What makes Raised Flat Bottom razors so good?

[poikkeus]

I've never shaved with a RFB razor, but they command high prices - and earn raves for their shaving performance.

What is it about a RFB razor that makes it so special? Is it the workmanship? The design? The collector's mystique?

 

[1Vader]

Hmm? What's a raised flat bottom? Is that a tech?

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

One of the British made versions of the Gillette NEW open comb razors.

Stan

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

There's just something about the geometry of the Gillette New raised flat bottom that makes it particularly effective and easy to use. It might be that its design completely prevents the blade flexing or moving, or perhaps it's something about the blade angle, or its balance; certainly the slim profile makes it easy to handle. At any rate it just works, and a bonus is that its clean and simple design makes it look pretty much timeless, at least to me.

 

[santamariasteve]

Would a Barbasol Floating Head razor be an example of a raised flat bottom razor???

 

[xillion]

Would a Barbasol Floating Head razor be an example of a raised flat bottom razor???

No. A raised flat bottom is a variety of British made Gillette New razor.

There are a few examples shown in my image below.

From the left:

1. Raised Flat Bottom short twin i pin with ball end handle.

2. Raised Flat Bottom long twin i pin with open ball end handle.

3. New Type Goodwill for French Market with ball end handle.

4. US Stlye with ball end handle.

5. Zinc Flat Bottom Round pin with splined handle.

6. Flat Bottom Round pin with full knurled handle.

7. Flat Bottom T pin with two gap knurled handle.

8. Flat Bottom Capital I pin with two gap knurled handle.

9. Flat bottom medium twin i pin tabless cap with full knurled handle.

10. Flat Bottom biased twin i pin tabless cap with two gap knurled handle.

11. Flat Bottom medium twin i pin with single gap knurled handle.

12. Raised Flat Bottom "fang" tab with short single gap knurled handle.

 

[ItsTaz]

Hmm? What's a raised flat bottom? Is that a tech?

I got one r gently, had no idea what it was until the guys here helped me out. I have yet to shave with it, will have to rectify that soon.

 

[tonich]

That's a re branded Rotbart.

 

[BSAGuy]

 

[ItsTaz]

That's a re branded Rotbart.

Yeah, that's what I learned after buying it.

 

[Jacquers]

I've never shaved with a RFB razor, but they command high prices - and earn raves for their shaving performance.

What is it about a RFB razor that makes it so special? Is it the workmanship? The design? The collector's mystique?

I think it's a combination of all those qualities and also that it's not very common compared to other models. I took a chance and bought a set on eBay that had only one not so nice photo which I'm hoping is a British NEW #44. Will have to wait and see when it arrives.

 

[creekwalker]

Which are the most aggressive of these razors?

 

[rabidus]

I didn't find anything special about it. I find the NEW SC to be the best NEW made. It's baseplate design provides the most rigidity out of all of them, which is better for cutting coarse stubble.

 

[Bona Fide]

There's a RFB Tech as well, not just NEWs. I just came into a RFB Tech and NEW SC so a bit of comparison will be forthcoming.

 

[Copierguy]

They come in many flavors, OC, SB, 2 piece and 3. They have a great blend of exposure, gap, weight and balance.

 

[nuclearblast]

That's a re branded Rotbart.

Yeah, that's what I learned after buying it.

7 O'clock actually.

There's a RFB Tech as well, not just NEWs. I just came into a RFB Tech and NEW SC so a bit of comparison will be forthcoming.

The one you posted in the Acquisition thread is a Flat Bottom, not a Raised Flat Bottom. It's a very nice score, though. But they're not the same.

Flat Bottom Tech

http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/Tech/1940s thin handle Tech in Bakelite England.JPG

NEW/Tech Hybrid (RFB Tech)

http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/Tech/1939 Tech Hybrid England from Richard Snyder.jpg

They come in many flavors, OC, SB, 2 piece and 3. They have a great blend of exposure, gap, weight and balance.

+1

They're superb, IMO.

 

[imatabor]

What is it about a RFB razor that makes it so special?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/461501-Gillette-Raised-Flat-Bottom-parade

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/479270-Grudge-Match-NEW-Deluxe-versus-Raised-Flat-Bottom

 

[bakerbarber]

Scarcity.


The premise of the thread title is misleading.

YMMV

Just saying.

If they were so swell someone would have made sure more of them were made at the time. People would have paid extra for them. They would have been copied, imitated, and remade.

They're rare, cost a little bit more, and the cognitive dissonance of ownership leads to a disproportionate amount of praise and legend.

They look nice and not everyone has one. They shave. A lot of other razors that aren't as mysterious and enigmatic do too.

Ever shave with an Eclipse Red ring or Darwin? They look cool and are harder to come by. I don't enjoy how they shave.

I like the RFB well enough. Not my favorites though.

I wouldn't throw one in the garbage. I also wouldn't move heaven and earth to get one.

Different and rare doesn't automatically mean 'good' all the time. At least not in the sense that they are better than anything that's more run of the mill and readily available.

 

[Jacquers]

I think we over analyze razor design, much more than the guys at the time ever did. I think it was just a shaving tool for most people.
[MENTION=33552]bakerbarber[/MENTION] I agree on what you said about some of the 'mythical' razors. I have an Eclipse and it's a nice shaver, but not mind blowing. I've found the same with other razors that people rave about as well. YMMV

 

[caus24]

I dont agree. I have tried many razors but when i tried my first RFB i knew that it was the best razor that i have. And i still think that today after eight months. I have tried more than 30 diferent razors. I belive that the best is a RFB folowed by a Rocket HD. But that is just my opinion. We all have diferent preferences, skin, soap that we use,.....

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