Real Heavy Or Real Light -- What Was Up With Those Brits Anyway?

ras120 · May 20, 2011

Has anybody else ever wondered why Gillette's heaviest and lightest razors were all made and sold in England? It seems that the most attractive quality about the British Gillette razors is their heft -- so why all the light weight aluminum models? Is that the way of it in Britain? Either real heavy or real light with no in-between?

I know they they don't quaff any light beer over there. :lol:

BigFoot · May 20, 2011

ras120 said:
Has anybody else ever wondered why Gillette's heaviest and lightest razors were all made and sold in England? It seems that the most attractive quality about the British Gillette razors is their heft -- so why all the light weight aluminum models? Is that the way of it in Britain? Either real heavy or real light with no in-between?

I know they they don't quaff any light beer over there.

But that does not explain the light weight part. :blink:

galopede · May 21, 2011

Don't know when these light weight aluminium models came out but was it during or soon after WWII? Britain was very short of steel then due to the war and we started using the much more available aluminium for manufacturing. It was soon after the war the Land Rover 4x4 vehicle first appeared and that had a mostly aluminium body.

Perhaps that was the reason?

Gareth

ras120 · May 21, 2011

galopede said:
Don't know when these light weight aluminium models came out but was it during or soon after WWII?

They were made in the 1950's alongside the heavier brass models.

OtherMoe · May 21, 2011

ras120 said:
I know they they don't quaff any light beer over there.

Actually was disapointed in how many I saw were drinking Miller Lite when I was overthere.

Maybe that's it, the drinking and shaving communities run together with the Miller Lite drinkers using aluminium razors :lol:

Bestarrkin · May 21, 2011

Maybe it was better than producing adjustable razors for England.

lancj1 · May 21, 2011

OtherMoe said:
Actually was disapointed in how many I saw were drinking Miller Lite when I was overthere.

Maybe that's it, the drinking and shaving communities run together with the Miller Lite drinkers using aluminium razors

I am afraid the marketing effect of Malcolm the Mounty in the 80's had a similar effect on gullible drinkers to the one Gillette has had on gullible shavers. Be assured, most of us don't believe making beer is one of Americas strengths :thumbup1:

wulfgar1976 · May 21, 2011

Aluminium models were also made in the U.S. The black-tip Super Speed, blue tip Super Speed and some ball-end Techs had aluminium handles.

On the Rocket LD and English ball-end Tech, the safety bar/bottom plate are also aluminium. I think it was due to the scarcity of brass at the time.

acutao · May 21, 2011

I heard The Queen turned down a Guinness on her recent trip to Ireland. Another aluminum handled shaver?

lancj1 · May 21, 2011

acutao said:
I heard The Queen turned down a Guinness on her recent trip to Ireland. Another aluminum handled shaver?

Indeed she did but Phil the Greek lingered for some time before she dragged him away :laugh:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/cE09...ess+Storehouse/QI782-VOrXL/Queen+Elizabeth+II

acutao · May 21, 2011

Ha! From the look on his face he must use a Bob's Bull Mastiff XL, w/ a lead filling.

ras120 · May 21, 2011

wulfgar1976 said:
Aluminium models were also made in the U.S. The black-tip Super Speed, blue tip Super Speed and some ball-end Techs had aluminium handles.

The black tip SS also came with steel handles, so I certainly believe that one was due to a shortage of brass and they just used what was available, but the other two were obviously constructed out of aluminum on purpose. However, all of these razors are decidedly low-end.

The big difference here is that every British razor at that time came in either brass or aluminum and included the high-end sets (#66, #58, #45 Coronation Tech). Maybe it was something as simple as a brass shortage, but why make razors you might not be able to sell? To meet production quotas and keep the store shelves full? I imagine somebody had to express a desire for light weight razors for Gillette to start making them.

Just another mystery to plague mankind...

wulfgar1976 · May 22, 2011

ras120 said:
The black tip SS also came with steel handles, so I certainly believe that one was due to a shortage of brass and they just used what was available, but the other two were obviously constructed out of aluminum on purpose. However, all of these razors are decidedly low-end.

The big difference here is that every British razor at that time came in either brass or aluminum and included the high-end sets (#66, #58, #45 Coronation Tech). Maybe it was something as simple as a brass shortage, but why make razors you might not be able to sell? To meet production quotas and keep the store shelves full? I imagine somebody had to express a desire for light weight razors for Gillette to start making them.

Just another mystery to plague mankind...

That's a good point. It could also be a matter of Gillette wanting to sell razors at different price points and lowering manufacturing costs of their cheaper offerings.

ras120 · May 22, 2011

wulfgar1976 said:
It could also be a matter of Gillette wanting to sell razors at different price points and lowering manufacturing costs of their cheaper offerings.

That's very possible, but, unfortunately, there's really no way to know for sure. The only ad I have ever seen for an aluminum razor is the Anniversary Set from 1951 that sold for 8/6. Then in 1953, there was the heavier Rocket SS that sold for 6/6 -- so the heavier model sold for less.

It's strange that there are no ads for the aluminum #66, #58, and other Rockets models. Maybe Gillette did just mix them in with the heavier razors without telling anyone.

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Real Heavy Or Real Light -- What Was Up With Those Brits Anyway?

ras120

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I wanna be sedated!

galopede

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OtherMoe

Bestarrkin

lancj1

wulfgar1976

acutao

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acutao

ras120

wulfgar1976

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