Questions from a Neophyte (re:B&B / vintage)

U.N.A.T.C.O. · Oct 9, 2007

Hi folks,

I'm seeing lots of interesting antique/vintage razors on eBay. I'm hoping that the knowledgeable B&B community can answer some questions from a neophyte.

I've seen a couple "1920 Gillette" gold razors. Open comb for a bar. Will these suckers still shave? Do they take modern blades? Anyone had experience with a razor that old?

Are there certain "golden years" in safety razor history that I could look out for when searching eBay? I.E. a year when a particularly good model was produced. Note that I'm interested in any brand that made a quality shaver, not just Gillette.

From my Newbie Check-In thread:

--OUCH

"Try checking the buy/sell/trade mall. Red tips come up for sale pretty often, usually in the $15-20 range for a good looking user. You may also find some freebies awaiting the newbie."

What is the price range if you're not good-looking?

Jokes aside, could you give me a mini-tutorial on the proper format of a "I'm looking for..." post? I didn't see a posting guide in the stickies. Also, how do I find these freebies?

I came across a few acronyms I didn't recognize:

BBS - Is this "Bigger Better Shave" or "Baby's Butt Shave" ?

WTB - Is this "Wanting to buy?"

Thanks gents.

jlander · Oct 9, 2007

U.N.A.T.C.O. said:
Hi folks,

I'm seeing lots of interesting antique/vintage razors on eBay. I'm hoping that the knowledgeable B&B community can answer some questions from a neophyte.

I've seen a couple "1920 Gillette" gold razors. Open comb for a bar. Will these suckers still shave? Do they take modern blades? Anyone had experience with a razor that old?

Are there certain "golden years" in safety razor history that I could look out for when searching eBay? I.E. a year when a particularly good model was produced. Note that I'm interested in any brand that made a quality shaver, not just Gillette.

From my Newbie Check-In thread:

--OUCH

"Try checking the buy/sell/trade mall. Red tips come up for sale pretty often, usually in the $15-20 range for a good looking user. You may also find some freebies awaiting the newbie."

What is the price range if you're not good-looking?

Jokes aside, could you give me a mini-tutorial on the proper format of a "I'm looking for..." post? I didn't see a posting guide in the stickies. Also, how do I find these freebies?

I came across a few acronyms I didn't recognize:

BBS - Is this "Bigger Better Shave" or "Baby's Butt Shave" ?

WTB - Is this "Wanting to buy?"

Thanks gents.

First of all welcome. It's a great place to learn

Go to the B/S/T Forum and post something like "Newbie seeks razor" etc. If you know what kind of razor you want then post "WTB..." that is a "want to buy" I would recommend either one of the Super Speeds or a Tech to start They are fairly mild and let you learn the technique. The Three SS's with color tips are different weight handles which results in different levels of aggressiveness. Blue = Mildest, Black = Medium, Red = Most aggressive.
Price range depends on what you want. A good shaver SS will run $15 - $25 depending on condition, age, model, cased or not, etc.

WTB = Want to buy
BBS = Baby Butt Smooth

Happy shaving!!

:shaving:

U.N.A.T.C.O. · Oct 10, 2007

Thanks for the welcome, jlander, and the advice.

Nice Quote: Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it; those who fail to learn history correctly--why they are simply doomed.

Here's one for you:

"History is the record of an encounter between character and circumstances."
--Donald Creighton

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Questions from a Neophyte (re:B&B / vintage)

U.N.A.T.C.O.

jlander

U.N.A.T.C.O.

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