When did the Trac II start out selling DE razors?
- Thread starter fritts80
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I don't know, but I'm sure that someone here knows or could get that information. I know that I went from DE (Gillette Slim adjustable) to a Wilkinson Bonded single-blade cartridge before the Trac II came out.
Gillette developed the DE.
His patent ran out in the 1930's. He patented the DE blades. Again his patent ran out In the early 1970's. The Astra II was Developed and promoted in the USA. In lower economic countries Gillette continues to sell DE blades.
It is all about $$
No different than the big 3 auto makers not using different engines that have been developed. If you sell a product that does not wear out, the company looses out on profits
His patent ran out in the 1930's. He patented the DE blades. Again his patent ran out In the early 1970's. The Astra II was Developed and promoted in the USA. In lower economic countries Gillette continues to sell DE blades.
It is all about $$
No different than the big 3 auto makers not using different engines that have been developed. If you sell a product that does not wear out, the company looses out on profits
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If I remember right Gillette still made Super Adjustables in the late 80's but I think they had the plastic base plate. I do remember that the local walmart stopped selling WS blades after 2005. Only place I could get Blades and soaps here in Maine was in Rite Aid. Thankfully I found on line shopping.
Some history here: History of Shaving
Trac II came out in the mid- to late 70s. I think the switch to Trac II was pretty quick. Younger guys who were just coming into shaving age at that time never tried DEs. Some of the older guys who had been using DEs for years kept on using them, but very few of the younger generation started with DEs once the Trac II was available.
Note that this is just my recollection of what happened. I am 58 and never shaved with a DE at all. It was Trac II from the outset, and switched to Atra when it became available a few years later (I want to say maybe 1977 or 1978?).
Note that this is just my recollection of what happened. I am 58 and never shaved with a DE at all. It was Trac II from the outset, and switched to Atra when it became available a few years later (I want to say maybe 1977 or 1978?).
Trac IIs took off in the early to mid-70s, to my recollection. I don't have any sales figures to back that up, however.
Don't recall exact timing, but I started shaving around 1973 with a DE. (I 'm 59) I believe it was a Slim. There was a period of time with injectors before switching to carts. The first of many may have been a Trac II. The last were Tracer and Sensor Excel handles.
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I'm 57 and I just talked with an old high school mate from back in the day. He said he still uses an Atra and has never used anything else, and he loves it. He loves it so much he's reminded of the greatest 20th century novel, Ulysses by James Joyce, where Buck Mulligan treats shaving like a Catholic Mass. I'll never be able to pry his Atra away from him nor would I want to. I started with a Gillette DE that a friend gave me. When I got separated from it I just got whatever was available until the mach 3. It is the first cartridge razor where the name stuck because I liked it. I'm sure I used a trac II along the way. Mostly I remember thinking more than one balde was over kill and would laugh that one day they'd sell us on five or six. I stuck with the mach 3 until the cost of cartridge refills got to me, and I got to reminiscing about my DE, whatever became of it, and were they still made as a viable option. So I guess to answer your question it really wasn't a big deal for me. I was always skeptical of multiple balde razors being "better". My old friend however landed on what he liked instantly and never looked back.
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Finally, a thread where everyone is my age. Saturday Night Live began in the fall of 1975, and one of the regular features was a mock TV commercial, which I think came immediately after the opening monologue. These were done straight and seriously, so you might not realize they were jokes and not real commercials until the punchline at the end. One of these was for a "Triple Trac" razor, and perfectly parodied the then-new Trac II commercials by earnestly extolling the virtues of a three blade system. The spokesman says, "Triple-Trac's third blade, a finely-honed bonded platinum instrument, cuts cleanly through the whisker at its base, leaving your face as smooth as a billiard ball." He then concludes, every bit as seriously, "The Triple-Trac. Because you'll believe anything."
My very first shave (mid-70's) was with a DE that was my dad's. By the start of the 80's I was fully immersed in twin blade carts. In 1982 while in USMC boot camp I was issued a cheap plastic twin blade disposable to shave with.
At least in my feeble recollection the transition to carts was rapid because I don't remember ever wanting to buy a DE, yet they must have still been for sale in various stores I visited in that era. I truly wish I had paid more attention then, but at that time shaving was a chore, and I gave it as much thought as I would have to tooth brushes.
At least in my feeble recollection the transition to carts was rapid because I don't remember ever wanting to buy a DE, yet they must have still been for sale in various stores I visited in that era. I truly wish I had paid more attention then, but at that time shaving was a chore, and I gave it as much thought as I would have to tooth brushes.
I learned to shave on a DE, but when I went off to Basic Training in '78, I took disposable Bics, on the advice of my recruiter. Lousy shave, but you tossed the used on right before inspections and had a new, clean razor. Happily, that was the last time I ever shaved with one of those.
When they stopped offering other options, including DE, at retail stores. I can go back almost three years before I started with a DE shaving and I can remember never seeing any options other than cartridge razors and canned goo. That's all they had and that's all most people used. They killed the DE by limiting the options.
The Internet and the ability to order online has changed the game.
The Internet and the ability to order online has changed the game.
I'm 53 and this was my experience too, although I didn't make the jump to Astra. I remember my dad using a DE before I was shaving but I think he'd switched to Trac II by the time I started (79-80ish). I don't remember seeing DE gear in stores but then I wasn't looking for it, and as others here have noted it was like toothbrushes, etc. The internet has really enabled the hobbyist or specialization aspect of it.
I'm 65 I believe I started shaving in 66 with one of dads super speeds then when I graduated in 69 I stopped shaving for a while and grew abeard hey it was the 60's..
I'm about the same age as everyone else here. I started with a Trac II. My dad had died by the time I started shaving but there was a Superspeed (I now know the name of it) in the medicine cabinet. My mom must have used it.
When I really wasn't old enough to need to shave I tried it out once and saw how easy it was to cut yourself. By the time I really needed to shave I used the Trac II.
After I got out of school I got an electric razor for the first pass and used the Trac II for the final touch it. I hated shaving. I continued this way (electric and Trac II) up until about 4 years ago when I switched to DE shaving and straight razor shaving.
I think DE's must have been available in the stores for a while after the Trac II came out but I think the switch was pretty quick. Old geezers
probably stayed with the DE longer but most people switched. I never switched from the Trac II to the 3 or 5 bladed cartridges.
Towards the end I was just buying disposable razors as they were the more affordable options locally.
When I really wasn't old enough to need to shave I tried it out once and saw how easy it was to cut yourself. By the time I really needed to shave I used the Trac II.
After I got out of school I got an electric razor for the first pass and used the Trac II for the final touch it. I hated shaving. I continued this way (electric and Trac II) up until about 4 years ago when I switched to DE shaving and straight razor shaving.
I think DE's must have been available in the stores for a while after the Trac II came out but I think the switch was pretty quick. Old geezers
probably stayed with the DE longer but most people switched. I never switched from the Trac II to the 3 or 5 bladed cartridges.Towards the end I was just buying disposable razors as they were the more affordable options locally.
I am 58 also. Wonder why this thread has attracted so many of us of the same age. I started shaving peach fuzz in about 1975-1976. Started with a Trac II. Used that through college and beyond ( I guess) then followed the cart path until I discovered DE in fall of 2014.
So anecdotally, I would date the rise of the cart to early 1980's. Here is some dope from the Gillette website. I would guess that they know their own history batter than any of us do.
Timeline | Gillette News
So anecdotally, I would date the rise of the cart to early 1980's. Here is some dope from the Gillette website. I would guess that they know their own history batter than any of us do.
Timeline | Gillette News
1971 - Gillette introduces Trac II, the first twin-blade shaving system.
1976 - Gillette introduces Good News!, the first twin blade disposable razor for men.
1977 - Gillette introduces Atra, the first razor with a pivoting head.
1985 - Gillette introduces the first razor with a lubricating strip – Atra Plus
1989 - Gillette introduces Sensor, the first razor with spring-mounted twin blades.
1998 - Gillette introduces the Mach 3 triple-blade shaving system.
2001 -
Gillette introduces MACH3Turbo® featuring new blade edge technology that delivers the closest and most comfortable shave with less irritation, even when shaving against the grain.
etc.
1976 - Gillette introduces Good News!, the first twin blade disposable razor for men.
1977 - Gillette introduces Atra, the first razor with a pivoting head.
1985 - Gillette introduces the first razor with a lubricating strip – Atra Plus
1989 - Gillette introduces Sensor, the first razor with spring-mounted twin blades.
1998 - Gillette introduces the Mach 3 triple-blade shaving system.
2001 -
Gillette introduces MACH3Turbo® featuring new blade edge technology that delivers the closest and most comfortable shave with less irritation, even when shaving against the grain.
etc.
In high school I was using my dad's Schick injector when the Trac 2 came out (with much fan fare) in 71. I recall lots of TV ad's showing how the first blade cuts and before the whisker snaps back the second blade cuts it again. After that the race was on. What are we up to now? 8 blades (Dorco)?
I started shaving in 1978 with a DE. I was definitely unusual because most people who started shaving in that era were using a Trac II or an Atra which was just introduced. I think the transition was really quick, within 5 years of its introduction a majority of men who shaved switched to cartridges. I know that when I switched to an Atra in 1981 or so it was getting difficult to find DE blades other than Wilkerson Swords or Gillette Platinum Plus.
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