Super Speed Razors: The Post World War II Shaving Culture in America to 1955

[mgbbrown]

Man Mio Cuggino! You are welcome here any time Sir! You have made my week! Cap should be evaluating a 1947 Super Speed and ultrasonically cleaning it; a 1948 Super Speed in which the safety bar or notched center bar had a blade loading divot from sometimes in its history removed by him and replated by Chris at RazorPlate.com; a nice Z3 Flare Tip that once belonged to the late Victor Strum of nearby Clarksville, Virginia, which will be my travel razor and the only duplicate; and the same Victor's E1 195 Adjustable, which probably needs only an ultrasonic cleaning to be in good order. My herd of early mainstream production Super Speed razors still is lacking a tan Speed Pak dispenser for the 1947 presentation box to be complete, and I do have my eyes peeled for a suitable razor blade dispenser for the E1 Fatboy. Otherwise from the acquisition side of the early production Super Speeds- things are winding down to a close. I am sure that from a cultural standpoint- there is much to still learn about this period in shaving history. I have more to owe to my late father than I ever realized! Thanks again for posting and you are welcome back any time! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[Dagwoodz]

Tony, I just want to let you know I have read this thread, front to back. I thoroughly enjoyed the history behind the SuperSpeed line. I've picked up a few as well, a '53 and I just completed my set of '55's with a blue tip off of that auction site. The '55 series is special to me as it's my father's birth year razor, and for his B-Day and Xmas this year I will be gifting him a birth quarter Flare Tip. Thank you for this thread, it's wonderful!

 

[mgbbrown]

Jimmy Doolittle was reserve officer in the US Army Air Corps, and was recalled to active duty during WWII. He received the Medal of Honor for his valor and leadership as the Doolittle Raid commander, a long-range retaliatory air strike on the Japanese mainland just weeks after Pearl Harbor. He eventually commanded the 12th Army Air Force over North Africa, the 15th Army Air Force over the Mediterranean, and the 8th US Army Air Force over Europe. On Saturday, April 18, 1942, sixteen Mitchell B25B medium bombers were launched from the USS Hornet deep in the western Pacific, bombed military targets on the mainland and Honshu Island, then headed westward, with 15 crews of five airment crash landing in China and one crew in the Soviet Union.

The mug pictured below was made by a relative of General Doolittle, Doug Doolittle, as a presentation gift. Imagine shaving out of that... Or worse-dropping it. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Thank you Dagwoodz! You too must have a special father, whom I am sure will cherish the birth quarter Flare Tip Super Speed that you will be giving him- I know that it indeed will be a special razor from his loving son. Thank you too for your service! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Captain Murphy has completed the final restoration of the 1947 early transitional Super Speed razor, requiring only an ultrasonic cleaning and light polishing; the 1948 Super Speed re-assembly following restoration of the center safety bar or tee bar, as he calls it, after replating of just the repaired piece at RazorPlate.com by Chris Evatt; the Z3 Flare Tip of the late Victor Strum, which just needed to be ultrasonically cleaned and lightly polished, and will be my travel razor; and the restoration of the Gillette E1, 195 Adjustable which also belonged to Victor Strum. All four razors were thankfully in excellent condition and washed clean during the initial ultrasonic bath, requiring no further work on Cap's part. Cap did paint the numbers once again on the Fatboy. During disassembly, we opted not to paint the black anodized adjuster dial retaining ring, leaving the vestiges of the original anodizing intact. By the end of next week, all of the various examples of the 1947-1955 Super Speed razors will be corralled for a lifetime of use. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

Very nice Tony. I think Mr.Strum approves!

