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- #41
For Gillette options, being all brass, they tend to bend when you drop them. The good news is they can usually be fixed easily by bending that piece back to where it should be.
Why do TTO "Butterfly" razors appeal to so many?
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I know I want a Karve Overlander Aluminum, but there's no telling when it will become available again. So in the meanwhile I'm trying to decide between a Henson mild or a beautifully refinished 1947-51 Super Speed. I'm thinking the SS makes more sense since it's different enough from the other razor(s).
The VDH TTO (Weishi 9306) has a permanent spot in my travel kit. Why?
Well, it's solid, cheap, easy, comfortable and gets me just the right amount of groomed that I want to be on vacation or otherwise away from home.
I prefer more aggresive 3 piece razors for my daily shaves but the VDH is about as close as I've seen to an autopilot DE, from blade load to final rinse.
Well, it's solid, cheap, easy, comfortable and gets me just the right amount of groomed that I want to be on vacation or otherwise away from home.
I prefer more aggresive 3 piece razors for my daily shaves but the VDH is about as close as I've seen to an autopilot DE, from blade load to final rinse.
I have a few TTO Butterflys, all vintage Gillettes, I just thought having them would be cool when I started wet shaving. Thats about all I can say to that.
I've got about 12 razors. I like the TTO for blade changing, and I find them way easier to clean. Just open the head 1/3rd of the way and rinse it out from the ends instead of taking it all apart. They also seem to center the blade better. Some of my cheap 3 piece Aliexpress razors I need to fiddle with them a bit as I tighten them up to have the blade perfect. I just got one of the new magnetic head adjustables with a push button on the bottom of the handle to pop the top off. It's growing on me fast.
I only have one TTO now... a 1953 Y2 Super Speed.. gifted to me by @luvmysuper . I had a very fine specimen of the Gillette England Rocket HD 500... but I sold it to help fund a different razor.
The appeal to me is nostalgic...... when I first started shaving as a teen, I borrowed my mother's Gillette TTO because her main razor was a Schick G8 injector. I was cutting my face to ribbons with it. The TTO was one she had sitting around in a drawer. I had much better success with it.
But like so many men my age, I switched to the Gillette multi-blade cartridges. That was what was for sale in the drug stores and grocery stores at the time. SE and DE razors are much more fun and provide better shaves at the same time.
The appeal to me is nostalgic...... when I first started shaving as a teen, I borrowed my mother's Gillette TTO because her main razor was a Schick G8 injector. I was cutting my face to ribbons with it. The TTO was one she had sitting around in a drawer. I had much better success with it.
But like so many men my age, I switched to the Gillette multi-blade cartridges. That was what was for sale in the drug stores and grocery stores at the time. SE and DE razors are much more fun and provide better shaves at the same time.
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- #48
Got a link or item number handy for this? Are any reviews available on B&B?
It's this: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803608669112.html? It's heavy. The head is a lot thinner than the Ming Shi 2000s adjustable. The push button head release works well. Now that I look at it, it is not magnetic. The center post is clamped onto the base and more or less ejects when the button is pushed. I didn't realize how new these are. I can't even find any YouTube videos of it. Nothing on B&B or Reddit. It just showed up on Amazon in Gold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVM6P8ZK for $50. Not sure if the gold is worth $35 more than the Qshave model I first linked. The blade alignment on mine is even, and not fiddly. The handle is slippery, but so fat it is still easy for me to grip and adjust even with wet hands. The adjustment is very smooth and easy to turn, and goes from exactly 1 to 8. I don't know how long the head clamp/release will work, but for $15 I really like this thing.
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I have around a dozen Gillette TTOs and rarely use them. When I shave vintage, 9 of 10 times it's a Tech.
Easier and safer to change blades
1 billion times easier to rinse off the blade while shaving
They look cooler
1 billion times easier to rinse off the blade while shaving
They look cooler
I grew up using a TTO. When I got back in to DE shaving I was surprised that not all razors were TTO. I didn't know anything else even existed lol.
I only saw it mentioned one other time in this post but the reason I use a TTO is for head shaves because it's a lot easier to open up and clear any hair clumps out than a regular 3 piece. Especially relevant when I'm lazy for a few days and the hair grows longer than a closed comb would like!
