What is your favorite Gillette NEW?

chgruver said:

I am just curious because of the way some people are talking here on B&B, but was the Canadian I got for $12 off of eBay a rare find?

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I have 20 NEWS and do not have a Canadian LC, but I have not looked for one either. I'm not sure it is "rare," probably uncommon. Definitely a great find!
The US version of the NEW LC is many times more abundant. However, they appear to be identical in design, so I am assuming the shave is the same.

DrAwkward said:

I have 20 NEWS and do not have a Canadian LC, but I have not looked for one either. I'm not sure it is "rare," probably uncommon. Definitely a great find!
The US version of the NEW LC is many times more abundant. However, they appear to be identical in design, so I am assuming the shave is the same.

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I've not looked for a US or Canadian LC as i have an English with the same style base plate, so i assume they shave the same.

Over this side of the pond the most common when i was looking were the 7 O'Clock's and Zinc round pins (These are WW2 razors made by AS&Co rather than Gillette or 7 O'Clock).

ItsAllGravy said:

This is the updated one someone made.

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Not sure who combined my images, but here are the high res versions that is a bit easier to read.





And here are some of the handles that came with New heads.


From the left:
Ball End, Husky Bar flat shoulder, Husky Bar rounded shoulder, Common bar, Norfolk bar, Thin Long bar, Thin bar, Fat Tech, Thin Tech, Tuckaway.

This image includes some of the British New handles on the far right.

xillion said:

Not sure who combined my images, but here are the high res versions that is a bit easier to read.

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Thanks for taking those pictures, i didnt know where that one i posted came from originally. After trying my first NEW LC last year i went on buying spree trying to find all the different varieties

I'm only still looking for a Goodwill and Deluxe.

ItsAllGravy said:

Thanks for taking those pictures, i didnt know where that one i posted came from originally. After trying my first NEW LC last year i went on buying spree trying to find all the different varieties

I'm only still looking for a Goodwill and Deluxe.

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That is a very impressive collection of handles. I have most of the pictured heads, but only a few of those handles.
Very nice, xillion, thanks for posting!

So, it looks like all of the English New's are LC's, correct? I have been wanting to find and try and English built Gillette because I hear they are of even higher quality than most of the US versions. I THINK I would like a SC better, but not really sure. I do have a 1921 Old Type on it's way to me. So, not a New, but at least it's a vintage Gillette, and my Grandfathers birth year.

Jeff_H said:

So, it looks like all of the English New's are LC's, correct? I have been wanting to find and try and English built Gillette because I hear they are of even higher quality than most of the US versions. I THINK I would like a SC better, but not really sure. I do have a 1921 Old Type on it's way to me. So, not a New, but at least it's a vintage Gillette, and my Grandfathers birth year.

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There is a Gillette-made English 7 O'Clock that has a head similar to the Gillette #77/#88 and/or the England Raised Flat Bottom NEW in xillion's post (#43 above). The main difference is that it is a short comb. Like a Single Ring, the head is attached to the handle.
This is the only English NEW of which I am aware that is a short comb.
The #77 is on top, the 7 O'Clock below.

Doc,

I believe that particular 7 O'Clock may be a rebranded Rotbart. Which makes sense because Gillette owned both Rotbart and the 7 O'clock brand at one time.

The only difference in the head appears to be the relief cuts in the corners of the bottom plate and the tabs at the corners of cap.

See a few similar Rotbart razors here, here, and here.

Here are some images of a Rotbart travel razor I owned with a similar head.

I had no idea my English 7 O'Clock had German brothers! Those Rotbart's on eBay are virtually identical to mine. Nonetheless, it is the closest thing I can find that would qualify as an English SC NEW. I guess it really doesn't qualify ...

There have been several new additions to the GNU herd this week, so I thought I would revive this thread.
If you are a GNU, bellow it here loud and proud!
And then post pictures of your favorite NEW for everyone to see ...

I've tried most of the NEW's, and my favorite is the English flat bottom with twin I pins. For me, it's a bit more effective than the raised flat bottom version. Here's one of mine with a BRW all bronze handle.

I have acquired 4 NEW's since this thread sparked my interest, with one more on the way. NEW Standard Tuckaway, American NEW SC, American NEW LC (Otto Roth) and a Goodwill. I have a Round Pin English NEW that Krona Kruiser is working on and I will then buy from him.

