Am I right? This is an early Super Speed isn't it?

Picked this up this afternoon at a local antique shop that calls me when they get in old razors. Anyhow I think it's a pre date code Super Speed. It was really gross covered in green gunk and would even open. I spent the better part of two hours, soaking, scrubbing, brass brushing, and using a little Flitz. It cleaned up pretty good, it's a fair to good condition user razor. The plating was toast under the head and is very thin with some brass showing on the TTO knob. But after cleanup it has worn but intact plating all over the doors inside and out. The guards have a couple of spots of brass showing and the upper part of the handle with the knurling looks very good.

Anyway, the Picts are not great but my regular camera battery was dead so I used the iPad.
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So so what's the verdict, did I ID the razor correctly?

Looks just like my '40s style SS, dated X4 (1952). I think you have the ID correct.

Cool, I just finished using it for the first time and with a Polsilver blade it was a great shave. Two passes and a little touch up and I'm BBS for the fourth day in a row! This has been a good week in shaving and getting new razors!

That's a great razor. Yours was produced between 1948 & 1950.

Thanks for the information. I couldn't find a date code so I assumend it was a pre date code SS. When looking at it while dirty there was no way to tell if it had a date code or not. The thing was so crusted over with hard water scale and green goo that it was hard to tell what it was. It had a rusted and mostly gone blade of some type in it but you couldn't open the doors the thing was so bunked up.
i really almost didn't buy it but at the last moment I thought what the heck it's worth the chance that it might clean up.

im really glad I did get it and in the future I won't fear really gunked up razors. After soaking and scrubbing the TTO started working and quite a bit of hair, soap scum, and hard water scale came out in the ultra sonic bath. It's a really good user now and works like a charm.

great find.here is achim's site for future reference;
http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/Gillette Rasierer.htm

Can't be sure, but your 3rd photo looks similar to this 1950 Super Speed.
Mr-razor says what tells the tale is the combo of text and raised lip where the handle attaches to the head as in his photo below.

Nice razor. My 1940's SS is my favorite, easy to use razor.

That's the later of the two designs if it has the notch on the razor bar. The earlier one doesn't have the notch. Still a great razor and excellent shape by the pics! Let us know how you like the shave!!

OP, to make cleaning used razors far easier you might want to think about an ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight. They are right around $30 and with the right use of chemicals will remove all the gunk, especially that deep inside that regular cleaning won't touch.

And an nice one at that. It's a good, smooth shaver.

I'll chip and agree that it's a '48 - '50 Super Speed. A great razor that gives a great shave.

To my mind, Gillette would have been justified if once they came up with this one the front office called the design department and said "pack it up boys, you'll never beat this one". Glad they didn't, though, because as it turns out, they still had a few great designs left in them.

Thanks for the answers, mine is a 1950 apparently since it has the raised ring. I do have an ultrasonic cleaner and used it in the clean up, but it still took a ton of scrubbing from both a brass bristle brush and a nylon brush. I should have taken some before pictures, I will next time.

I have have used it twice so far and it shaves excellently. I put a new Polsilver in it and it does great two pass shaves. With two passes, one ATG and one WTG, followed by TOUCHUP in a few spots I have gotten two BBS shaves. I have by the way had five of those in a row this week. This has indeed been a great week.

dionesius3 said:

Thanks for the answers, mine is a 1950 apparently since it has the raised ring. I do have an ultrasonic cleaner and used it in the clean up, but it still took a ton of scrubbing from both a brass bristle brush and a nylon brush. I should have taken some before pictures, I will next time.

I have have used it twice so far and it shaves excellently. I put a new Polsilver in it and it does great two pass shaves. With two passes, one ATG and one WTG, followed by TOUCHUP in a few spots I have gotten two BBS shaves. I have by the way had five of those in a row this week. This has indeed been a great week.

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I also enjoy mine with a Polsilver.

I would maybe refrain from using the brass bristle brush.

dionesius3 said:

...I do have an ultrasonic cleaner and used it in the clean up, but it still took a ton of scrubbing from both a brass bristle brush and a nylon brush...

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Did you try adding some vinegar to the solution? Mixed with water in the ultrasonic machine it will remove green verdigris but will require a few cycles.

Boge said:

Did you try adding some vinegar to the solution? Mixed with water in the ultrasonic machine it will remove green verdigris but will require a few cycles.

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I do use vinegar, the problem on this one was the green was covered in about a quarter of an inch of hard water calcium scale that was not coming off with anything other than scrubbing.

5Cantonas said:

I also enjoy mine with a Polsilver.

I would maybe refrain from using the brass bristle brush.

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i have used brass bristle bushes on 100 year old Blued Gun finishes for years, I don't see how it could be a danger on nickel chrome plated razors. It doesn't scratch chrome but it will take off anything that is on the chrome.
I have used it for all types of jewelry cleanup as well. Just a little secret that many jewelers don't want you to know is that a soft brass bristle brush is and excellent silver, gold, or plated metal cleaner.

The he thing is you have to know where to get the right brass bristled brush.

dionesius3 said:

i have used brass bristle bushes on 100 year old Blued Gun finishes for years, I don't see how it could be a danger on nickel chrome plated razors. It doesn't scratch chrome but it will take off anything that is on the chrome.
I have used it for all types of jewelry cleanup as well. Just a little secret that many jewelers don't want you to know is that a soft brass bristle brush is and excellent silver, gold, or plated metal cleaner.

The he thing is you have to know where to get the right brass bristled brush.

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Fair enough.

Here is a link to the right brushes;
http://www.riogrande.com/category/t...finishing/118/brushes/274/Miniature-Brass/990

or if you like to do it by hand this one;
http://www.cooltools.us/Brass-Brush-4-Row-Soft-p/brn-203.htm

I got a razor like that for my birthday. I prefer the later models with the fatter handle but it is a very good shaver.