I have a Gillette Super Adjustable 109 and was wondering what number settings would be the same blade gap as a Gillette Super Speed Red & Blue Tip razors.Thanks.
What Settings on a Gillette Adjustable correspond with a Super Speed Red & Blue Tip Razor
- Thread starter Steve K
- Start date
1-3 blue tip, 4-6 regular, 7-9 red tip.
I just acquired a 1961 Flair tip, a 1960 Fatboy, and a 1961 Slim adjustable. For me the silver flair tip comes in at around 5 on the Fatboy, and a 6 on the slim.
Red tip = setting of 6
Blue tip = setting of 3
Blue tip = setting of 3
Assuming the 109 has similar settings as a Slim, this is about right. I have a couple dozen Super Speeds, and 8 & 9 on the Slim are much more aggressive than any Super Speed. After shaving with a Slim on 9, the Red Tip feels tame. Love them all though. The Black Beauty adjustable might be one of the very few vintage Gillettes I never had. With Toggles, FatBoys and Slims in my collection, I never had the urge to hunt one down. And I never really found one out in the wild. One day I’ll get one in a trade deal or something.
It's interesting that the very first Gillette Toggle brought out onto the market in 56-57, the one with the red dot on the toggle lever, only had 5 settings. 1-2.5 would mimic a blue tip, 2.5-3.5 the standard, and 3-4 the red. I can only assume that 4-5 was for an extremely aggressive/efficient shave beyond the Red Tip.
This info is from an internal Gillette memo from the development of the Toggle, with blade angles. It calls the 1-5 dial settings 'Acrometer settings' as far as I can see from the diagram.
That is from the fascinating Razor Emporium 'Razor Archive' series video on the history of the Gillette Adjustable, and the 'Razor Archive' video dealing with the Toggle specifically.
This info is from an internal Gillette memo from the development of the Toggle, with blade angles. It calls the 1-5 dial settings 'Acrometer settings' as far as I can see from the diagram.
That is from the fascinating Razor Emporium 'Razor Archive' series video on the history of the Gillette Adjustable, and the 'Razor Archive' video dealing with the Toggle specifically.
Last edited:
Red tip is about a six, maybe. Blue tip is about a 2-3. Regular superspeed about 4-5.
In my opinion, the adjustables can get milder than the blue tip and more aggressive than the red tip.
In my opinion, the adjustables can get milder than the blue tip and more aggressive than the red tip.
I find this so interesting because I’ve never had a decent, nick free shave from any of my Gillette adjustables but can consistently get a good shave from a red tip. Ymmv as they say
I feel that way about the Fatboy and the Toggle. Always get weepers. But I can shave with a Slim on 9 all day without issue. I just think the Slim is smoother than the others. Or I have more practice with the Slim. I’ve given up on the Fatboy years ago. But I still pull out the Toggle from time to time. It’s just too cool. I really need to pick up a Black Beauty at some point. And also revisit the Fatboy, It’s been years.
I rarely go above 7 on my Slim. Definitely asking for nicks. I don't get nicks from the Red Tip, though it's a tradeoff; I can't get my jawline as close with the Red Tip as I would by just cranking up the Slim.
I've always kept an eye on the Black Beauty line--really, the Super 84 is the one I would want. I have no use for a long handle; even my Slim is too long for me, although I appreciate its weight.
I think the Super Adjustables are between 1-3 settings more aggressive compared to the Slim, which is also 1-2 settings more aggressive than the Fatboy, so it's hard to say for sure exactly which settings are the same with the Super Speed series, but like others said - 1-3 = blue tip, 4-6 = flare tip and 7-9 = red tip.
That was me until I learned the fine nuances of shaving super steep. Anything above 5 would be a bloodbath. Now I can shave a Slim on 9 without any issues. Like I said, time to revisit that dusty ole Fatboy.
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
Didn't one of the guys in Spinal Tap have a Fatboy that went to 11?
The highest setting on the black beauty is reputed to be a notch higher than that on the Slim Adjustable. The black beauty is more efficient at each setting than it's predecessor. I have never used the higher settings on my Slim Adjustable or my short handled black beauty. I speak only from what other's have said about how they compare at the high end of the dial.
Similar threads