As for the American NEW LC, which is actually an Otto Roth, I like the design better because the space between the raised ridge where the handle fits is farther apart than on the other American NEW's....which allows me to use a wider variety of handles. However, I have realized that even on the NEW SC with the narrow gap, I just tighten the aftermarket handle down on top of the ridge and it works just fine.

So far for me, I think I would put the NEW's in this order as far as the best shave, for me:

NEW SC
Goodwill
NEW LC
NEW Standard Tuckaway.

The Goodwill and the LC could flip flop very easily. The LC is more efficient but the Goodwill a bit smoother. I really haven't had any of them long enough to know them well, but for my face and how I shave, the NEW's are very intuitive. There isn't a long learning curve for me. I can pick any of them up so far and get a good shave the first time. The exception was the Otto Roth, but that was my very first NEW and I hadn't used anything like it before. Now I really enjoy it, but the LC is the most aggressive of the lot.

Doc is the great enabler of the NEW, and Krona Kruiser is the shadowy figure that supplies many of us with our addictive substance....the NEW. I often wonder where he finds so many. I guess that's why he is the Kruiser, and I give him my money...rather than the other way around.

My favorite is SC New. Such a smooth shaver and slightly more so than the LC New.

gagarin said:

I've tried most of the NEW's, and my favorite is the English flat bottom with twin I pins. For me, it's a bit more effective than the raised flat bottom version. Here's one of mine with a BRW all bronze handle.

View attachment 379391

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So jealous of ppl with brw handles... Got into oc too late and he had passed... Such a loss to our community

I have two English New LCs, which I share with my son. I use mine on a thin Tech handle, my son uses his on a Shavecraft Bulldog. Just to muddy the waters, my son's LC (the one with slotted holes in the base plate), is smoother & less aggressive than my LC. The end cap on my LC looks less wide/more curved, thus giving the blade a different angle & I think that this is why they shave differently.

I like my BRW New/Bull Mastiff Deluxe handle. I also like LC News with a Feather AS handle.

I have learned that several of the American NEW's are fine instruments and were these the only ones available to me I could happily choose one or more to be my primary shaver for years to come. However, the English NEW's now really have my curiosity peaked. I have a round pin NEW that Krona is working on for me. I now believe I need to acquire at least a slotted bottom and a raised flat bottom to explore the nuances of the English NEW's.

Then I need to acquire a #15 OC Aristocrat. Crikies. However, that's what keeps this fun. Thank you for sharing about your 2 English NEW's.

Jeff_H said:

I have learned that several of the American NEW's are fine instruments and were these the only ones available to me I could happily choose one or more to be my primary shaver for years to come. However, the English NEW's now really have my curiosity peaked. I have a round pin NEW that Krona is working on for me. I now believe I need to acquire at least a slotted bottom and a raised flat bottom to explore the nuances of the English NEW's.

Then I need to acquire a #15 OC Aristocrat. Crikies. However, that's what keeps this fun. Thank you for sharing about your 2 English NEW's.

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I hope my experience is not typical, but my #15 is nothing special as a shaver. It is big and heavy and a thing of beauty (even though it is not collector grade), but my Sheraton is a better shaver. I really expected it to be in my all-time top 5 ...

That is interesting to hear Doc. As we seem to have similar taste in razors, I may be able to use your experience as a road map for what I try and what I pass up, depending on the cost. So far, I have had remarkably little success with any TTO razors. Super Speed, Aristocrat, Fat Boy and Slim. The Fat Boy has been the best of the bunch, but nothing to write home about...yet. OC's just seem to agree with me more.

No need to spend big money on a #15 if the shave is "meh".

Jeff_H said:

That is interesting to hear Doc. As we seem to have similar taste in razors, I may be able to use your experience as a road map for what I try and what I pass up, depending on the cost. So far, I have had remarkably little success with any TTO razors. Super Speed, Aristocrat, Fat Boy and Slim. The Fat Boy has been the best of the bunch, but nothing to write home about...yet. OC's just seem to agree with me more.

No need to spend big money on a #15 if the shave is "meh".

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I wouldn't put too much stock in my experiences. Maybe I'm just not holding it at the proper angle. I certainly like shaving with it, but it doesn't measure up to my best UK NEWs.
Wait. It gets worse. Shudder.
I prefer my #21, which is exactly the same as a #15 except it is SB. OC is always better, so why do I like my 21 more than my 15?
I have no idea. When it comes to TTOs, my best shaver is still a Sheraton.