Vintage Gillette collection - to shave or not - and what to collect?

[mikemorton]

As a newbie to vintage razor use and collecting, I have a couple of questions for you.


:: If you find a particularly nice example, is it best to keep it for show and find a less-pristine or replated one for actual use?


I'm not sure what effect shaving with an old razor will have on its finish over time. It would seem a bit of a shame to wreck a NOS-quality Fat Boy, for example.


:: For simplicity, I've elected to go with Gillette razors, at least for now.


Which models do you think no collection should be without?


So far I've got a Super Speed Flare Tip, an Adjustable (this is the formal name for a Fat Boy, yes?) and a 1960s/70s Tech, which is more like a travel razor.


I'm hoping to add a slim adjustable to my meagre collection soon.​

 

[Mark1966]

As a newbie to vintage razor use and collecting, I have a couple of questions for you.


:: If you find a particularly nice example, is it best to keep it for show and find a less-pristine or replated one for actual use?


I'm not sure what effect shaving with an old razor will have on its finish over time. It would seem a bit a bit of a shame to wreck a NOS-quality Fat Boy, for example.

Mike I have a few so I'll throw in my thoughts with that background.

True NOS are rare and by definition once used will not be NOS. I have a NOS Olympic Special Pioneer Old Type (see thread here) for example that I will NOT be opening up. It is truly NOS and I will not be changing that.

I also have some others in mint condition. Most of which I've acquired AFTER I've had another one in lesser condition which I have used. Unless it looks completely untouched by water I tend to use all of mine at least once - going back to 1903/4 Double Rings. In most cases you can clean and polish back to pretty close to new.

Obviously there is a risk if you dropped it - but you could do that as easily looking at a collection.

You also need to think about why you are collecting. Purely investment? Save to get the best you can afford and don't use it. Purely user? Get a user grade and enjoy. Everything else is in the spectrum between!

:: For simplicity, I've elected to go with Gillette razors, at least for now.


Which models do you think no collection should be without?

What do you like? Check out the site that Achim (Mr-Razor) has put together. It will show you most of what is available, help with ID and allow you to see what you want.

Are you looking for classic variants from each distinct 'category'? Old Type, NEW, Open Comb TTO, Solid Guard Bar TTO, Adjustable? Are you a history buff who wants the early vintage stuff? Will looks be important, some of the British Aristocrats are gorgeous. It is shave quality that most drives your decision? Again a sense of what you are aiming for will help shape your collection.

When I started I simply wanted one of everything to find the 'perfect' razor. I've since become less obsessed by that and am largely ignoring some gaps in my collection, focusing more on what appeals to me as much as anything else.

So far I've got a Super Speed Flare Tip, an Adjustable (this is the formal name for a Fat Boy, yes?) and a 1960s/70s Tech, which is more like a travel razor.

I'm hoping to add a slim adjustable to my meagre collection soon.​

Flare Tip Super Speed - great example of the working man's TTO. Very common and really a good benchmark for TTOs
195 Adjustable (aka Fatboy) - a classic - the cornerstone of adjustables.
1960/70s travel tech - hard to use with the small handle. A normal Tech or fat handled Tech will be easier to use
Slim Adjustable - a great variation on the Fatboy - certainly a worthy addition.

Some suggestions:
Single Ring - the classic 'Old Type' razor, for many years the staple for the business
New Standard - a great razor, lovely to use OC
British NEW - you are in Surrey I noticed so get a British razor, another great OC
British 'Popular' - another OC, this time in a TTO style. Not cheap but cheaper than the #15 big brother!
British Aristocrat Junior - again a cheaper option of its big brother the #16
British HD Rocket - is another classic

But these are just my thoughts - it depends on your goal.

Good luck!

 

[mikemorton]

Wow, what a brilliant response!

Thanks Mark, you've given me some very helpful pointers.

 

[Mark1966]

Wow, what a brilliant response!

Thanks Mark, you've given me some very helpful pointers.

No worries - lots of us enablers around here!

 

[thekinge]

No worries - lots of us enablers around here!

A big +1! It's guys like Mark, Achim, Jake et al that are a big reason why many of us start collecting!

 

[CB1]

This is a great discussion. I've always wet shaved but switched to DE early this year - roughly 8 months.
I don't consider myself a collector though I have acquired quite a few razors. I really got hooked on NEW's and Slims. I loved getting them and cleaning them up! Now I've got to find time to photograph some and put them on BST
But back to the collector subject, I got a Fatboy a while back that is in beautiful condition and I've never used it. I actually put it out to use the night before and then the next morning I decide not to use it. I'm not a collector and it doesn't even have a case but it's just that gorgeous. I've also thought about selling it but haven't. Maybe I'll use it Christmas day.

 

[oxford1833]

This is a great discussion. I've always wet shaved but switched to DE early this year - roughly 8 months.
I don't consider myself a collector though I have acquired quite a few razors. I really got hooked on NEW's and Slims. I loved getting them and cleaning them up! Now I've got to find time to photograph some and put them on BST
But back to the collector subject, I got a Fatboy a while back that is in beautiful condition and I've never used it. I actually put it out to use the night before and then the next morning I decide not to use it. I'm not a collector and it doesn't even have a case but it's just that gorgeous. I've also thought about selling it but haven't. Maybe I'll use it Christmas day.

