Thread: 1922 Gillette Old Type ball end DE

the NEW and old types are easy to tell the different, the old types have the "bullet" pins on head that go through the baseplate to align, the NEWs dont have them they have a couple of small tabs that is into the top of the baseplate, and nothing passes through them,...

you can see a tonne of pictures of all of gillettes offerings at Mr Razors website, east way to date and identify razors

Nice score for the price. Let us know how it shaves

I've had it for a while now, and it's one of my go-to DEs. The other is my Slim Adjustable, which is an heirloom piece. As Obie said, it's not particularly aggressive for an open-comb. It is considerably more aggressive than the Tech I tried, though. I'd say it's about a "2" on the Slim Adjustable scale, which is what I set that to as well.

I feel funny regularly using a DE that's 90-years-old, but it's too good a shaver not to use.

I have close to the same razor execpt mine doesn't have the ball end. That one is more of an aggressive razor. I agree with Syngent, you don't need any pressure to produce a nice close shave. Happy shaving!!

the old types had two head designs 102A and a 102B on is thicker then the other, and the thin one is the more aggressive of the two... i know theres a picture floating around the forums somewhere if you where truely interested in the difference ill scroung it up

I have two of that exact model razor, and two of the other type (slightly narrower handle), they shave beautifully -- one has cracks on both the bottom and the top of the handle, and the other one is perfect, but both were solid brass, not plated, and even the one with cracks performed exemplary... While a tad bit aggressive, they give a really close shave. I used to use it exclusively as my touch up razor until I got good with the straight razor. Then I got a fat boy, and the 1922 went to the wayside... I also got a Merkur 34C and honestly I like my vintage razors better, even my Schick Krona with the bakelite handle seems to shave better, maybe it's my technique... or maybe it's my face, it scares away the new fangled safety razors!

.

This was my comparison picture, they both came to me like the one on the left, and no these are not the same razor although both gillettes, I got a lot of 8 razors that came to me in various stated of disrepair. The other two with the narrower handles are nickel plated.