Thread: Razor Shopping

Originally Posted by dubbin64

Alright after A LOT of research on my part and about 5 antique stores (me and my girl made a day of it) I found my first DE.

It's a mild "old faithful", a Gillette Tech, its a Gold finish ball-end slim knurled handle, Im not sure which year exactly but it is in the original packaging, with some of the original blades. Don't know much more about it but I know a lot of folks regard it as a great starter and a very mild but great shave, and Im only 18 so this will be great on my thin whiskers.
I looked at a bunch of other razors that were either un-usable or were far over priced. This one is very usable, and vintage, and was very inexpensive, I think the perfect buy on my first go round!

Here are some pictures

Edit:
Alright I did even more research and found my particular razor just postwar between 1946-1949. Anyone with any more info on how to narrow the date down further would be greatly appreciated!

Here's a couple of links. See if there is serial number on the bottom. BTW:You probably know this, but the blades don't age well and could be harmful; better to use new blades
Enjoy--it looks great. Also you might like to check YouTube for mantic59's how to videos. He's got good ones about using DE's.

Gillette Date Codes for Safety Razors and Blades

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/US_Gillette_Dating_Information

Originally Posted by dubbin64

my particular razor just postwar between 1946-1949. Anyone with any more info on how to narrow the date down further would be greatly appreciated!

The 1940s Gold Tech was also my first DE razor -- and one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, Gillette did not use any date coding or serial numbers at that time in their history.

If you spend any time on this forum you will often see the advice to try an assortment of blades with any given razor. The reason is because a member will find that while one brand of blade gives him a very comfortable shave with one particular razor, a different razor in his rotation will require a different brand of blade to achieve maximum level of comfort. This is because there are structural differences from one brand/model of razor to another and proprietary differences in the manufacture of the various brands of DE blades.

It's all a matter of discovering which combination of blade + razor gives you the "best" shave -- in your judgment. And of course, that evaluation is subjective to each individual member. That's why you won't find any "use this blade with that razor" recommendation anywhere (that I know of, anyway).

About the blades that came with your razor. Keep them as a collectible -- since they came in the original box. Because they are so old, corrosion will have destroyed the sharp edge. And blade manufacturing technology of that period could not compete with today's blades. Get some new blades and enjoy your shave!

Thanks so much for the info guys! From I have used my patience and waited to shave with this razor until my sampler of blades comes in the mail.
No Wal-mart or 60 year old carbon steel blades on my precious face just yet.

I know this blade are junk as far as use goes, but they are very cool, especially since their original to the razor, and I have kept them in the package in a safe spot.

Also I was pretty spot on with the guess of 46-49 but i need do some more inspection and research before I can say for sure the exact year. Until then its time for a straight shave! Will report back with how my first DE shave goes.

The cheap Wilkinson-Sword blades from Walmart are tolerable in a pinch. I've found that my local Sally Beauty Supply has Personna (blue) blades for only a couple cents more so I use those from time to time as well.

Kmart carries a no name brand, "Smart Sense." Made in Korea. Pack of ten for $5.99 is more expensive than good blades on Amazon. Like bharner says, "in a pinch."

Out of curiosity I tried a pack. Nothing to write home about. For me, Shark has these Korean blades beat hands down for comfort. It's nice to know Kmart & Wally World stock DE blades, though. When I travel I put my DE razor in my carry on and my blades in my checked bag. So if the airline ever loses my luggage again (as U.S. Airways did six years ago), I won't have to buy a pack of Bics.

Hi gents, thought I would report back after my first DE shave.
Blades came surprisingly quick! 3 day turn around, I ordered on Thursday! In the package was a sample of some other shaving creams and exfoliants, just little 1/4th ounce samples.
I also bought a tube of Proroso with my order.
This is how the shave went:

Soak my bowl, and brush with hot water in the sink. Shower, wash my face with Clearasil. Dry off, put a Chrystal blade in my Tech, load brush with VDH and put a dollop of Proraso in my bowl. Make lather. Shave 4 passes, two straight down, one across one against. Rinse with cold-ish water, then just a splash of Aqua Velva musk aftershave cause my face can get a bit oily, and its the only aftershave I have.

I have the say the shave was very mild, much more than expected. It might have been the blade, or maybe my inexperience finding the right angle, but the first pass felt like I was just rubbing the razor over my face without a blade in it, I did two with the grain passes for this reason, even though I got the majority of the stubble with the first pass.
I was kind of disappointed with the razor at first, because their was no responsiveness from the blade like with my straights. I like the noise SRs make. But i got zero nicks and the shave was so much less nerve wracking than shaving with an SR, also a lot quicker. And after all the passes I got just a good a shave as I was used to.

The Proraso smell was a bit odd at first. I say odd because half of me enjoyed it and the other half was getting nauseous, but after lathering it on my face the cool eucalyptus and menthol made it worth the smell, and my by the end of the shave I found myself enjoying the flavor. I didn't have any glycerin so it wasn't really uberlather but I think the VDH+Proraso combo was slick enough as it was, and was super lather-y.

Let me know any suggestions you might have!
Cheers

Originally Posted by dubbin64

Hi gents, thought I would report back after my first DE shave.
Blades came surprisingly quick! 3 day turn around, I ordered on Thursday! In the package was a sample of some other shaving creams and exfoliants, just little 1/4th ounce samples.
I also bought a tube of Proroso with my order.
This is how the shave went:

Soak my bowl, and brush with hot water in the sink. Shower, wash my face with Clearasil. Dry off, put a Chrystal blade in my Tech, load brush with VDH and put a dollop of Proraso in my bowl. Make lather. Shave 4 passes, two straight down, one across one against. Rinse with cold-ish water, then just a splash of Aqua Velva musk aftershave cause my face can get a bit oily, and its the only aftershave I have.

I have the say the shave was very mild, much more than expected. It might have been the blade, or maybe my inexperience finding the right angle, but the first pass felt like I was just rubbing the razor over my face without a blade in it, I did two with the grain passes for this reason, even though I got the majority of the stubble with the first pass.
I was kind of disappointed with the razor at first, because their was no responsiveness from the blade like with my straights. I like the noise SRs make. But i got zero nicks and the shave was so much less nerve wracking than shaving with an SR, also a lot quicker. And after all the passes I got just a good a shave as I was used to.

The Proraso smell was a bit odd at first. I say odd because half of me enjoyed it and the other half was getting nauseous, but after lathering it on my face the cool eucalyptus and menthol made it worth the smell, and my by the end of the shave I found myself enjoying the flavor. I didn't have any glycerin so it wasn't really uberlather but I think the VDH+Proraso combo was slick enough as it was, and was super lather-y.

Let me know any suggestions you might have!
Cheers

sounds like you angle was wrong or your lather was too wet. if the razor is skipping I would bet it was the angle. u should look into a Gillette adjustable so u can dial in the aggressiveness needed. I go 7 WTG and 5 for XTG and WTG. adjustables go 1-9 where one is mild and nine is the most aggressive. the Gillette slim is amazing.

I had a Gillette tech of that era and it was great to learn on. They're super mild. It sounds like you did everything right.
When I had mine I could easily do 4-5 passes and still feel like there was some hair I could have gotten. Facial stretching helps a lot with that as does finding a blade that works well with the tech. I had the best luck with Shark and Feather blades with my tech as far as close shaves go.

With my Fatboy adjustable I go for 4-5 on the first pass depending on how scruffy I am. Sometimes 1 if it's been a long time between shaves or if my skin is irritated. Then I bump it up to 7 for the second pass and usually call it good to go.

I'd place the tech I had somewhere between 2-3 compared to the Fatboy aggressiveness numbers.

It looks like you did very good on aqquiring your first DE. I'd love to have that in my collection! I use either ''Feather'' blades (made in Japan, & I order them online), Wilkinson Sword or Gillette's (I get them at my local Walmart). I've come to the conclusion that the Feather blades are by far the sharpest and most unforgiving, but if used correctly you end up with a great BBS shave.