safety razors

[Zeno Marx]

nevermind

 

[ftrplt]

I'll just stick to my trusty 1962 Gillette Fatboy adjustable!!! FTRPLT

 

[DWSmith]

Picture didn’t come across. Here it is(I hope)

I have one of those. Paid either $3 or $5 for it at the flea mall. I have 2 other 3 piece Gillettes too. One was my Grandfather's. He died about 65 years ago. My father used his razor for years and then I inherited it. The gold wash was about gone so I had it expertly nickel plated. I keep it on a stand with my favorite brush. I don't use that razor.

I have a Merkur. It works okay but the fit and finish should be an embarassment to any machinist, especially a German machinist. Pathetic!

I have some other Gillettes too and they are all wonderful razors.

This reminds me. I started shaving almost 55 years ago. Dad made me wait until my 13th birthday even though my teachers kept suggesting I might want to start shaving long before that.

 

[Zeno Marx]

"You're into old razors, right? Want a bag of them?"

So in the dopp bag was a 1953 Gillette TTO/Tech (Executive: heavy rhodium handle), two old Remington electric razors, and a brand new package of Remington cutter heads for one, or both, of the razors. With as much information out there, I have not been able to find much of anything about these electrics. They're both heavy, and they're both loud. My Braun is maybe half the loudness of these things. I might even wear earplugs if I decide to use them. Yes, I find them that loud, and I'm super protective of my hearing. Music is my life force. I'm sure it isn't too difficult to swap out the cutter heads, but I cannot find a single youtube tutorial or blog pictorial showing the steps. I wonder when old electric shavers will become desired retro and hipster items.

 

[DWSmith]

My favorite safety razors are my Gillettes. I have my grandfather's 3-piece Gillette and a couple more of them. My father had it before me. The gold 'wash' was worn off so I sent it off to be nickel plated. It's beautiful! The guy that plated it said it was in excellent condition.

My Merkur is my least favorite razor. The machining on it leaves a LOT to be desired. Really rough and sloppy. Can't figure out what all of the hype is over Merkur razors.

I still have my adjustable Gillette razor from 50 years ago and my father's adjustable Gillette razor. Gillette shouldn't have wasted their time with that design.

I occasionally look for the 3-piece razors at the flea/thrift markets. Get one for maybe $3 to $5. Scrub it up and put it in disinfectant solution for a while. Got a couple of good ones that way.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I now have these Gillettes:
1930s New Long Comb
1951 TTO/Tech (aluminum handle w/ black plastic screw tip)
1953 TTO/Tech (heavy rhodium handle)
1954 Red Tip
1963 Adjustable

I owned and sold:
1959 Fat Boy

The most I've paid is $15, and that was sort of a hasty purchase when I was first starting out for the Red Tip. Great razor and remains one of my favorites. All the others were either less than $5 or free. I'm probably going to sell the 1953 Tech, as I don't really care for how it shaves. I always recommend to new shavers to pick up one of the Adjustables as a starter razor, as they're cheap and a great way to figure out which blade gap you prefer as you're working on your technique. I love my Adjustable and find it to be genius in design. 75% of the time, I shave with a Rockwell 6s (version 2, when still sold in the tin box), and the other 25% of the time it's the Red Tip and Adjustable. The others are novelty shaves when I'm just in the mood to use something else, which is rarely. I think I only use the New Long Comb a couple times a year. It's also a smart design. I really should find a New with a standard safety bar, but I've been waiting to find one for a couple bucks at a garage sale.

I will say that I wish I had a razor that I liked where the head extended over the tabs. The Rockwell and New Long Comb almost do, but not quite. I nick myself with the sharp tab edges more than I do the blade itself. I get a little sloppy in my handling when I'm in a hurry, and it is almost always the tab corner that gets me.

 

[taharris]

I love my Gillette Fat Boy paired with Astra Platinum blades. Great shave every time.