What about this little fella?

[TheraPi]

I got an opportunity to buy the Gillette's vest pocket DE razor, like the one on this picture:

I negotiated the price down to 10€.

Does anyone have experience with this little razor? Is it worth buying to be used, or just as a collectible item?

 

[zatoichi]

It's an OLD Type head, I personally don't like these so much as the shave can be rather rough. But anyway, why don`t you try it? You may like it.


And welcome to Badger and blade!

 

[TheraPi]

What exactly do you mean by old type head?
I'm not very familiar with the matter

I think they are compatible with most of the blades, anyway.

 

[zatoichi]

The OLD Type was the first type of head that Gillette made. It has got two bolts and two holes in the plate that secure the blade. like your razor has. The NEW followed the OLD-Type, I think it was introduced in the 1930's. It is also an open comb, three piece razor. It didn't had the bolts, the blade was secured by a bar. See a NEW here: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Image:30's_New_2.JPG

The NEW is regarded to be the best open comb razor ever made by many. Somehow the blade ankle is different from the OLD, resulting in smoother shaves.
I tried an OLD only once and it delivered a very rough shave, and so have experienced some other people. Some think a reason might be that the blades in the time of the OLD were much stiffer than the thin blades that we use today.

 

[TheraPi]

Thanks a lot for the little introduction.

I think I will try this one, and share my 1st hand experience (if I survive )

 

[BigRay]

I think the OLD type was intended for a thicker blade than what we use now, so some shimming might be in order (please correct me if I'm wrong here).

-Ray

 

[TheraPi]

Well, here I am.
I tried this old Gillette's vest pocket model this morning, and I must admit the shave was everything but painless

To clarify: results are very good, almost my best shave ever. But I got a little burn on my left side just under the jawbone. The bad thing was the terrible pulling on the hair :/

Maybe it was so because I did not use any shimming, or because it was the 1st time to use this type of open comb. I used Wilkinson blade. The blade is open but is tightly pressed inside the head and that could also be the reason for the pulling sensation.

I leathered, put on a wet towel heated in a microwave (my tip for HOT results) for 4 min. leathered again and used 3 passes.

 

[zatoichi]

Well, I don't know how many DEs you have tried yet. If you can find one, I would suggest that you try a NEW some day. As I told you, many regard it as the best open-comb razor every made. I tried to shave with my grandfather's OLD Type once and cut myself up quite badly.
Or you could try one of the Superspeeds, which are also loved by many here.

 

[Racso_MS]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

If this is your first DE (Double Edge) razor it may not be the razor at fault for the burn. It could very well be your technique (due to inexperience) or it could be the razor blade itself since razor blades are always a YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

Since it is an open comb razor it should be a little more aggressive than some of the more recent Super Speed razors that have a safety bar as suggested in the previous post.

Not to say you can't get a great shave with the razor, far from it, but if you are rather new to DE shaving your technique will improve with each shave and your shave as well.

Just remember, it's not a race, it's your face... Take your time.

And as always...

Enjoy your shave...

 

[jss]

Welcome to B&B.

 

[TheraPi]

Hello,

I was brave enough to try my new OLD open comb razor again today.
I used a new Gillette Platinum blade. After a hot shower I gave it a try.

In only 2 passes, an almost-BBS! I think, i figured it out. My 1st and only DE before was the Wilkinson plastic with the balance towards the handle, so I needed to put little pressure on the head.

The Gillette vest pocket model has its weight almost entirely in its head. That means no pressure needed. Also the angle in which to hold the razor is a little different. I tried constantly to remind me of that like "give more angle, give more angle" and it worked. I will certainly use it more often in the future!

Happy New Year all!

 

[zatoichi]

Congratulations!
Seems like you have found a razor that works well for you!
If the shortness of the handle should bother you someday, you should know that most parts of three piece gillettes are interchangeable so that you can put the head also for example on a Tech handle.