Blades for old vs. modern razors

[markewallace]

Pardon if this is a dumb question. I'm just getting into this DE shaving stuff.

I saw some reference somewhere to the difference between how old, vintage blades sit in vintage razors vs. how new, thinner blades sit in them.

I'm kinda interested in getting a 20's or 30's OC Gillette, but I really don't want to have to deal with having to find old-style blades to fit in my old razors and also keep the new, current blades around for my modern razors.

So...can anyone give me a good solid primer on how my current, modern blades will perform in one of the many vintage razors (e.g. 20's or 30's Gillette OC, but that's just for example) ?

Thanks,

Mark

[man00ver]

The modern blades will work just fine in all the old Gillettes. It's not strictly necessary, but to increase the gap I'll sometimes use 1 or 2 shims when I'm using an Old Type, mounted between the shaving blade and the guard plate. I make the shims by trimming the sharp edges off used blades, with scissors.

I use 3-4 shims with a Tech, just to increase the aggressiveness due to its mild nature.

[cxg231]

I shaved just the other day with a 1920's Gillette and a cheapo Dorco ST-301 and got a perfectly good shave, not the best shave ever, but far from the worst!

[DougieB]

Daily I use a Gillette Old Style open comb. My first open comb. I have had great results with Astra SP's and Feather's. Personally I don't see a reason for any modifications. Same in Tech, Fat Boy, Slim, Super Speed...etc. I have developed a distinct preference for non TTO razor's. (full disclosure... less than 45 days into DE shaving.) I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of a Gillette 'New' style open comb. Can't wait.

[Mendel]

I just used a Gillette 7:00 O Clock Yellow Blade blade in my 1959 Gillette Super Speed with outstanding results.

[markewallace]

Very helpful. Thanks.

Now...is this also true for non-Gillette razors? If not, is there a good single source showing which brands and specific razors require their own unique blade(s)? On the vintage side, I'm mostly starting with Gillette DE and Gem SE right now, but (knowing me) it won't be long before I start to look at others. When I do, I'll want to be able to shave with whatever I buy, but I won't want to have to fiddle around with finding oddball blades.

Thanks,

Mark

[goby]

Very helpful. Thanks.

Now...is this also true for non-Gillette razors? If not, is there a good single source showing which brands and specific razors require their own unique blade(s)? On the vintage side, I'm mostly starting with Gillette DE and Gem SE right now, but (knowing me) it won't be long before I start to look at others. When I do, I'll want to be able to shave with whatever I buy, but I won't want to have to fiddle around with finding oddball blades.

Thanks,

Mark

I don't think you want a razor with proprietary blades. That is mainly for collectors. I've never known anyone to sell more than a few at time, if at all. The blades would be expensive, and there would be a very, very, very limited supply.

Stick with DE and SE blades for now. Injectors are also readily available.

[markewallace]

I don't think you want a razor with proprietary blades. That is mainly for collectors. I've never known anyone to sell more than a few at time, if at all. The blades would be expensive, and there would be a very, very, very limited supply.

Stick with DE and SE blades for now. Injectors are also readily available.

Yeah. Sorry. I guess that's what I was trying to ask. I'm so new to razors that I don't know which ones take proprietary blades and which don't. I've looked at tons and tons of F/S ads (both here and elsewhere) in the last few weeks. I don't think I recall more than one or two of them that mentioned anything about taking a proprietary blade, but something tells me that a few of them should have. I'm just wondering if there's an existing list of blades that take proprietary blades.

Thanks,

Mark

[goby]

Here's a thread about a "popular" proprietary blade.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/87094-Shaving-with-a-Segal-safety-razor

[Go West Young Man]

Odds are you're not going to just 'come across' too many proprietary bladed razors in the wild. Blades got standardized pretty early on, and anyone trying to sell a non-standard razor would never get much traction in the market.

[markewallace]

Odds are you're not going to just 'come across' too many proprietary bladed razors in the wild. Blades got standardized pretty early on, and anyone trying to sell a non-standard razor would never get much traction in the market.

Well, for example, the Segal razor with the funky little flip-up top piece. From what I've read, it took a proprietary blade, but most (if not all) of the for-sale ads that I've seen make no mention of this. A newbie such as myself -- if he didn't do the type of research that I do -- could very well buy one of those razors assuming that it would take standard blades and end up very disappointed.

Mark

[Go West Young Man]

Well, for example, the Segal razor with the funky little flip-up top piece. From what I've read, it took a proprietary blade, but most (if not all) of the for-sale ads that I've seen make no mention of this. A newbie such as myself -- if he didn't do the type of research that I do -- could very well buy one of those razors assuming that it would take standard blades and end up very disappointed.

Mark


Sure.... but in 3 years of antique stored scouring, I've yet to come across one. I've seen hundreds of Gillette and injectors, thousands of Gems and other SEs, maybe a half dozen proprietary-bladed razors total. It's something you need to be aware of, but honestly if you don't know exactly what you're buying it might be a good idea to research it first anyways, right?

[markewallace]

Sure.... but in 3 years of antique stored scouring, I've yet to come across one. I've seen hundreds of Gillette and injectors, thousands of Gems and other SEs, maybe a half dozen proprietary-bladed razors total. It's something you need to be aware of, but honestly if you don't know exactly what you're buying it might be a good idea to research it first anyways, right?

Eh, well, it would take me only a few minutes of running through eBay auction listings to give you a list of non-Gillette razors that don't specify whether or not they take a proprietary blade. If the ad doesn't tell me that the razor takes a proprietary blade, how am I to know?

Yes, the answer is "research," which is one reason why I asked if there was a list of razors that take proprietary blades. Seems to me that one such list would be much more helpful than having to go off and individually research every non-Gillette brand out there.

Bear in mind that I'm a complete newbie to this stuff. What may be old hat to you in terms of brand recognition and knowledge is completely new to me.

Mark

[mblakele]

Mark, I think it would be good to have a list like that in the wiki. Probably it would not be comprehensive, but I think it is a good idea anyway. I will add it to my list.

[markewallace]

Mark, I think it would be good to have a list like that in the wiki. Probably it would not be comprehensive, but I think it is a good idea anyway. I will add it to my list.

Cool. Something's better than nothing, in any event. Thanks for the consideration.

Mark

[mblakele]

Brief lists added to http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Razor_blades#History - one for DE and one for SE, both based on background knowledge and a few searches. If you spot any errors or omissions please fix them or let me know about them.