Recommendations for a new TTO

I'm pretty new to this forum, but have been lurking for awhile. My first experience in shaving was using my fathers old Gillette slim adjustable. There are few things of my father that I have, but his old spice shaving mug, his old Stanley badger shaving brush, his Gillette, and his old shoe shine kit.

Due to this forum, I purchased the Edwin Jagger De89LBL.....Love it..great razor, BUT I still love the TTO Gilettes.

Are there any modern razors that come close???? I don't want to spend $150 plus for a restored vintage.....and I don't want to use Dad's except on certain occasions....I want a daily use shaver that is built solid, looks great and does it's job.

The only modern maker seems to be Parker. I've been looking at both the 82R and 99R. Both seem solid razors, but Parkers get mixed reviews here. I've also seen mention of the Lord L6, but the handle would bother me, and if I have to purchase a replacement through Bob's razor....well...over the cost of the Parker. I wish Jagger or Muhle would make one! Should I just go with the Parker and not over think this??? If so...which Parker Butterfly do you like best?

So what do you all recommend????

Thanks for your help!!!

Using a razor is a subjective experience- we all have our favorites and some we can't stand and we can disagree in absolutely good faith. I have used one of the most popular new razors on the forum and hated it- and others that I loved. If you like Gillette TTOs it is going to be difficult to find something else that is going to satisfy you. Unless your Dad's razor is in either pristine condition and you don't want to risk dropping it or alternately is damaged or deteriorated and you don't want to damage it further, I'd be using it- as far as I can see given reasonable care the Gillette TTOs will last indefinitely and you should be able to pass it on to your kids. Alternately, if you really like the Slim Adjustables but really want to keep your dad's aside, it shouldn't be hard to find one on the WTB forum here- and if you don't like it you can always sell it and get more or less what you paid for it. Overall though, I don't see too many razors out there that meet the quality of the Gillettes that are still selling for, in relative terms, peanuts. Good luck.

$150 for a vintage Gillette? You need to get off eBay and get back to reality. Maybe some of the ultra rare models go for a lot of $ but Superspeeds are fine razors (and incredibly common) and you should be able to snag one for about $25 or less. A slim adjustable will run you a little more, maybe. And you don't need a restored one either...the original plating on those razors lasts a LONG time...I've had 40s, 50s, and 60s Superspeeds that had 100% of the original plating intact.

$150? You can get a basically mint condition vintage Gillette Superspeed for $30-$40, half that if you don't need it to be perfect.
And it'll outshave and outlast anything being made today.

Merkur makes some TTOs. The Futur and the Vision, I believe.

Keep an eye on the BST (buy/sell/trade) section. If you're quick on the trigger you ought to be able to find a nice TTO in your price range. I got a '55 Diplomat off the BST a little before Thanksgiving and just keep getting outstanding shaves from it. You'll see pretty much the same comments about the Aristocrat and the President, both of which are very similar to the Diplomat.

roboboticus said:

Merkur makes some TTOs. The Futur and the Vision, I believe.

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Vision is TTO. The Futur just has a cap that holds the blade in. If you like Gillettes, though, I'm not sure you will like either of these.

I've seen many re-plated TTo's in the $150 + range....seen this one tonight http://abovethetie.com/?store_item=39&sub=9 they wanted over $200 for this bad boy! that being said, yes seen many on ebay in the $25-$55 range.

Primary reason I don't want to use my fathers razor is to keep it just like it was when he passed away 27 yrs ago.... and have few left or

Any other sites besides ebay you would recommend for vintage giletttes? I'm not a Ebay fan.....really not a fan of paypal at all.....Most of the sites I've found that sell vintage Gilette's want some big $$$ for restored, re-plated razors and offer few original razors that haven't been "upgraded"

Once you narrow it down, go to The WTB forum http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/94 say what you are looking for. You will have many offers of near new or even NOS (new old stock) razors to choose from.

I was looking for a 1951 2nd quarter production (W2 date code), cased Gillette Super Speed black tip. This razor was made only in 1951-1952 but I wanted an exact production run.

Within an hour I had one offered to me and I will be picking it up at the Post Office tomorrow morning.

You may want to take a look at etsy.

You might also consider buying a razor that is mechanically solid and have it replated; there are a number of threads about replating and at least one member who offers that service. I think you could come away with a very nice result for far less than the amounts you've quoted.

The BST forum right here has pretty much everything you'll ever want, at lower prices than eBay. There's a couple dozen Gillettes of various types on sale right now.
AND you have the benefit of knowing the seller in a way you won't be able to anywhere else.

If you prefer a more 'commercial' transaction, the Vendor Forum http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/92-Vendor-Items-For-Sale can help you out.
Abovethetie and Bob's Razor Works are both excellent for high quality replated razors.

First things first: welcome to B&B!

