Question for those owning vintage Gillette razors...

[ERVARGASNY]

Clean Up Tips

1. If it has alot of grim and especially if its a TTO, get yourself a deep bowl dish fill it up with hot water enough to cover the razor, then pour lots of dish soap to make it Soapy Water, let it soak for 20 mins and just watch the gunk stuck on some razors especially the TTO ones float up and in the water, Repeat step with more Hot Soapy water for another 20 Mins, Then rinse clean.

2. Get yourself a metal or ceramic dish, "Not Plastic" as it stains with scrubbing Bubbles. Place razor inside diah and spray with scrubbing bubbles flip over razor and spray other side with more scrubbing bubbles, let sit for 2 Minutes get a soft bristle tooth brush "Not Hard Bristle" scrub it gently, Rinse then dry and watch it shine :o)

3. Not Needed, but for additional luster shine, lightly buff with Mass Metal polish using a soft cotton towel or micro fiber towel "Preffered" then get a clean cotton Towel and buff lightly for a gleeming shine. Becareful with polising gold as some razors plated in gold are thinner then others and if you scrubb to hard you can remove some of the gold plating :o/

Hope this helps :o)

[KindestCutofAll]

I was just wondering how many actually use these old razors.

Most of the over 50 thousand users on this site.

... Are they still as reliable as a new safety razor?

I own 1 new TTO from the New York Shaving Company. It is essentially the same as the vintage Gillettes. It shaves the same, but without the vintage satisfaction.

... I really like the look of older vintage Gillettes. I'm sure some just have them as a collection.

Most are very collectible. About 12 so far (FatBoy, SuperSpeed, Flair Tip, several 3 pieces, etc.). As long as they are not damaged almost all are very usable, as well as being able to be displayed as a vintage collection.

...Just curious as to what you guys do with them.

Shave... Collect.... Shave...Display... Shave... Obsess... Shave... (Did I mention that you can shave with them)!

Thank you!

Your Welcome!

[The Kiwi]

When the availability of Sensor razor handles ended on American storefront operators' shaving supplies shelves, it annoyed me. I hated the Mach 3 Gillette, never bothered to try the Fusion, and have been shaving for over 58 years now. I'd been shaving with a Gillette Slim Adjustable on weekends from '93 through 2011, with classic / traditional creams / soaps occasionally. But during the week, I used the Sensor, or a Schick Hydro3. Only rarely was I using traditional Cream or Soap shaving products with a Sensor.

That particular Gillette was bought new in the mid-1960s, and I had a second one bought for my travel kit; why I wanted the Super Adjustable in the late 1960s, I cannot recall. I may have packed the bathroom up during a move, and not yet unpacked the two older Slims. I have an Aristocrat, and another very old (now my memory is acting up) open comb -- OK, it's a Good Will.

Those five have been mine a very long time. I added at least as many more DEs, including a 195 Adjustable, and I use them all -- I see no need for any new razors.

[Ollivander]

My daily shaver is my 1919 Gillette Bulldog. Love it! Although, I've been using my 1910 ABC handle Gillette that I just got last week. (I think the I heard a whimper from my bulldog over in the corner.)

[Adam R]

Any suggestions on clean up if and when I buy a vintage Gillette? What do you guys do to clean them before actually using them?

Once it's good and clean, Maas polish does a great job bringing out the shine on old Gillettes and it is gentle on the plating.

[mschloeder]

i have and do use both and across the board..old or new..each razor is individual..except i am able to closely replicate closeness and comfort with adjustables....adjustables rock!

[Toxic515]

I shave with Vintage straights, Vintage SE, Vintage DE, New straights and then new razor in that order of preference, but not necessarily in any organized rotation. I grab whatever my hand tells me it wants.

[gus1942]

I was just wondering how many actually use these old razors. Are they still as reliable as a new safety razor? I really like the look of older vintage Gillettes. I'm sure some just have them as a collection. Just curious as to what you guys do with them.
Thank you!

