Vintage Trac II handles? How are they?

[FaceScraper]

@Sabre I say one on the auction site Schick “international silver” how is that handle? Common?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is my fav Schick international silver model (the one on the bottom)

The top one is a ladies version with engraved roses .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Shantytownbrown]

This is my fav Schick international silver model (the one on the bottom)

The top one is a ladies version with engraved roses .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those are both nice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mjclark]

This is my fav Schick international silver model (the one on the bottom)

The top one is a ladies version with engraved roses .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful! Those really are elegant and classy handles.

I’m discovering that Trac II/G II handles are plentiful in the wild here in UK too, especially in travel sets.
Just received this good looking one which weighs in at 45g:

Also this very cheaply made “Solingen” brand which is most certainly not German, either Pakistan or China I’d guess.
It’s very cheaply made but it’s a nice handle, again at 45g.
It came with some TRIPLE blade carts which are designed to fit Trac II and Atra. Who knew?

The really great thing about the “Solingen” is that the head will screw into a standard DE handle making for endless excellent possibilities.
Going try it with this RazoRock Barber Pole for tonight’s shave:

 

[FaceScraper]

Beautiful! Those really are elegant and classy handles.

I’m discovering that Trac II/G II handles are plentiful in the wild here in UK too, especially in travel sets.
Just received this good looking one which weighs in at 45g:
View attachment 992703
Also this very cheaply made “Solingen” brand which is most certainly not German, either Pakistan or China I’d guess.
It’s very cheaply made but it’s a nice handle, again at 45g.
It came with some TRIPLE blade carts which are designed to fit Trac II and Atra. Who knew?
View attachment 992705
The really great thing about the “Solingen” is that the head will screw into a standard DE handle making for endless excellent possibilities.
Going try it with this RazoRock Barber Pole for tonight’s shave:
View attachment 992707

oooh thats good to know....how much are the solingen handles?

Yeah you can find some interesting Trac II handles in shave sets.

 

[mjclark]

oooh thats good to know....how much are the solingen handles?

Yeah you can find some interesting Trac II handles in shave sets.

The “Solingen” set I got for <£5 in an auction on eBay UK.
I couldn’t find them online anywhere else but they must be out there.
The head really is very cheaply made, just hammered onto the handle neck so it wobbles slightly although this doesn’t affect the shave at all.

And these discussions are helping me to see that Trac II is a collector’s world of its own.
I’m really beginning to understand the love for it.
It’s the greatest shave on Earth with countless different handles and countless different blades.

And it’s running wild in huge numbers on auction sites and in flea markets everywhere

 

[Sabre]

Solingen is a Chinese brand.

 

[FaceScraper]

The Trac II head is such a simple design that its easily produced by anyone and very cheap to make so there seems to be countless manufacturers that have made razors to fit the TRAC II carts.

 

[Shantytownbrown]

Just came in the mail today. In a minty box. Weighs in at 25g. Same length as my deluxe. Technically a “Lady Trac II” demonstrator.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mjclark]

Just came in the mail today. In a minty box. Weighs in at 25g. Same length as my deluxe. Technically a “Lady Trac II” demonstrator.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s very attractive.

 

[mata_66]

This is my fav Schick international silver model (the one on the bottom)

The top one is a ladies version with engraved roses .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is another handle from International Silver: The "Pistol Grip"

Stepping up the game, the gold-plated Cartier Trac II (a NOS set is currently selling on the auction site at around $350)

 

[FaceScraper]

This is another handle from International Silver: The "Pistol Grip"
View attachment 992821

Stepping up the game, the gold-plated Cartier Trac II (a NOS set is currently selling on the auction site at around $350)

View attachment 992822

I have the pistol grip Schick. Most of these are pewter . Very few are actually silver plated. The pewter ones can be had for very little money. I don’t really like the pewter finish to be honest although the handle is very comfortable.

The pistol grip design is very common with Franklin toiletries and Merkur as well as many other brands making handles with this design. To be they are tad bottom heavy whereas I prefer top heavy or even balanced handles .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sabre]

This is another handle from International Silver: The "Pistol Grip"
View attachment 992821

Stepping up the game, the gold-plated Cartier Trac II (a NOS set is currently selling on the auction site at around $350)

View attachment 992822

Cartier, Gucci, or Tiffany. Decisions, decisions.

 

[TADIII]

What is the ridged version, the one like mine? I got mine new in 1974.

View attachment 986806

1974? Or 1984? I thought this handle was introduced with the Trac II Plus (Lubrastip) carts in 1984. You can find the date code on the inside of the cart clip:

I would love to know.
Tom

 

[TADIII]

The “Solingen” set I got for <£5 in an auction on eBay UK.
<snip>
And these discussions are helping me to see that Trac II is a collector’s world of its own.
<snip>

I fell down this rabbit hole a couple of years ago when I noticed that for the first several years of the Trac II handle life there were three colors and two distinct configurations, and two further differences on the first configuration. It drove me to distraction trying to build a timeline for them.

Tom

 

[ChrisPL68]

These are the only two Trac II handles that I have left. I haven't used them in over two years. The Schick is about 5.25 inches long and the other (no brand) is about half an inch shorter. The may be finding a new home.

 

[mjclark]

I fell down this rabbit hole a couple of years ago when I noticed that for the first several years of the Trac II handle life there were three colors and two distinct configurations, and two further differences on the first configuration. It drove me to distraction trying to build a timeline for them.

Tom

Ha ha that is sweet music to my ears!
As far as the timeline goes, when did Gillette STOP making Trac II handles in US and Europe?
I’m aware they’ve continued in India with the P II but when did US production end?

 

[Sabre]

I fell down this rabbit hole a couple of years ago when I noticed that for the first several years of the Trac II handle life there were three colors and two distinct configurations, and two further differences on the first configuration. It drove me to distraction trying to build a timeline for them.

Tom

What configurations and colours are you aware of?

 

[shave/brush]

1974? Or 1984? I thought this handle was introduced with the Trac II Plus (Lubrastip) carts in 1984. You can find the date code on the inside of the cart clip:
View attachment 992939
I would love to know.
Tom

I'm sure I got mine in 1974. But I looked for the date code as you pointed out. Mine has a letter M on one side and the number 2 on the other side. Whatever that means.

 

[Sabre]

1974? Or 1984? I thought this handle was introduced with the Trac II Plus (Lubrastip) carts in 1984. You can find the date code on the inside of the cart clip:
View attachment 992939
I would love to know.
Tom

I would agree the ribbed handles were launched with the TracII Plus. However, in Europe GII Plus carts were only released from 1987.

 

[TADIII]

I'm sure I got mine in 1974. But I looked for the date code as you pointed out. Mine has a letter M on one side and the number 2 on the other side. Whatever that means.

"M" would indicate 1967 (too early) or 1992 (a replacement?). "2" indicates 2nd quarter of the year.