What is your favorite Gillette NEW?

gagarin said:

I'm two shaves into my RFB adventure and that's enough to conclude - I was wrong!!! For unknown reasons, my experience with the RFB relative to the Flat Bottom has now changed - the RFB delivers a smoother and closer shave. I shave both head and face daily. I immediately noticed the buttery smooth efficiency while shaving my head, and this continued as I shaved my face. BBS results persist much further into the afternoon than with most of my other razors. My FB's will be seeing more bench time in the future.

Next up - the NEW DeLuxe!

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It took only one shave with the NEW Deluxe to reach a definitive conclusion - I'm officially an RFB convert!!....sorry Edgar. The Deluxe, as with all NEW's, delivered a very nice shave, but I found it to be significantly rougher than the RFB. And now, about six hours later, I can feel stubble regrowth, much earlier than was the case with my RFB shaves. For me, the RFB doesn't sacrifice efficiency while delivering an incredibly smooth shave.

Thanks guys for challenging my opinion - If you hadn't, my RFB's would still be in storage gathering dust.

gagarin said:

It took only one shave with the NEW Deluxe to reach a definitive conclusion - I'm officially an RFB convert!!....sorry Edgar. The Deluxe, as with all NEW's, delivered a very nice shave, but I found it to be significantly rougher than the RFB. And now, about six hours later, I can feel stubble regrowth, much earlier than was the case with my RFB shaves. For me, the RFB doesn't sacrifice efficiency while delivering an incredibly smooth shave.

Thanks guys for challenging my opinion - If you hadn't, my RFB's would still be in storage gathering dust.

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Dammit... Oh, that's OK, I love the RFB! In fact, my #2 is the #77/88 (I prefer the 2 piece design). They're truly amazing shavers.

However, IME at least, the results don't differ all that much, if anything the Deluxe BBS shave lasts longer than the RFB's, but that's just my experience, YMMV and apparently it does vary! It's true that the Deluxe's blade feeling is more pronounced, but that is actually one of the features I appreciate the most.

Enjoy your shaves!

I agree that the RFB NEW vs Deluxe NEW is a pretty tight race. If I had to choose only one, it would be difficult as the NEW Deluxe is just a bit too efficient to use everyday, but the milder RFB NEW #77 just doesn't look or feel half as sexy in the hand as the Big Boy (I know that is a big play on words). That said, the pair could easily be my only razors if push came to shove. #77 for Monday to Friday doldrums, and the Big Boy for lazy weekends whipping up some AdP lather while listening to Dvorzak. Certainly some first world problems

gagarin said:

It took only one shave with the NEW Deluxe to reach a definitive conclusion - I'm officially an RFB convert!!....sorry Edgar. The Deluxe, as with all NEW's, delivered a very nice shave, but I found it to be significantly rougher than the RFB. And now, about six hours later, I can feel stubble regrowth, much earlier than was the case with my RFB shaves. For me, the RFB doesn't sacrifice efficiency while delivering an incredibly smooth shave.

Thanks guys for challenging my opinion - If you hadn't, my RFB's would still be in storage gathering dust.

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No RFB deserves to sit in storage, unloved and unused. I'm glad you re-discovered such a wonderful razor!

If anyone remembers jeffH he talked me into a RFB. But he raved about the English Goodwill. He sold me both. They are my #1 and #2 razors. The RFB is #1. I really haven't heard much on the English Goodwill here though.

imatabor said:

If anyone remembers jeffH he talked me into a RFB. But he raved about the English Goodwill. He sold me both. They are my #1 and #2 razors. The RFB is #1. I really haven't heard much on the English Goodwill here though.

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I keep hoping Jeff will again grace us with his presence, but I know he has other things in his life that keep him busy. He certainly has a way with words, especially when waxing poetic about those English Goodwill silver Empire sets (which are a tad too mild for my tastes).
With Jeff on hiatus, the main proponent of the English Goodwill is xillion. He speaks softly, but carries a big NEW (collection).
... Whoa, that mixed-metaphor/idiom failed miserably. I'm sure you get the idea.

imatabor said:

If anyone remembers jeffH he talked me into a RFB. But he raved about the English Goodwill. He sold me both. They are my #1 and #2 razors. The RFB is #1. I really haven't heard much on the English Goodwill here though.

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See post #1253.

There are several posts regarding British Goodwills peppered throughout this thread. They're just several pages back.

xillion said:

See post #1253.

There are several posts regarding British Goodwills peppered throughout this thread. They're just several pages back.

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I did use the the word much

I just meant on a whole in the DE section. I don't mind though, let everyone drive the price on redtips up. I was able to score an English Goodwill for much less.

Fair enough. They are less common than their US made cousins so that could be another reason they're not discussed as much as other razors.

A few more English Goodwill posts are shown here.

I found out what an RFB is (raised flat bottom).

Could you show some pics? Which models are RFB?

Thanks!

Raised Flat Bottom

Raised Flat Bottom. It is an English style of NEW. The baseplate has a raised rib on the bottom.
Here is a thread all about them

View attachment 538410

Here's my RFB (#88 in this case):

poikkeus said:

Could you show some pics? Which models are RFB? Thanks!

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For reference, here is my most recent English Long Comb New comparison image. Numbers 1,2, and 12 are examples of three piece Raised Flat Bottom News.



From the left:

1. Raised Flat Bottom short twin i pin with ball end handle.

2. Raised Flat Bottom long twin i pin with open ball end handle.

3. New Type Goodwill for French Market with ball end handle.

4. US Stlye with ball end handle.

5. Zinc Flat Bottom Round pin with splined handle.

6. Flat Bottom Round pin with full knurled handle.

7. Flat Bottom T pin with two gap knurled handle.

8. Flat Bottom Capital I pin with two gap knurled handle.

9. Flat bottom medium twin i pin tabless cap with full knurled handle.

10. Flat Bottom biased twin i pin tabless cap with two gap knurled handle.

11. Flat Bottom medium twin i pin with single gap knurled handle.

12. Raised Flat Bottom "fang" tab with short single gap knurled handle.

Thanks for the excellent info.

Also an RFB, thanks to a member letting me borrow one briefly, I have found is the 3rd most efficient razor I've tried it's a real beauty

'ey up lovers of the New ... it's the anniversary of the 1932 patent on Monday. 12th January 1932, patent 1841223 was granted to Gillette. I'll dig out my favourite, the mighty Grøm, for a rare (for me) DE shave

Enjoy yours, folks.

... and as if that wasn't enough, the day after is the anniversary of the 1920 patent for the New Improved (1328024)!

Double whammy!

Meh ... when that patent was issued millions of men were already shaving with NEWs, it's no fun ...

I prefer to celebrate the date of its announcement:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/431890-Help-identify-Goodwill?p=6857988#post6857988

mblakele said:

"Whither Gillette?" also gives us an exact date for the announcement of the Gillette NEW: March 6, 1930.

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It's a long time 'til March ...