Vintage Gillette Advice needed.

[Nxspam]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the market for a vintage gillette (or two). I'll be looking at various adjustables, but also some of the super speeds.

I read somewhere that the blue tip was designed to be a mild shave. Is this true?

Does the tip color mean something?

I know there are Red tips, Blue Tips and Black Tips (if all parts are original).

 

[seattleshaver]

I can't answer regarding the color of the tip. I have SS Flare Tip, a Super Adjustable and a New Short Comb. All are or can be mild.

 

[Domminigan]

Blue tips were for a milder shave, or people with lighter beards.
Red tips were for a more aggressive shave, or people with heavier beards.
Black tips were the standard shave, similar to non colored flare tips.

 

[bcraig.waciii]

The Blue tips are designed for a more mild shave. The non-colored tips (flare tips) are for a normal shave, and lastly the Red tips are for a more agressive shave. I cannot really help you with the Black tips. The old Gillette advertisements can be found on YouTube and they provide a lot of information along with some great acting! I personally use a 40s NDC Super Speed which I absolutely adore. If you are interested in TTOs Super Speeds are the way to go. Hope this helps.

 

[Nxspam]

Thanks for the replies and the YouTube tip!

 

[BBrad]

Blue tips were for a milder shave, or people with lighter beards.
Red tips were for a more aggressive shave, or people with heavier beards.
Black tips were the standard shave, similar to non colored flare tips.

The Blue/Red tipped Super Speed razors were introduced around 1954-'55 as part of the Flare-Tip Super Speed lineup. They were different from the standard Super Speed (which didn't have a colored tip) by virtue of handle weight and blade gap. Their TTO knobs were painted either blue or red for easy identification. They were packaged with a plastic case of like color, blue or red.

The standard Super Speed was packaged with a tan case, giving rise to the theory that there were actually razors with the tip painted a tan color . . . but that's a whole 'nother discussion!

The Black-Tip SS was a totally different razor, based on the 1940's SS design, manufactured during the Korean War using aluminum, steel, and plastic components as an alternative to brass. The TTO knob itself was made of a black nylon material, hence our designation "black-tip." The blade gap and head geometry is the same as the regular '40s SS, but the weight can vary based on the handle and base plate component materials used.

 

[wrinkles2]

I don't know if blue tips are mild or not, but I just bought one.

 

[Maxime D.]

The only difference between a blue tip and a regular super speed is the weight of the handle, their blade gaps are the same.

 

[Nxspam]

I don't know if blue tips are mild or not, but I just bought one.

You'll have to tell us what you think after a couple of shaves, and you know we love pictures here.

 

[wrinkles2]

You'll have to tell us what you think after a couple of shaves, and you know we love pictures here.

I'll do that as soon as I receive it.

 

[SteveWY]

I have flare tips, a red tip, a 40's-style, and Techs. No blue tip. As I recall from other threads and some research, the colored tip razors were another marketing strategy in the mid 50's and the blue, black, red tip (light, medium/normal, heavy) razors ceased when the Adjustable was released in 1958. All are fine razors.

 

[raposo III]

except tech open comb early's 20,30 .....almost are to mild shave, i got 5(aristocrat 2/tto 1/fatboy 2) and one england tto hd 1946.i love all,....

 

[sychodelix]

The 40's SS with no date code are my favorite. Mild, but very effective. Slims are adjustable, and they are also very similar to a SS in feel. If you pick just one, I'd get a Slim.

 

[LegionPrime]

As far as the adjustables go either the Fatboy or Slim are good bets. I have a Fatboy myself and the closest I've heard to criticism of the slims is from users who prefer other razors. The adjustables are a good bet as they'll let you experiment with different blades and different levels of aggressiveness without having to buy handfuls of different razors. Good luck, apart from a few injectors all my razors are vintage Gillettes and I don't regret buying a single one of them

 

[Planbee]

Blue Tips are indeed very mild. Load up a Feather, Perma-Sharp, or Astra and it's almost like wiping off whiskers (well, for me, anyway). Any lesser quality blade results in frustration for me.

Here's a pretty comprehensive thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...etween-the-Gillette-Red-Blue-Black-Tip-Razors

Derek

 

[beginish]

As far as the adjustables go either the Fatboy or Slim are good bets. I have a Fatboy myself and the closest I've heard to criticism of the slims is from users who prefer other razors. The adjustables are a good bet as they'll let you experiment with different blades and different levels of aggressiveness without having to buy handfuls of different razors. Good luck, apart from a few injectors all my razors are vintage Gillettes and I don't regret buying a single one of them

For your adjustable, I suggest you go for a Slim. It has the same head as the Fatboy, but is far more reasonably priced.

 

[Nxspam]

Uh oh, I think I can feel RAD coming on. I mean, it's not like I don't believe you guys. You probably are telling the truth, but I think I need to find out for my self. So, I'll probably need a Fat Boy, a Slim and Blue, Red, Black super speed, no?

Damn! The more I look on ebay, the more I want all of them! Replated Fat Boys and Slims are just stunning. To think these things were made in the '50s and '60s is just incredible. They were light years ahead of their time. Help! Please send me all your unwanted adjustables to help me get over this crisis. You'll feel good and so will I

 

[chilliman64]

I find the SS to be to light to get a good shave with. I always find myself forcing the razor too much and if my prep is not 100% it means weepers and rash if I'm not careful.

I like the heavier razors even though I don't have thick heavy whiskers. my preference out of the gillette adjustables is the slim. I prefer a futur as my ultimate adjustable and find it only marginally behind my Hoffritz slant as far as a smooth, comfortable shave is concerned.

 

[Saltchuck]

The Black-Tip SS was a totally different razor, based on the 1940's SS design, manufactured during the Korean War using aluminum, steel, and plastic components as an alternative to brass. The TTO knob itself was made of a black nylon material, hence our designation "black-tip." The blade gap and head geometry is the same as the regular '40s SS, but the weight can vary based on the handle and base plate component materials used.

That sounds right, because my black tip and my 40s SS give me essentially the same shave. I like them both very much!

 

[Daiku]

The only difference between a blue tip and a regular super speed is the weight of the handle, their blade gaps are the same.

Right you are. The blue tips also have aluminum handles, making them lighter in weight, and thus milder, and that was by design.

I am a huge blue tip fan; I own ten of them, including the one my grandfather shaved with. I find a Personna Red or an Astra SP to be a good fit for the blue tip, but I've even had good luck with Derbys in mine.