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A "New" contender for best vintage Gillette razor

Guys, there's been a lot of chatter about the NEWs and which is superior, with a lot of folks singing the praises of the British RFB NEW and/or the NEW Deluxe.

I currently have three "News" in my possession. Over the past three mornings, I've shaved with each of them, in succession. I started on Sunday morning with my RFB NEW. Yesterday morning I used my NEW Deluxe. This morning? I use a New Improved.

In each case I put the head on a UFO Titan Fine L, and used a Polsilver SI blade. I had great lathers each morning.

My conclusion? I don't think the New Improved gets enough love around here. Mine is the head to a steriling silver Tuckaway set. I have the case and the original handle, too, but I like to use the head on an aftermarket handle.


You have to fiddle with the blade a little when loading. Because of the "bullet" design of the head, there is some wiggle room. It doesn't take more than about 30 seconds to get the blade loaded perfectly, though.
Compared with the other two, the blade gap is huge, and it therefore looks scarier, but the shave it delivers, if anything, is slightly milder than the NEW Deluxe (I think). I guess the blade exposure is very small.

The teeth of the comb are slightly fatter, very rounded, and positioned perfectly for absolute comfort when moving this razor over the face. It just feels smooth. There's definitely less blade feel on the face than I get with the NEW Deluxe. It is as efficient as either of the other two heads.

I'm going to keep using this head for the next few shaves to see how I like it with repeated use, but if this morning's shave was any indication, I don't think the New Improved head gets enough love around here!
 
I agree the NEW Improved is a great razor. It's very efficient and provides a close shave.
I use mine with the original handle and I don't have an RFB so I can't make a comparison.
 
My first foray into the world of Gillette open combs was an old type, which I liked, very soon afterwards I acquired a New Improved (Tuckaway) and used the head on a Weber Bulldog. I agree with you, it gave a very smooth and efficient shave. My OC collection has grown to include an RFB (again used with a Weber Bulldog) and a NEW Deluxe (Criterion) and these four razors are my rotation. I really am hard pressed to choose a favorite, though being a Brit I may be a little biased to the RFB :001_cool:
 

Mike H

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Love mine!

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I love the New Improved. Just picked one up recently, and I was surprised how smooth it is. Great shaver! Mine is a 2 piece, which makes it easier to loosen and adjust Blade exposure.
 
I figured it was one of Cooncat Bob's handles. Unfortunately, as you know, these are no longer available since Bob passed away.

I had another great shave with my NI on my UFO handle this morning. It strikes me as more efficient than the RFB and with less blade feel than the NEW Improved. I really like it.
 
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