 

[mgbbrown]

I think so too Adam. Cap was extremely complimentary of the 195 Adjustable and his Z3 Flare Tip. Victor would be happy to know that his two other Flare Tip Super Speed razors found homes with two exceptional gentlemen- one is our assistant pastor, perhaps the largest man you will met in terms of stature and girth, but large too in character- he was given the B2. The other Flare Tip, an E1, which is the desirable short gapped handle ring in relation to its spacing above the TTO knob, went to a very kind and soft-spoken doctor whom I work closely with. Modest, never flashy, but always well kept in all aspects of appearance and spoken word. The third photograph illustrates a casting anomaly found on one of the blade silo doors on the Fatboy. Usually the plating is thinner in areas such as this, but apparently there is no surface erosion, and the plating is intact. Cap did bring it to my attention, and because of Mr. Strum's stewardship and care, it will not be a problem under my ownership. Mr. Strum's house is now on the market, and it indeed speaks volumes as to the gentleman that he was as well. Not a blade of grass out of place. Surely his store on Virginia Avenue was well-run with many happy customers. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

I think so too Adam. Cap was extremely complimentary of the 195 Adjustable and his Z3 Flare Tip. Victor would be happy to know that his two other Flare Tip Super Speed razors found homes with two exceptional gentlemen- one is our assistant pastor, perhaps the largest man you will met in terms of stature and girth, but large too in character- he was given the B2. The other Flare Tip, an E1, which is the desirable short gapped handle ring in relation to its spacing above the TTO knob, went to a very kind and soft-spoken doctor whom I work closely with. Modest, never flashy, but always well kept in all aspects of appearance and spoken word. The third photograph illustrates a casting anomaly found on one of the blade silo doors on the Fatboy. Usually the plating is thinner in areas such as this, but apparently there is no surface erosion, and the plating is intact. Cap did bring it to my attention, and because of Mr. Strum's stewardship and care, it will not be a problem under my ownership. Mr. Strum's house is now on the market, and it indeed speaks volumes as to the gentleman that he was as well. Not a blade of grass out of place. Surely his store on Virginia Avenue was well-run with many happy customers. God Bless! Tony Brown RN View attachment 687847 mgbbrown

Wow. When can I move in?!?[emoji106]

 

[mgbbrown]

Adam; I have dibs on the garage. The house is quite large, well appointed, and has been updated as appropriate. I am surprised that it has not been purchased, as Clarksville has Homeland Security there, and both Google and Microsoft are relocating. In fact, my wife and I fancied the area as a retirement spot. My understanding is that Victor had a large family, and your boys would fit as would your shaving den. I am sure that there is a railroad siding close by, so maybe the shop will shoot you a locomotive or two down from Altoona to troubleshoot on the side. Just kidding, but Southern serves the South as they say, and I am sure that there is a railroad shop close by in Danville or South Boston. Steam ruled the rails during the early Super Speed period, and were slowly replaced by diesel towards the end of the decade. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

Adam; I have dibs on the garage. The house is quite large, well appointed, and has been updated as appropriate. I am surprised that it has not been purchased, as Clarksville has Homeland Security there, and both Google and Microsoft are relocating. In fact, my wife and I fancied the area as a retirement spot. My understanding is that Victor had a large family, and your boys would fit as would your shaving den. I am sure that there is a railroad siding close by, so maybe the shop will shoot you a locomotive or two down from Altoona to troubleshoot on the side. Just kidding, but Southern serves the South as they say, and I am sure that there is a railroad shop close by in Danville or South Boston. Steam ruled the rails during the early Super Speed period, and were slowly replaced by diesel towards the end of the decade. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown View attachment 687922View attachment 687927

I've helped rebuild one of those old tuxedo units. You can gladly have the garage. Do you think all your MG parts will fit in there???[emoji6]

 

[mgbbrown]

Man! I was just kidding but that is incredible! Big steam was something I missed or just simply do not remember, having been born in 1955 and by that time, Southern had transitioned their passenger service to the tuxedo diesel. I did travel on board an early diesel passenger train in first grade from Columbia, South Carolina to Camden I believe or Greenville. As for the garage... God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

Here's a picture of said unit as it is painted today. It was originally a drab green and we dubbed it "the green weenie". It was a major headache for all involved but the management seems to like it. It, it's twin, and business cars reside at my complex.