Yes, of course, they were well made and are reliable. I have always included them in my rotation and now use OC's more often. I
do have a modest collection of Gillette adjustables.

Gus/BOTOC

[InfernoOrangeSS]

Yes, of course, they were well made and are reliable. I have always included them in my rotation and now use OC's more often. I
do have a modest collection of Gillette adjustables.

Gus/BOTOC

I purchased a 1958 D3 Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed off of Ebay today. Hearing all the members here who use them, I was inspired to pick one up to try it out. My next purchase will be a Gillette Fat Boy to try out an adjustable.
Thank you to all who are sharing their experiences!

[Joe_Karp]

I have a birth year and month 40's style Super (Y3) and it's got a Feather blade in it and shaves like nothing I've ever owned before. Sure I own a Progress, but the Y3 TTO is just flat out beautiful to look at and use. Heck, the dang thing looks better than I do in the mirror...

[joshuastar]

My daily shaver is my 1919 Gillette Bulldog. Love it! Although, I've been using my 1910 ABC handle Gillette that I just got last week. (I think the I heard a whimper from my bulldog over in the corner.)

OT, but your name/avatar/sig all win big time.

[Samjax]

I have several - my current favorite is my 1910 Model 102 OC. Going to send it out for a re-plating pretty soon. It's an excellent shaver - hard to go wrong with any of the Gillettes and they are cheap enough to come by so that you can own several and take your pick.

[Bendragon]

I started with a Merkur HD 34C and quickly snapped up an Aristocrat with some age.
since getting the Gillette, I haven't touched the Merkur other than to remove the blade.

Not sure if it's smoother, but it sure feels better in the hand and on the face.

[chostb]

I first bought 3 new razors, before getting my hands on a 1954 Super Speed. This vintage Gillette are the best one of all my razors. I'm now lokking for a 1977 black handle super adjusteble, this is my birthyear. Unfortunatly i can not post in B/S/T yet :(. But if anyone here have one fore sale, i'm interested :)
I think vintage razors are the way to go, at least for me. Not returning to my 2011/2012 razors as I can se at the moment.

[Watasha]

I purchased a 1958 D3 Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed off of Ebay today. Hearing all the members here who use them, I was inspired to pick one up to try it out. My next purchase will be a Gillette Fat Boy to try out an adjustable.
Thank you to all who are sharing their experiences!

The SS is a great all around razor, I have an example of all of them save the red & blue tips, they're next on the list. The FB is also a great choice, also check out the Aristocrat. Be careful, you might wake up one day surrounded by razors like a lot of us did...not to mention brushes, soaps, creams ect. Of course that's all part of the fun.

Oh yeah, War Eagle!

[Le Buzz]

I've been shaving with 2 techs and an old type for the past few weeks. While they shave great, I miss my DE89.

I never had to fidget with the DE89 to get the blade alignment right. The gillettes are always just a hair off center. Also, i could leave the blade in my DE89 for days and it wouldnt rust, if i do that with the techs or old type they would.

However, as far as durability and plating longevity, I gotta give it up to vintage gillettes. I mean, solid brass or copper beats zamak any day IMHO. I don't think we'll be seeing any DE89's in a hundred years hold up like the old types.

I prefer the DE89, but if I had to the tech would get me by just fine. The old type is fun to have, I'm still trying to master it, but as a daily shaver... No way.

[Schaap]

My daily razor is a 1957 Gillette ss blue tip... love it. Got rid of my modern razors as soon as I got use to it!

[Clovis Man]

I have a Gillette FatBoy that I used to use all the time -- until I got started in straights. Since my Red Imp tried to chew my face off Friday, I suspect the FatBoy is going to get some more use over the next month or two. It's from late '50's/early '60's. I'd look it up, but it's in the other end of the house...

[ia_james]

My daily razor is a Gillette Old Style without serial number, gold plated. The head is brassed about half to death, but the teeth are all straight. The handle has the ubiquitous cracks at both ends, I should probably fix that.

[cryhavoc]

I only own Vintage DE and SE razors and they are my daily shavers. None of them have been repalted.