I'm with Mark--unless it's NOS you are really depriving yourself a treat by not using it. I was lucky enough to pick up a beautiful cased FB for a steal at t local antique store. The only signs of use were a used blade in the razor, very slight fading of the dial number paint, and a thin layer of soap residue. Cleaned up and touched up it looked brand new. No, make that looks. With proper care I figure I can relish it for 30 years or more with no appreciable detriment. By then it will be 84 years old!

 

[MacDaddy]

You don't decide to collect -- collecting decides to take you. I started out just looking to sample different razors, and then started finding nice examples of the ones I liked a lot. Then from there I got interested in various historical aspects and started collecting around those. Most of my collection is pre-WWII, and probably a little more than half to two-thirds Gillette, but I'm also into the SE side of things and have a pretty decent collection of most of the history of the ASR companies.

My lines on use are pretty much the same as Mark's -- anything that's straight-up NOS will almost certainly stay that way in my collection, but other than that I've used most everything else in my collection at least once.

The easiest way to start is just to find things you like and things that interest you personally. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to collecting. The whole point is to find something that you enjoy.

 

[JHCC]

I just had an interesting experience that may help you think about your situation.

A few weeks back, I picked up a NOS Travel Tech set (short handled Tech razor in a zippered leatherette case with nail scissors and file, all in it's original box). The razor still had the cardboard packaging between the blade holder and guard. Nice score for ten bucks, I thought; a good addition to the collection (which already included four other Gillettes: a pre-war Tech in its case, an early '60s Super Speed Flare Tip, a late-'60s Slim Adjustable, and a late-'60s Knack).

However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do not want to collect anything that I'm not planning to use. As Mark1966 noted above, the moment I used that razor, its collector's value would go down. Anyway, my pre-war Tech is a lot more practical for travel. The next day, I took to an antique store and sold it.

So, my own philosophy is this: I'll buy razors that are either (A) something that I know I will use, (B) something I definitely want to try, or (C) a collectible that's such a fantastic deal that I can't pass it up, even if I'll never use it (although I might sell it). I may also be getting my grandpa's old razor, which I would definitely keep even if it's something I don't end up using.

Of course, that's me. All I'm saying is, think about what kind of collection you want, and go with that!

 

[John_Roger]

The way I see it, they were made to shave with....If I found a nos toggle, I'd open it and shave away.

 

[Dalejr]

The biggest worry I have as a collector: you have spent a small fortune on razors, you keep them mint to nos all your life, your family has no interest in them when you pass on and they get thrown away when you could have enjoyed using rather than just looking at them.

 

[stromberg]

I think it's fun to save the really nice ones for special occasions. My birthday was two weeks ago and I broke out my serial numbered toggle. It made for a very enjoyable way to start the day. I wouldn't want to give it the wear and tear of daily shaving, but it won't hurt it to use once in a while. It will easily outlast me if I take care of it. I would also like to agree with Mark about the razors he suggested, especially the British ones. They are very nice and probably much easier to obtain on your side of the pond.

 

[MacDaddy]

The biggest worry I have as a collector: you have spent a small fortune on razors, you keep them mint to nos all your life, your family has no interest in them when you pass on and they get thrown away when you could have enjoyed using rather than just looking at them.

I don't think that I have a single NOS condition razor that I don't also have a user-grade version of, as well. So I don't really have an itch to use any of them that I can't scratch. I get more enjoyment out of being able to see them as they would have been sold originally and being able to show that to other people than I would just from using them.

 

[Ollie4ISU]

I haven't found anything NOS, but if I did, I would keep it that way. Therefore, since everything I have is used, everything I have is fair game in my rotation. To me, part of the charm of this hobby is getting to use these awesome tools.

 

[cwnidog]

I haven't found anything NOS, but if I did, I would keep it that way. Therefore, since everything I have is used, everything I have is fair game in my rotation. To me, part of the charm of this hobby is getting to use these awesome tools.

+1

 

[thekinge]

The biggest worry I have as a collector: you have spent a small fortune on razors, you keep them mint to nos all your life, your family has no interest in them when you pass on and they get thrown away when you could have enjoyed using rather than just looking at them.

For me, the simple answer to that would be to sell them off or ask them to do so if I know that my family does not have any interest in inheriting my collection!

 

[thekinge]

I haven't found anything NOS, but if I did, I would keep it that way. Therefore, since everything I have is used, everything I have is fair game in my rotation. To me, part of the charm of this hobby is getting to use these awesome tools.

+1 to that. I have 3 NOS razor sets in my collection that I very much intend to keep it that way.

 

[blantyre]

Personally, I believe razors are to be used. I like to find the best examples I can and use them. At the same time I respect collectors who want to set up a private museum of razors they never use - hopefully some of them will come on he market someday.

 

[seattleshaver]

I don't have any interest in NOS so I pass on those. When an ebay auction mentions having the original box I generally pass on those as well. I don't want to collect or keep boxes.

Actually, I'm not a collector so I shouldn't even be responding to this thread I do like having a few more razors than I actually "need" however so in a sense it's a collection (DE and straights) but I use them all.

 

[Elder Scrolls]

I treat all my vintage razors as tools not museum pieces.....I dont even keep them in their box/cases...they line up on my shelf ready for battle like little soldiers