Razor: 1961 Flare tip Superspeed
Blade: Perma-sharp (4)
Soap: Arko stick
A/S: Aqua Velva
After a couple months of not getting along with vintage Gillettes, I finally hit the jackpot. The four razors I recently bought are all great shavers, and today’s shave was the pinnacle of comfort and efficiency - mild, close, smooth.
I was avoiding flare tip Superspeeds because some people claimed that they shaved about the same as the contemporary Techs. This is simply not true.
My 1960 Tech is so mild that I can’t get BBS without scrubbing my face to irritation. It’s a fantastic razor for someone who just wants a good shave with minimal discomfort, but it’s not for me. It’s also pretty sensitive to the shaving angle.
This ‘61 Superspeed is its contemporary but it shaves very differently. Still very mild, but also efficient and not at all sensitive to the angle (either that, or the domed shape makes it easy to naturally set the correct angle).
I also have a later ‘67 black handle SS which is very close - perhaps identical in performance.
So, Superspeeds are not Techs. Very different animals.
I wonder how it would perform with slightly less sharp blades like Astra SP. That’s the next thing to try.
Blade: Perma-sharp (4)
Soap: Arko stick
A/S: Aqua Velva
After a couple months of not getting along with vintage Gillettes, I finally hit the jackpot. The four razors I recently bought are all great shavers, and today’s shave was the pinnacle of comfort and efficiency - mild, close, smooth.
I was avoiding flare tip Superspeeds because some people claimed that they shaved about the same as the contemporary Techs. This is simply not true.
My 1960 Tech is so mild that I can’t get BBS without scrubbing my face to irritation. It’s a fantastic razor for someone who just wants a good shave with minimal discomfort, but it’s not for me. It’s also pretty sensitive to the shaving angle.
This ‘61 Superspeed is its contemporary but it shaves very differently. Still very mild, but also efficient and not at all sensitive to the angle (either that, or the domed shape makes it easy to naturally set the correct angle).
I also have a later ‘67 black handle SS which is very close - perhaps identical in performance.
So, Superspeeds are not Techs. Very different animals.
I wonder how it would perform with slightly less sharp blades like Astra SP. That’s the next thing to try.
Handle