I'm looking into getting an open comb for this reason but I'm too "fancy" to not get my favorite version (muhle ss). I don't want to risk not liking it and feeling like that was a huge waste!
I'm looking into getting an open comb for this reason but I'm too "fancy" to not get my favorite version (muhle ss). I don't want to risk not liking it and feeling like that was a huge waste!
I feel your pain, I have been waiting forever for the aluminum Overlander to become available again. Does anyone know why it takes Karve so long to replenish their inventory? Just curious if someone has any insight.
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I don't know where the aluminum falls in their production queue. I emailed an ETA request to them a while back and never got an answer. But they've added a "Work Required" tag to their listing, which suggests some progress has been made.
I agree with everything you said, except the flawed Techmatic. I have one in my rotation now, and quite enjoy it. The only down side is that when I run out of the 20 or so cartridges I have, it will most likely be the end of the line for that particular razor. Its handy and shaves well. The only problem I can see is that it is a bit angle sensitive. And that is where most folks that dont like the Techmatic make their mistake. Get the angle wrong and you will end up with an uncomfortable shave. Get it right, and its a good one pass close to BBS shave. As for twist open razors, I love em all. I have one 3 piece travel razor (thanks Space Cadet) that I use on occasion. I must say, I prefer the ease of a twist open.They are remarkably cool and, considering the massive production numbers, the Gillette TTO's have a very low failure rate. I have never seen a broken Gillette TTO mechanism, although that may suggest I should get out more.
The later, post 1961 TTO heads have a significantly lower profile than the 1940's and 1950's TTO heads. This was first evidenced in the Gillette Slim head which transferred to the 1960's Super Speed and other Gillette TTO types.
The Notched centre bar, the TTO mechanism and the new 'Speedpak' blade dispenser from 1948 all contributed to a hands free, arguably safer and more speedy blade loading and shaving experience. This was probably the first glimmerings of Gillette's take on the cartridge system, together with the fascinating but flawed Techmatic from the same year. Remember Schick had pioneered and matured a workable 'cartridge' blade system for some 20 years before this.
Here is the first fully developed Super Speed with all elements in place.
I began shaving in the early 70's with a TTO. My father used an injector in the 60's.
I didn't know anything about 3-piece razors either, until a few years ago.
Design wise, I prefer a TTO over a two or three piece design.
At $14, the Wilkinson Sword TTO razor is a very nice option.
Sometimes, when shaving with the R41 head, I don't like to trim above and below my mustache. So, I pop the blade in the Wilkinson to hit those areas.
The fit is fine, but overall, I like the weight of a solid head to trim around my mustache.
The Wilkinson has a nice bit of blade feel. It shaves a little closer than one of the DE89 type razors.
This is an excellent point considering the title of this thread.
At first I thought it was strange that anybody would consider
that the "dropability" of a razor, was a relevant characteristic.
Then, when I was changing the blade on a tech in the shower,
I dropped it.
That was my big revelation as to why somebody who uses
a three piece razor, considers the consequences of dropping it.
I've never dropped a TTO.
For me, the attraction of TTO is two fold:
1. Ease of blade change - Loosen, drop, tighten, done.
2. Ease of clearing during and after a shave - Loosen, swish, tighten, done.
Even more appreciated the older I get, as shaking hand syndrome increases and eyesight decreases.
My hands have been beat up pretty well over 6 and a half decades of wild living, and not having to fumble around screwing pieces together around a literally razor sharp blade is appreciated.
You may not see the advantage right now if you're still youngish and in good shape, but wait till you get a bit aged and beat up!
1. Ease of blade change - Loosen, drop, tighten, done.
2. Ease of clearing during and after a shave - Loosen, swish, tighten, done.
Even more appreciated the older I get, as shaking hand syndrome increases and eyesight decreases.
My hands have been beat up pretty well over 6 and a half decades of wild living, and not having to fumble around screwing pieces together around a literally razor sharp blade is appreciated.
You may not see the advantage right now if you're still youngish and in good shape, but wait till you get a bit aged and beat up!