Kindly,
Adam

 

[mgbbrown]

Man Adam; What an incredible restoration! We forget the majesty of the locomotive; and how the railroads moved ordinance and materiel during the War and helped established our commerce well into the early Super Speed era. it was indeed a gentlemanly endeavor to travel by train in those days. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

The last batch of early Gillette Super Speed razors arrived from Cap's workshop, where they received an ultrasonic cleaning, overall evaluation on their mechanical condition and plate loss if any, then a light polishing. Chris Evatt did an outstanding replate of the repaired by Cap, center safety bar assembly on the 1948 Super Speed- it was mated once again by Cap, and like the others razors- received a green light for a lifetime of service. The 1947 appears as new, and will be christened by a leisurely shave tonight. The Victor Strum Z3 Flare Tip will become a travel razor, and as a duplicate of the Z1 example, have the honor of residing in the medicine cabinet with my period daily shaving accoutrements. It is not often that one knows the provenance of a Super Speed razor, especially one that was so well cared for by its original owner. Also in the medicine cabinet is Victor's E1 195 Adjustable, which too received Cap's attention. I am please to report that on the initial ultrasonic cleaning of this razor- the bath was free of soap and other damaging residue-quite a testimony to the man himself. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

The last batch of early Gillette Super Speed razors arrived from Cap's workshop, where they received an ultrasonic cleaning, overall evaluation on their mechanical condition and plate loss if any, then a light polishing. Chris Evatt did an outstanding replate of the repaired by Cap, center safety bar assembly on the 1948 Super Speed- it was mated once again by Cap, and like the others razors- received a green light for a lifetime of service. The 1947 appears as new, and will be christened by a leisurely shave tonight. The Victor Strum Z3 Flare Tip will become a travel razor, and as a duplicate of the Z1 example, have the honor of residing in the medicine cabinet with my period daily shaving accoutrements. It is not often that one knows the provenance of a Super Speed razor, especially one that was so well cared for by its original owner. Also in the medicine cabinet is Victor's E1 195 Adjustable, which too received Cap's attention. I am please to report that on the initial ultrasonic cleaning of this razor- the bath was free of soap and other damaging residue-quite a testimony to the man himself. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown View attachment 688845View attachment 688846View attachment 688847View attachment 688849

Looking sharp T! I love provenance as you know.

 

[mgbbrown]

Adam; It truly is nice having all of the herd in the corral so to speak. There are fifteen variants of Gillette's early Super Speed razor production pictured inside the vanity drawer, but several more existed. For instance, there were two differences in the guide bar style utilized during the 1947 transition period from the prewar and postwar Ranger Tech- I now have one, as the other has gone to a new home with a deserving sailor in far more risky business than that my father experienced. There are several other permutations of the Korean War Black Tip Super Speed that I may not have located, differing only in base metal composition of the handle and head. In various forum discussions, there is mention of one of the earliest Black Tip Super Speeds having a painted TTO knob, but I have not been able to substantiate that claim. Because I have chosen to end with a date range through 1955- all of my Super Speeds have a cross-shaped screw, rather than a circlip holding the TTO knob to the end of the handle. Hopefully I will have time to summarize the various attributes of each razor before launching off to other endeavors, as my time on the Badger and Blade is drawing soon to a close. It is pretty hard to drive a Super Speed along a high plains highway with the top down, as my wife has never travelled west of the Mississippi and I am not getting any younger. My desire to finish the MGB restoration grows stronger daily. If I have time tomorrow- I will attempt to photograph them all in their respective cases. perhaps throwing in the Fat Kid, as Cap calls the Gillette 195 Adjustable, somewhere in the picture for good measure. In the meantime, a tan Speed Pak razor dispenser may rear up its head to tempt me, but my wife has laid down the law before our traditional Fall vacation in the North Carolina Mountains near West Jefferson and Blowing Rock. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Assembling all of the early Super Speeds together with their cases and respective dispensers, painfully brought to my attention that I was lacking a blue bottomed styrene case. This was the same style case characteristic of the Black Tip Super Speed offered during the Korean War, as well as for the X4, 1953 fourth quarter, 1940's style Super Speed Razor. This was both the last quarter for the mainstream production of that style, and the last before the introduction of the Z1 Flare Tip Super Speed. The Z3 and Z4 TV Special, a promotional for Gillette's Cavalcade of Sports, had a distinctive styrene case with a clear lid and blue bottom section. Although it was the last hurrah for the 1940's style, I personally believe that Gillette was, rather smartly, liquidating the last of their parts inventories, a practice seen with the introduction of the Super Speed line in which the early transitional 1947 Super Speed utilized the same handle ferule and head as the Ranger Tech that preceded it. This X4 example has a steel head and brass handle, with the head sourced from leftover Black Tip Super Speed razor parts inventories.

