What's new

Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip way milder than I thought.

This morning I changed up my razor from a 1968 Gillette slim adjustable to a 58 Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip and got a mild surprise.

From reading on the forums I was told that the super speed was a mild razor. The shave-wiki had a copy of the super speed instructions and it said the razor was for normal beards. And my face is pretty normal. My slim at it's milder settings (1 to 4) were sometimes apt to produce nicks and weepers if I wasn't paying attention to my shave so I was hesitant to shave with the super speed and as I started my first pass I used a lot of the same technique I did with the slim. You know, let the weight of the razor cut the hair, hold it at the same angle, take your time, and so forth. But as the blade started cutting I found I needed to use more pressure and could use the thing almost like I did the Fusion cartridge razor I swore off.

This was only the second DE razor I have tried and compared to that slim adjustable it's a very mild shaver indeed. I would imagine a feather blade would probably work much better in it than it would in the slim. I don't think I would put a sharp blade like a Feather in that slim.......ever.

Oh, the blade is used for the super speed was a Wilkinson from Wally-world.

So the moral of the story would be......never assume any razor is good or bad. Try them all out. It's fun and you just might surprise yourself! Happy shaving y'all.
 
the beauty of the Slim is that you get to decide how aggressive you want it to be.

I haven't used a Superspeed since I got my Slim, but agree that the Flare-tip 50s Superspeed is a pretty mild razor. Maybe equivalent to the Slim on 2 or 3?
 
I've heard a lot about the SS and have been contemplating getting one. From what I understand the red tip is supposed to be more aggressive and have been scouting for one of them. I don't have heavy or even average beard growth but I do prefer a more aggressive razor. When I do shave with my slim I usually go with a 5,7,9 for each pass.
 
give yourself a couple more weeks or months and there will probably be a feather in that razor before you know it.

+1. I haven't used a feather yet in my Slim, but I've gone for the sharper blades to get practice (Gillette Yellow, Iridium Super, Personna Medical Prep) and have only seen good results. I think I'll try feather next. :thumbup:
 
the soul patch area is the only difficult area to shave for me with it. besides that i get bss shave
 
I did not love my Super Speed. I was never in danger of nicks or cuts, likewise I was in no danger of getting a close shave without excessive effort.
 
I got just the opposite result after using my TV Special. It's a Super Speed and I had a Wilkinson. The first shave was aggressive and my fault for irritating the crap out of my skin. The second was with a Shark (with a good lubricating shave cream) and produced a great shave. Next, I'll try an Astra SP and expect nirvana.:drool:
 
I did not love my Super Speed. I was never in danger of nicks or cuts, likewise I was in no danger of getting a close shave without excessive effort.

Ah, so I'm not the only one who doesn't get great results with a Super Speed. My 1953 SS just arrived this week, so I don't think I've thoroughly tested it yet, but the first three shaves were pretty poor. The only other razor I've used so far is an EJ DE89, but I get a much better shave with that one. Even tried the Personna Med Preps in the SS, but all that did was give me razor burn and still left a lot of dark stubble even after four passes. I think the SS is just too mild for some of us. I'll probably be switching back to my EJ.

Nick
 
In never got good, close irritation free shaves with my black handle super speed, but using a slim on any setting between 2 and 4 is awesome. I dunno why, maybe it's the weight. I never liked my 40's style one much either, although admittedly it got swiped by my wife after like 2 uses.

My beard is pretty sparse, but it must be tough because I get better shaves with less irritation with more aggressive razors. I've tried Techs and Superspeeds and their clones, and they just didn't live up to what my current top 4 can do.

#1 Gillette Slim
#2 Gem Pushbutton
#3 Merkur HD
#4 Leresche Old-Type clone

I'm pretty sure I make the difference though- I probably just have worse technique with lighter razors.
 
I have a flare tip and am currently bidding on a red tip. I was very surprised with the flare tip. Very, very smooth and with Astra SS, Gillette yellow, black and silver blues, got very close bbs results. I'm a vintage 3 piece razor fan but really enjoy the flare tip. I hope I win the red tip (supposed to be more aggressive) and am excited to try it. Anyway, its also fun to try something different than what I'm used to. Has anyone tried the blue tip? Is it milder than the flare as it is marketed?
 
I never tried a Flare Tip but have one in the mail as we speak, can't wait to try it out! - My 40s style Super Speed is a little bit on the aggressive side for me but still o.k. nonetheless. I love mild razors, such as my Tech Fat Handle (great!) or my beloved Slim set at '3'. My Slim is my forever favourite, even better than my Fatboy or all the other vintage ones. Slims rock :punk:

You are so right - you need to try out all the vintages available. I love all of mine, with the adjustables coming out on top. I find it awesome that you can dial them up and down as needed.

And by the way - I only use Feather blades in all my razors, they work really well for me.
 
My 56 B3 flare tip is the least efficient of my DE razors, but as it's my birth quarter razor, it's a keeper anyway. Lovely smooth shaves, but definitely on the mild side.
 
I was very surprised with the flare tip. Very, very smooth and with Astra SS, Gillette yellow, black and silver blues, got very close bbs results.

As a new DE shaver, I didn't have very good results with a 1964 flair tip and put it aside. Picked it up 4 months later and got smooth, near BBS results in two passes with a PolSilver SI blade. More experience and a sharper blade definitely changed my opinion of the flair tips.

Sent from my BlackBerry PRIV
 
As a new DE shaver, I didn't have very good results with a 1964 flair tip and put it aside. Picked it up 4 months later and got smooth, near BBS results in two passes with a PolSilver SI blade. More experience and a sharper blade definitely changed my opinion of the flair tips.

Sent from my BlackBerry PRIV

This. ^

With some experience and good technique, anyone can get a great shave from the mildest to the most aggressive razor. I personally prefer a more aggressive razor, but that's because I don't want to take the time to get to know a mild razor.
 
S
Gillette 1954 Z3 Flare Tip Super Speed .JPG
Gillette 1955 Super Speed Flare Tip Date Code A1 with Case and 6 Blade Blue Blade Dispenser.JPG
A Z3 Flare Tip is one of three razors which I use daily. The head of a 1954 Flare Tip is smaller than that of the 1955, so I find it more maneuverable. Flare Tips, like most Super Speeds- require good technique, and once you have used one enough to be accustomed to how it shaves- I believe that you will like it too. In general- Super Speeds require practice and impeccable technique, and I say this not to be offensive to anyone who may dislike them. These are mild razors, but less mild than a Blue Tip Super Speed. The knurling and wider diameter handle than the 1940's Style and Black Tip Super Speeds which preceded it, make it one of the easier Super Speeds to hold. If you prefer a more aggressive Super Speed- an early Red Tip Super Speed, say 1955-1956, may be your cup of tea. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown
 
The first ever flare tip I've had was a UK made 'normal' one, but was very mild. I've found other normal ones since then and they are not as mild, so it's possible that due to mechanical issues etc. you can have one thats milder or more aggressive than average. If you want more aggressive then go for a Red Tip or an adjustable.
 
My first Super Speed was a Flare Tip dated 1959 and it was a very mild razor. Lent it to a friend, who sadly died last year and his family could not find that razor anymore in his estate. Now I own a Super Speed Flare Tip L2 / 1966 and it is way more aggressive, because it got the lower head design. My skin does`nt like that razor and I have to change it with a 1959 or older version with the higher head design again.
 
Last edited:
My first Super Speed was a Flare Tip dated 1959 and it was a very mild razor. Lent it to a friend, who sadly died last year and his family could not find that razor anymore in his estate. Now I own a Super Speed Flare Tip L2 / 1966 and it is way more aggressive, because it got the lower head design. My skin does`nt like that razor and I have to change it with a 1959 or older version with the higher head design again.

I think you'll find the older flare tip SS to be much milder.
 
Top Bottom