Next, my understanding is that no TTO in current production comes anywhere near the old Gillettes in terms of build quality. Quite a lot of B&B members are fans of currently manufactured three-piece razors (like your EJ89), but for TTOs, there's no serious contest. Lord does not manufacture any TTOs that I am aware of — at the very least, they certainly don't make any TTOs as well regarded as the Slim.

My two cents is that there is no sane reason to purchase a new TTO, such as a Parker, unless you have taken a notarized vow not to use a vintage razor. My first DE razor was a Vincent (another cheapie, a la Parker), since it was accessible in person and I was a little creeped out by the idea of using an old razor. A great many B&Bers convinced me that vintage was worth a shot, and as soon as I got the chance, I tried out a 40s-style Gillette Super Speed, and understood what they meant. The new TTOs are simply junk in comparison to the vintage TTOs.

Unless you really get off on a chrome-fender-shiny razor, I also don't see the point in buying a replated razor. You could get a perfectly lovely vintage razor for, say, $15-$20 on B/S/T, shine it up with a little soap and water and perhaps a cleaning solution (I use Scrubbing Bubbles, myself) and, in extreme cases, some gentle metal polish. Even if you have to buy the cleaner and the polish just for the occasion, you have still bought yourself a beautiful, shiny razor for WAY LESS THAN $150. Hell, you could just buy yourself an ordinary user-grade TTO, and contract with a craftsman to replate it for you, and still probably come out ahead of that $150 price tag.

(I'm assuming that you don't have time or opportunity to go out to some antique stores in smaller towns to hunt. You can find fantastic stuff for peanuts in such places, but it takes some real time commitment, especially if you live in a big urban center and need to drive some distance out of town to reach a suitable hunting ground.)

Spend a little time scanning the offers on B/S/T, and see if anything strikes your fancy. If not, just post a "Want to Buy" thread there, specifying what you would like to have. A lot of B&Bers have insane collections of shaving implements, and are happy to sell or trade a piece here and there. I double-dog-dare you to look at B/S/T for a week without seeing Super Speeds, Rockets, Fat Boys, and Slims on offer at reasonable prices, to say nothing of the fancier and more expensive TTOs like Aristocrats, Executives, Diplomats, Senators, Toggles, et cetera.

(Come to think of it, this reminds me that I really need to post some of my own spares on B/S/T.)

Bottom line: welcome to B&B, go vintage for TTO razors, don't waste your money on eBay, make good use of the trade forum here, and have fun!

Derby markets a TTO that is a pretty decent knock-off of a Gillette Superspeed. It is not adjustable, but it is a TTO. It is made in China (of course) by Ming Shi. It is more aggressive than a Weishi. I would liken it to an old Gillette adjustable on a setting of about 4. The good news is that it sells for around $14. West Coast Shaving carries them among others.

I apprecaite all of your feedback Just to clarify....my budget isn't $150.00...I was simply saying I have seen many replated, restored vintage razors in that price range

I will definetly try everyones advice about placing a WTB ad here on the forum and get myself a few nice vintage Gillettes....I think they will be the only ones that fit my needs.

Again, thanks for all of your input

I have a new TTO made by Body Toolz that I received as a Christmas present. It's not a super-expensive razor and shaves fairly well, but the construction isn't as good as the vintage Gillettes.

In a nutshell the current production of TTO razors don't hold a light to the classic Gillette's. I have owned a few and they fell apart. If you must go down this path I would suggest the Feather Popular. However, I would look for a good condition vintage Gillette.

Again, thanks for all the input ...I've given up looking for a modern TTO.....now searching ebay and this forum for vintage Gilettes Just need to do more research on which model may best fit my needs....I prefer a longer handle, something with some girth to the handle and some weight behind it.....Im a big guy......big mitts.....short handled or light weights do nothing for me.....so many choices!!

bluesbishop said:

Again, thanks for all the input ...I've given up looking for a modern TTO.....now searching ebay and this forum for vintage Gilettes Just need to do more research on which model may best fit my needs....I prefer a longer handle, something with some girth to the handle and some weight behind it.....Im a big guy......big mitts.....short handled or light weights do nothing for me.....so many choices!!

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If you are looking for a longer handle, a Slim is probably your best bet. Don't count out the other Gillette razors. Almost all of the rest are the same length. However, the weight of the razor can vary quite a bit. Something like a Rocket HD is heavy, maneuverable and built like a tank. I can't imagine someone with hands too big to use one. Good luck and I hope you find something you like. If you are like me and many of the other regulars around here, you won't stop at one vintage Gillette.

Mike

mdevine said:

If you are like me and many of the other regulars around here, you won't stop at one vintage Gillette.

Mike

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LMAO! I already know this hobby is going to be BAD....lol......I already collect too much ...High end Custom shop Guitars, Old Cameras, rare and old books....and the worse...German cars! I've always had a bit of a grooming/ shaving fetish...LOL....now this just gives me more of any excuse to drag my poor fiance into more antique stores

You're begging for a nice Gillette Super Adjustable.