I have several Gillette Super Speeds and Gillette Adjustables and I have always loved them because they shave great, look great and work perfectly forever if you don't abuse them. I have a few that looked like they had been to hell and back when I bought them and they cleaned up beautifully and work perfectly. I have never had a problem with one after cleaning it and now using several of them for over 10 years. Keep in mind they were 40+ years old when I got them! I also love my 3 piece razors, Injectors, 2 piece razors, etc! They all have advantages but in my opinion the vintage butterfly razors were superb with no real disadvantages.
Why do TTO "Butterfly" razors appeal to so many?
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Good on yah! I unfortunately can't say the same. As an injector user of many years I just wasn't used to handling blades when I first tried a DE.I don't recall ever cutting myself loading a DE blade in my 3-piece razors after over a decade of use. The closest I have come is peeling a fingerprint without any blood loss when cleaning a top cap with a razor blade loaded which is totally on me, not the blade.
All kidding aside, I appreciate both the mechanics of TTOs - I have both Super Speeds and a 1st style Gem Micromatic - as well as the shaves.
On the aesthetics side, I can remember being facinated with my grandfather’s Super Speed when I was a little kid. And I have the honor of shaving with that ‘53 tank of a razor today!
On the effectiveness side, I can get great shaves from most of my razors; but nothing better than the 40s Super Speeds can give me effortlessly.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
At the very start of my shave journey I favored them because I didn't understand two-piece, three-piece. They just made sense. Later I learned it was probably easier to make a very good two or three piece vs tto butterfly, especially at the lower price points. Now the only one I own is the Feather I gave to my late father.
Well for starters no TTO razor is worth spit (IMHO) unless it was born btwn 34 and 75. Second, it's a vintage thing for me. After 75 years my Gillette butterfly razors continue to flawlessly do their thing. However. I also possess many fine Gillette three-piece razor's and I will concede overall they do give a superior shave.
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I’m sure the Janus adjustable prototype razor was worth spit. Had it not been for the ill-advised spec changes before the launch it would surely have been among the best razors you can buy. The few who have one certainly think so. It would have been nice to have a modern, premium, precision-manufactured TTO razor. Why not?
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
I believe this is because people appreciate Gillette's series of works at the peak of its creativity, so it cannot be fully equated with "appeal to TTO so many".
For example, most modern-made TTOs are usually just considered rough imitations of the old days and are not as popular as vintages Gillettes.
We can see that people in the thread mentithat are all vintages Gillettes, and few people think of parker, baili, rockwell...obviously, the real key is not whether it is TTO, but the design and craftsmanship achievements of a certain era.
For example, most modern-made TTOs are usually just considered rough imitations of the old days and are not as popular as vintages Gillettes.
We can see that people in the thread mentithat are all vintages Gillettes, and few people think of parker, baili, rockwell...obviously, the real key is not whether it is TTO, but the design and craftsmanship achievements of a certain era.
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As was mentioned, I enjoy choosing handles more suited for the weight and handle design itself, so I seem to gravitate toward three piece razors. I'm guessing, over time, I'll regret selling that wonderful England Rocket HD 500 I passed on a while back now.
It's not vintage. But that's me. I really wasn't referring to something as nice as that but rather the cheapo TTO's coming out of China and other far-flung places. But I still prefer the old razors to the new-fangled ones. But I must confess I did break my own cardinal vintage rule and I do own a ATT Copper Windsor (just one) which does shave superbly. Cheers...
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I had two of them soon after starting out, and I still regret letting them go. But they'll have to take a number for the line of shaving regrets I have.
I already knew I was on the clumsy side, but your post about not ever cutting yourself changing a blade is making me think I am more than just a little clumsy. I've cut myself changing blades in my razors (all three piece) at least once a year since I started wet shaving 10+ years ago. I think I've gotten a little more careful, but I think it is just a matter of time until I do it again. Certainly hasn't stopped me from enjoying my razors, though.
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I don't know what part of Texas you are in but, I'm in East Texas about halfway to Texarkana or Shreveport from Dallas if you want to meet up sometime. If you are interested in flashlights, the Texas Flashlight Club meets near Canton then the next month is Richardson, alternating like that during the warm months.
For me, the riskiest time to get a real cut from a blade is pulling it from the paper it is packed in. Holding them by the ends (ears?) works really well for loading them in my razors. So far, no bleeding with a cut loading and unloading them from my razors.
I've never owned one and I'm an absolute novice when it comes to safety razors, but I will say the reason I have avoided TTO heads is that I think they would be much more difficult to clean. Is this assumption correct?
I love my TTOs but only because they shave well. The mechanism is cool too, I guess but I care more about performance.
My current favourites are all vintage… a Red Tip Super Speed, a Slim and a few Aristocrats.
My current favourites are all vintage… a Red Tip Super Speed, a Slim and a few Aristocrats.
Nah. Quick scrub with an old toothbrush every once in a while and you are good provided you rinse it off every shave.
I have two and I love them.
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Assuming you stick with the Gillette TTO options, cleaning is pretty darn easy, and if you can't keep one clean you won't keep a 3-piece clean either.
Warm water to rinse the soap and whiskers away gets it pretty darn clean. As noted, a soft toothbrush and some dish soap (Dawn or similar) occasionally will keep the "shine" on your razor as it cuts the soap scum and provides that last little bit of cleaning to make it look like new!
Understanding the societal context is very important in understanding the development of TTOs. Prior to WWII, the majority of people, worldwide, would live their entire lives within a 25 mile radius. If you wanted a shave, you went to the barber, or you bought a straight. Straights are fragile and relatively dangerous in small hands, so the "safety" razor definitely had a niche to fill during the Industrial Revolution. WWI saw the proliferation of safety razors for gas-mask wearing soldiers, and this carried forward into the early WWII years.
The TTO was/is geared towards the travelling man, especially, the travelling salesman. While it was invented prior to the end of WWII, the TTO gained wide acceptance from the Baby-Boomers (e.g., those travelling salesmen). One-piece, easy to load in an airplane or train toilet stall (because, yes, they had shaving sinks), and nothing to misplace, bend or break. No, they are not at all fragile.
The TTO was/is geared towards the travelling man, especially, the travelling salesman. While it was invented prior to the end of WWII, the TTO gained wide acceptance from the Baby-Boomers (e.g., those travelling salesmen). One-piece, easy to load in an airplane or train toilet stall (because, yes, they had shaving sinks), and nothing to misplace, bend or break. No, they are not at all fragile.
