Just dusted off the collection and came across one of these. Looks unused, but is certainly over 40 years old. I am sorely tempted to give it a go. Anyone driven one of these?
Gillette Techmatic
- Thread starter Guruschmuru
- Start date
I had one when they were being manufactured. The shave from them was not the greatest, but they did shave. I didn't really like the shave quality of them. I wouldn't shave with one today because the ribbon blade is so old that it would be questionable. Refills have not been made for those for many years. The way that they are designed the blade didn't seem totally flat which made them difficult to shave with.
I would leave that thing alone. That was my dad's old razor that he let me have when he moved on to a better electric. I was 13 at the time and shaving with his old Norelco speedshaver which was over 10 years old and causing me problems. Dad told me to give the Techmatic a try because he could not use it and that he would use electrics from that point on. I tried it for a couple of months and it tugged, pulled and cut. Thank goodness that the Trac II came out about that time and I ditched the Techmatic (GOOD RIDDANCE). Those things are best left to be a visual prop and not a working shaver.
I have to disagree with the above posts. I use the Techmatic and also the Schick band razor. They are both in my rotation and they both give remarkably good shaves. They are not difficult to learn how to use and they have some attributes that totally beat out a DE such as the utter ease with which they can get the difficult whiskers under the nose. I have a very good supply of Gillette and Schick cartridges. They razor band is made of coated stainless steel and is as sharp and smooth as the celebrated DE blades from the '70s that so many of us rave about. So...can you tell I like band razors?
I promise that you will not have any competition from me in purchasing old stock techmatic cartridges on eBay. To each his own. Enjoy.
I used one years ago in my venture through all of Gillette's products. Can't say I was impressed with it, tho.
I had some good shaves with these, particularly the first shave on a new band. They could be really sharp and even.
I had some real bloody horrors, too, and I found the variable quality of shaves frightening, so I went back to DE.
I had some real bloody horrors, too, and I found the variable quality of shaves frightening, so I went back to DE.
Use it if you have a Nib razorband cartridge, i did. One of the better razors i have ever used.
http://youtu.be/k6QE-u36_38
http://youtu.be/BsuhcQP-hiA
http://youtu.be/k6QE-u36_38
http://youtu.be/BsuhcQP-hiA
The Techmatics work, but generally are regarded as second tier shavers here. Give it a go. Worst thing that will happen is a bad shave, right?
A ghastly razor. Made the Trac II that replaced it seem like heaven.
I donated mine to the Sue auction a couple of years ago, it had 2 or 3 new refills. I think it brought $75, possibly a world record for a Techmatic! I kind of regret not giving it a whirl though, but maybe I'll stumble across another one for $3 at the flea market.
I found the Techmatic to be so mild, even on the highest setting, that it was basically useless.
The Techmatic was my first razor when I was in high school. I have one with five cartridges I purchased out of nostalgia on The Bay a few years ago, but have been wondering if the ribbon blade would lie flat enough to provide a good shave after all this time. Maybe I will try it.
Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins took a Techmatic to the moon in 1969 with Old Spice brushless cream. Smithsonian photos here:
http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19980010000
http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19980010000
This was my first razor and thought it was OK at the time but I don't remember the shaves being all that close and the only thing I had to compare it with was a Norelco electric.
I have replied similarly to other posts about the Techmatic. It was in my house as a kid and we used to fake-shave with the handle, sans the blade, until I was old enough to shave. It might have been my very first razor.
Out of sentiment, my son bought me one recently because I mentioned it reminded me of my youth, but I won't use the blade in it. I got another one in an auction lot. However, I await a good reasonably-priced resource for a NOS band before giving it a whirl.
Out of sentiment, my son bought me one recently because I mentioned it reminded me of my youth, but I won't use the blade in it. I got another one in an auction lot. However, I await a good reasonably-priced resource for a NOS band before giving it a whirl.
