Which gillette superspeed for newbie?

[palmettoking]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking around for a few weeks and now I'm ready to take the plunge. I've come to the conclusion that a Gillette Superspeed will fit my needs as well as my wallet. Is there a particular year(s) that are preferable to others? I'm watching the gamut of years on ebay, as well as in the buy, sell, trade section. Thanks

[luvmysuper]

The 40's style are my personal favorite, but you could pick one that has a year of some significance to you, your birth year or your dads.
Though some models may have been better than others, there was no bad Superspeeds made.

[kevtex]

Pick the one that is most eye appealing to you. They're all good!

[BroJohn]

I consider the mid to late-50's flare tip Superspeeds to be the 'golden age' of Superspeeds, FWIW. All are good.

-- John Gehman

[wazazzle]

I started with a 3pc tech which gives a mild comfortable shave. It's also generally a good piece to judge how close other razors shave too.

[ShavelockFoams]

To my face, the 40s style is a bit more mild than the flare tip. Of course YMMV. Either would make a good first DE.

[mrbear]

I personally like the 40's style, but most all superspeeds are great shavers.

[Dennard]

to my face, the 40s style is a bit more mild than the flare tip. Of course ymmv. Either would make a good first de.

+1

[Stubblefield]

The 40's style seems to give me the best shave, but not by much of a margin. Any one of the many models will do an excellent job.

[bokaba]

All the superspeeds are great

[saltypete]

Another vote for the 40's SS. I really like mine.

Pete

[Dharion]

I started DE shaving with a 80's Super Speed (black handle).
http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=17293
It's not my razor but it's the razor model.

[Wingnut]

I started DE shaving with a 80's Super Speed (black handle).
http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=17293
It's not my razor but it's the razor model.

I currently own a 40's style SS, a couple of late 50's flare tips, and one of these "little black beauties" from the mid 1970's. Although they are all fine shavers, in my experience the most agressive is the 50's flare tip, followed by the 40's style, and then the black handled version.

I've been using all 3 types for the 4 months since I started DE shaving and, for my money, my black handled version from 1974 gives me the most consistently good shaves. I find that I prefer a lighter razor and a milder shaver, and of the 3, the black-handled version is the lightest and most forgiving. It also has a fairly low head profile for a TTO razor, which makes it handle like a sports car - which I really enjoy.:thumbup1:

The 40's style SS, while a nice mild shaver, has a bit higher profile on the TTO doors, which I find makes it slightly more difficult to maneuver in tight spots like my upper lip. The 50's flare tip SS has the same lower head profile as the black-handled version and also handles very well, but right now it's slightly too aggressive to be perfect for my improving-but-still-far-from-great technique.

I should say that my beard, while about average in coverage and density, is made up of fairly fine hair shafts, so a milder razor poses no problem with beard reduction for me. I would rate my skin to be in the average to slightly sensitive range.

If I were in your shoes, I'd give one of the newer, black handled versions a try to start. Being the least aggressive of the 3, they offer more of a margin for error for a beginner with less-than-perfect technique. An added plus is that, being "younger", they are fairly easy to track down and less expensive to purchase when you do find one. I found mine in an antique store here in NC and it cost all of $2.00!:w00t:

Having said all that, this is probably a case of picking nits. Any of these Super Speeds will make a fine first razor, and you won't be disappointed with whichever one you choose. Of course, the stock B&B answer to any question like the OP's would be to buy all 3 and see for yourself, since you know you'll really want them all eventually...:lol::lol::lol:

[goby]

Just a thought... are the red tips that much more aggressive? Is it too much for a newbie?

I started with a black tip SS, then a flair tip, then went to a Slim Adjustable.

[luvmysuper]

Just a thought... are the red tips that much more aggressive? Is it too much for a newbie?

I started with a black tip SS, then a flair tip, then went to a Slim Adjustable.

Nope. The Red Tip is a fine razor to start with.

[cvac]

50s and 60s superspeeds are great razors. Some of the 50s ones are basically 40s styles. Any year SS is fine. I'd probably go with a "regular" one instead of red tip or blue tip simply because the "regular" is the "benchmark".

[pal]

the 40's style are my personal favorite, but you could pick one that has a year of some significance to you, your birth year or your dads.
Though some models may have been better than others, there was no bad superspeeds made.
+1