One must remember, that during this period in the early 1950's, Gillette had increased its worldwide market share under the leadership of Joseph P. Spang Jr., and diversified its holdings through the acquisition of the Toni Company and Paper Mate. Until that time, the bread winner for Gillette was not its razor sales, but its razor blade sales, and profits that they derived during that time were largely due to the marketing that Spang initiated. Gillette broadened advertising for both products, with record sales for each during the middle 1950's. Spang learned from the successes of his father and grandfather in their Boston liquor business, just how important advertising could be to company growth and overall public recognition. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[Bob L.]

If this is the case you are looking for. Stay tuned to the Saint Sue Auction.

 

[mgbbrown]

Sure is Bob... Thank you Sir! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

With the differences previously noted in the blade bed of the transitional 1947 Super Speed, I shaved last evening with the 1948 version to see if they held true following their absence in Cap and Chris Evatt's fine hands. The center bar nick from incorrectly loading a razor blade at an angle some time in its past, was repaired by Cap and replated by Chris at RazorPlate.com. Chris lives an hour away in Greensboro, and we share much in common with our respect for two-wheeled and four-wheeled British iron. He is also a restorer, and quite a talented one I might add. So is Cap for that matter, as his interests lie in the Buick, Stove Bolt V8 powered persuasion. Contrary to the opinion of many, there is more to life than a razor methinks- not passing judgement, holding them at arms length despite an obvious interest here. The same holds true for cars of any type, and motorcycles and trucks. Family comes first as far as humans go, and when my wife says no more spending on razors, well- it is a wise man who heeds her words. She is from Philadelphia, and a Yankee in King Author's Court. Having migrated to the Southland some twenty-six years ago, she still carries the authority that someone from there can carry down here... I digress. Tools in my toolbox-of-a-vanity drawer if you will, to put them in perspective.

The evaluation was made as my usual custom to reduce the variables- Creemo Cream for lubrication and a Wilkinson Sword Solingen blade for cutting off the whiskers from twelve hours at the hospital. A markedly milder shave than that from the 1947 remains the verdict. In fact, two passes with BBS results, with the most maneuverable of all the Super Speed handle styles. The key to 1940's Super Speed ownership is finding a razor with well-defined cross-hatching machined into the handle. This absolutely is the defining factor in how securely it can be held. Of course, condition of the plating and obvious past abuse are too important, especially for a collector, but because so many have survived, simply pass on a purchase if this criteria cannot be met.

I still stand that the 1940's style is the King of the Super Speeds. The notched center bar for many is a desirable feature, as it was designed to make loading from the then quite innovative Speed Pak dispenser much easier. The tabs, or wings on the center safety bar ends found on the 1947 variant, guarantee razor blade positioning on the blade bed, and that is the reason that they are there. However, for any of the following notched center bar Super Speed razors, a simple twist of the TTO knob until it is tight, does exactly the same thing in my opinion. I use my Super Speeds daily and sometimes twice daily in rotation, and my preferences lie in two styles- the 1940's design to the 1951 W1 produced in brass as the base metal, and the 1954 Flare Tip. In period, men purchased one razor generally for daily use, and that was their only razor until it was dropped or damaged. Unless they were fortunate, as was Victor Strum, to sell them and have any razor Gillette made available to use, his preference was for an all-brass, nickel plated Super Speed. After all- he owned three Flare Tips and a little-used 195 Adjustable. Both versions are all brass, and both have unpainted TTO knobs. For daily use- this is an important consideration, particularly if you are a bit rough on your razors. Of the two, the 1940's style is well balanced and can be quite deftly and lightly stroked on each pass. The larger diameter handle of the 1954 Flare Tip, because of the knurling, is also quite maneuverable, but with girth comes additional weight. For many, that is a good thing indeed. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown