To Tech, Or Not To Tech.....How Do The Best Techs Stack Up?

[never-stop-learning]

I have a small collection of Gillette Tech razors. To be honest the differences between them are quite small. The new Gillette Super Blue from China shaves almost the same as the English Flat Bottom or the prewar triangle hole or the 60's post-war. They're all really good.

Placebo effect I suspect. I have a USA prewar and a bunch of other Techs. TBH the differences are small. I've got to the point where I wouldn't spend any more money on Techs. They're just small variations on the same razor. Fantastic razors, all of them, though. Gillette had 80 years to perfect the design.

Some folks say that there are differences. Others don't. Count me in the group that detects differences. Between Canada and USA Pre-War. Between early model and late model Techs. And more.

One example you can see: Look at the differences in the plates from the earliest Techs to the latest Techs. They definitely changed over time and flattened out. Personally, I prefer the feel and the results from the early Techs.

Nice thing about Techs is that almost all of them are quite reasonably priced. If folks want to evaluate the differences, it's easy enough to round up a Pre-War Tech and a late model Tech and test them.

Each shaver has to answer the question individually.

 

[Swingboy8]

So i've tested four different Techs so far :

- the british #32

Spoiler: UK Tech #32

- the german #34

Spoiler: german Tech #34

- the british 70s Tech with different head geometry

Spoiler: british 70s Tech

- and the british #24

Spoiler: british Tech #24

I really enjoyed the #32 & #34, especially the #34. I also liked the 70s one but much less than the others.

I allowed myself to keep only one of them, so i chose my favourite one with no hesitation : the british #24.

I've never had the chance so far to try the canadian pre-war, the british flat bottom & the british hybrid. (i have absolutely no hope at all for this last one )

Techs are on the milder side, but are still quite effective when used with synergistic blades.

I have a tough italian beard and my UK #24 can give me very good to very good+ results with mild blades like Derby extra or Treet carbon, etc...

All i have to do is to insist more, but there is no problem to do that because Techs are so smooth on the skin. Even guys with sensitive skins like me can do that without getting any irritation in the end.

Of course, as you said, it's much better with sharp blades but if someday i run out of my favourite ones, i could count on the versatility of the Tech...

I do love this razor !

 

[never-stop-learning]

So i've tested four different Techs so far :

- the british #32

Spoiler: UK Tech #32

View attachment 1424393

- the german #34

Spoiler: german Tech #34

View attachment 1424394

- the british 70s Tech with different head geometry

Spoiler: british 70s Tech

View attachment 1424396

- and the british #24

Spoiler: british Tech #24

View attachment 1424400

I really enjoyed the #32 & #34, especially the #34. I also liked the 70s one but much less than the others.

I allowed myself to keep only one of them, so i chose my favourite one with no hesitation : the british #24.

I've never had the chance so far to try the canadian pre-war, the british flat bottom & the british hybrid. (i have absolutely no hope at all for this last one )



I have a tough italian beard and my UK #24 can give me very good to very good+ results with mild blades like Derby extra or Treet carbon, etc...

All i have to do is to insist more, but there is no problem to do that because Techs are so smooth on the skin. Even guys with sensitive skins like me can do that without getting any irritation in the end.

Of course, as you said, it's much better with sharp blades but if someday i run out of my favourite ones, i could count on the versatility of the Tech...

I do love this razor !

The English #24 is my #6 Tech. A wonderful razor!

 

[ivan_101]

Techs were not made until 1979. I have an English B-1 code (1981) Tech. Bought it sealed from Indonesia.

Birth Year Tech?

What year did Gillette stop dating the Techs? I'm on the hunt for a March 1981 Tech, but I don't know the code for it. I had the Razor Emporium bookmarked for reference, but the page refuses to load. Also: I assume a Tech made in 1981 would be made of Zamak.

www.badgerandblade.com

With the Plastic handle Gillette England has continued to make them at least until 1992

Safety Razor Acquisition Thread.

Thanks for the Info. I just ordered the R41 clone. R41 fan here. Sent from my iPhoneXR using Tapatalk I just took a quick test ride, more here: R41 clone first try

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[bubo_strix]

Techs were not made until 1979.

You sure about that?

mr-razor Tech razors

www.mr-razor.com

 

[nemo]

Techs were not made until 1979

Wait, wha?

 

[slimshavy]

Wait, wha?

Don't get tripped up by the phrasing. I believe he meant to say something to the effect of "Gillette Techs were not just made until 1979; they continued to be made after that."

 

[bubo_strix]

Don't get tripped up by the phrasing. I believe he meant to say something to the effect of "Gillette Techs were not just made until 1979; they continued to be made after that."

Ah, that makes sense. English can be a funny language sometimes.

 

[nemo]

Don't get tripped up by the phrasing. I believe he meant to say something to the effect of "Gillette Techs were not just made until 1979; they continued to be made after that."

I used to be a technical writing editor. I'm not tripping.

Looks like bad information. Should we have to make assumptions?

I have a cigar box full of user Techs, here are some. Love 'em all. Oh, all pre '79

 

[Medivh]

Don't get tripped up by the phrasing. I believe he meant to say something to the effect of "Gillette Techs were not just made until 1979; they continued to be made after that."

Such things are quite common when too many vintage Gillette experts meet in the same topic . I'm just joking, don't shoot me, please

 

[Rosseforp]

I used to be a technical writing editor. I'm not tripping.

Looks like bad information. Should we have to make assumptions?

I have a cigar box full of user Techs, here are some. Love 'em all. Oh, all pre '79

All I know is I ain't buying no 81' Tech from Indonesia.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Techs were not made until 1979. I have an English B-1 code (1981) Tech. Bought it sealed from Indonesia.

Birth Year Tech?

What year did Gillette stop dating the Techs? I'm on the hunt for a March 1981 Tech, but I don't know the code for it. I had the Razor Emporium bookmarked for reference, but the page refuses to load. Also: I assume a Tech made in 1981 would be made of Zamak.

www.badgerandblade.com

With the Plastic handle Gillette England has continued to make them at least until 1992

Safety Razor Acquisition Thread.

Thanks for the Info. I just ordered the R41 clone. R41 fan here. Sent from my iPhoneXR using Tapatalk I just took a quick test ride, more here: R41 clone first try

www.badgerandblade.com

I may have created some confusion using the 1979 date.

If we include all razors that are billed as a 'Gillette Tech', then @mr-razor lists Gillette Techs through 2008.

 

[slimshavy]

I used to be a technical writing editor. I'm not tripping.

Looks like bad information. Should we have to make assumptions?

I have a cigar box full of user Techs, here are some. Love 'em all. Oh, all pre '79

Do you mean it looks like bad information that Techs were made post-1979? There seems to be evidence for that.
As for whether you should have to make assumptions, I just try to be gracious when someone makes the effort to express themselves in my language. Lord knows my Bulgarian is terrible.

 

[ivan_101]

No bad information here. I own the razor. Here are photos. Bought in 2014 from an Indonesian seller completely sealed.
I had to cut the plastic to retrieve the razor from the blister. As you can see the back cardboard part is not even open.
You can see both sides of the bottom plate. I just made the last two photos. This is a 1981 Tech made in England.
As for the "I am not buyng a Tech from Indonesia" comment. This is not a fake. I have 33 techs, I should know if I am looking at a fake, don't you think?

 

[emwolf]

Having recently picked up a Flat Bottom and Hybrid Tech, I'm not sure which I prefer. I can say with some certainty, the worst Tech I've used is the 1960's open comb Tech.

 

[never-stop-learning]

No bad information here. I own the razor. Here are photos. Bought in 2014 from an Indonesian seller completely sealed.
I had to cut the plastic to retrieve the razor from the blister. As you can see the back cardboard part is not even open.
You can see both sides of the bottom plate. I just made the last two photos. This is a 1981 Tech made in England.
As for the "I am not buyng a Tech from Indonesia" comment. This is not a fake. I have 33 techs, I should know if I am looking at a fake, don't you think?

View attachment 1424844

View attachment 1424845

Thank you for your input.

Do you know when the sealed Tech you purchased in 2014 was manufactured?

The @mr-razor site lists one Tech manufactured post-1979, the 2008 7 o'clock manufactured in India:

If we also have a Gillette Tech being manufactured in 2014, that's interesting new information.

 

[Medivh]

Having recently picked up a Flat Bottom and Hybrid Tech, I'm not sure which I prefer. I can say with some certainty, the worst Tech I've used is the 1960's open comb Tech.

Do you find any noticeable difference between the Hybrid and the Flat Bottom? My Hybrid won't arrive anytime soon and if it really shaves just like a Flat Bottom i'm going to be very disappointed.

 

[ivan_101]

Thank you for your input.

Do you know when the sealed Tech you purchased in 2014 was manufactured?

The @mr-razor site lists one Tech manufactured post-1979, the 2008 7 o'clock manufactured in India:
View attachment 1424849

If we also have a Gillette Tech being manufactured in 2014, that's interesting new information.

As I already said, this was bought in 2014 as a vintage NOS razor. B-1 means it has been manufactured in 1981, not in 2014 when I bought it.
With that handle and bottom plate there can't be any other option - the previous B-1 is 1956, and that plate still wasn't manufactured then. They only started making it in the early 60s. The Gillette logo on the blister is the one used from 1974 until 1989-90.
Starting from the mid-80s only plastic handle techs were manufactured.

 

[Rosseforp]

I got a few Techs I like.

doug

 

[Rosseforp]

No bad information here. I own the razor. Here are photos. Bought in 2014 from an Indonesian seller completely sealed.
I had to cut the plastic to retrieve the razor from the blister. As you can see the back cardboard part is not even open.
You can see both sides of the bottom plate. I just made the last two photos. This is a 1981 Tech made in England.
As for the "I am not buyng a Tech from Indonesia" comment. This is not a fake. I have 33 techs, I should know if I am looking at a fake, don't you think?

View attachment 1424844

View attachment 1424845

View attachment 1424846

Interesting, the blister pack says all steel, but that handle sure looks like aluminum to me. Have you checked to see if the baseplate is magnetic?
I have only one Tech with a magnetic baseplate, manufactured during the Korean Conflict, brass was in short supply so steel was used.

33 Techs is awesome!

doug