

The OP substituted a Tech cap but I used the OEM cap - apart from the hideous neck irritation and the slippy handle it actually was a fantastic shave.
If I use this razor again I will concentrate very hard on technique when shaving my neck!

Might the different shave angles explain the difference in aggressiveness for OP and Marcus?

 

[mbrando]

The OP substituted a Tech cap but I used the OEM cap - apart from the hideous neck irritation and the slippy handle it actually was a fantastic shave.
If I use this razor again I will concentrate very hard on technique when shaving my neck!

Thanks for clarifying. That make sense.

 

[BigJ]

Thanks for sharing! (And great photos!)

 

[mjclark]

Revisited the Ginge this morning with a good cushioning cream and paying a lot of attention to technique on the neck area and finding a good grip on that handle:

The result was a magnificent shave.

The first shave with the Ginge was good for 36hrs and this second shave with the appropriate adjustments feels even better.

The NOS British Wilkinson blade must help, but I'm mystified as to how the OP could have found this to be a mild razor using the OEM cap as I am now.

This is most certainly as aggressive as a FaTip or even more so, and now I've realised that all the Ginge asks is good technique in return for an amazing shave, I'm considering keeping it after all.

 

[mjclark]

Third shave with the Ginge and the British Wilkinson:

Best shave yet - this Ginge likes a lot of cushion and some good technique [emoji3]

 

[mjclark]

Shave #4 with the Ginge:

I'm happy with my technique using the Ginge now and the British Wilkinson is sweet on its fourth outing but this is still a fierce and punishing razor - I kinda like it [emoji3]

 

[Snowbeard]

Here's two Ginge's, offered for comparison purposes. The one on the right (in the photos) has been "gunkoted". Regular replating wasn't an option unfortunately, as these razors are made of something zamak-like. The "bubbles" in the gunkoted finish are not related to this finishing process at all, they originate I believe from the manufacturing process. (As an aside, I've noticed that gunkoted razors "glide" better than razors with other finishes, they're smooth on the face.) The Ginge on the right I believe is the older of the two, and I've seen it described as a number "408" model as well as the "deluxe" model. The Ginge on the left would be what I've seen called the "standard" model. The 408/deluxe is bigger, and the ridges running along the length of the baseplate are closer together, and a bit more pronounced compared to the standard. And, of course, the 408/deluxe has holes in the baseplate compared to slots for the standard. They're both excellent shavers, for me.

 

[Macduff]

The Gringe might be the worst razor name of all time. What in god’s name is it?!

 

[Northstonehill]

As a Dane I feel I should defend the Ginge as the Danish made razor it is ...But then I haven’t shaved with mine yet, got them mainly for the historic value ...

I have not been able to find out where the name originates from, but the company was started in 1930 and is still in existence, but they haven’t made razors since the 1960s.

Here are my two sets:

 

[Scaramouche]

The Gringe might be the worst razor name of all time. What in god’s name is it?!

"Ginge." A Danish company that made very robust bread cutters and kitchen scales. Don't know if it's the same. The etymology of the word is complex - Old English, dialectic variant for "young." Perjorative for "red hair." Archaic Dutch, verb, "went." Generically and lost in history, you could probably say somewhere in its Nordic/Teutonic origins it means "red," as in the appearance of a ginger-haired person you might nickname "Red." I'm guessing the company name. Maybe Red is appropriate based on reviews.