Is the "Gillette 7 O'Clock Sterling" a Tech?

I came across some pictures of a modern DE razor called the "Gillette 7 O'clock Sterling", and to my eyes, it looks like a Tech head on a plastic handle. Is it?



Actually, the head looks pretty much identical to my (English made) 1979 Tech, which also boasts a plastic handle - and happens to be my favorite razor...



Tech experts, I summon thee... Handles aside, are these two razors pretty much identical? Or is there some detail I'm missing?

Yes I would — but without claiming any expertise. The head design is basically the same as a classic three-piece Tech: safety bars, diamond-shaped indentation, positive blade alignment, etc. Even the handle is not so different from a contract Tech.

Yes, it is a Tech. My opinion is you get a better "Tech" by getting the cheap RiMei from dx.com.

The Gillette Sterling is a cheap aluminum Tech head, with a longer plastic handle. While it is very light and cheap, the very thin head gives a great shave. Because of it's lack of weight, pressure is used, so it is only recommended for the most experienced DE shaver.

OkieStubble said:

The Gillette Sterling is a cheap aluminum Tech head, with a longer plastic handle. While it is very light and cheap, the very thin head gives a great shave. Because of it's lack of weight, pressure is used, so it is only recommended for the most experienced DE shaver.

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I have one of those cheap ones for my beard lines, it was s Russian Gillette RUBIE pack razor , works great ,

but yes , makes you have to force, since theres no weight

I have the Rubie. I find it to be a pretty solid, decent razor. Also the Lord version is a bit better I think. Rapira version is on route right now.

Yeah. the Rubie and Sterling are pretty much the same razor. I think the Sterling's I got off the bay the $5, came from the Philippines.

engblom said:

Yes, it is a Tech. My opinion is you get a better "Tech" by getting the cheap RiMei from dx.com.

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That's what I'm using. Seems OK to me but don't have a lot to compare it to yet.

Don't know anything about the Lord, Rubie or Sterling.

The "Gillette 7 O'clock Sterling" from India looks virtually identical to the Chinese razor I bought from Tinydeal for under $3.

I bought it from http://www.tinydeal.com/gillette-fusion-two-sided-manual-razor-for-male-p-83039.html

There are some closeup photos at http://chinesewebwinkels.nl/gillette-double-edge-scheermes/

Here is the package image from the tinydeal web site and looks identical to what I received.


Here is the head on my Rimei handle, think it looks pretty nice.

What's in a name? There were a lot of differently built and weighted razors, with different shaving characteristics, sold under that name.

aldomarino said:

What's in a name? There were a lot of differently built and weighted razors, with different shaving characteristics, sold under that name.

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Maybe nothing but I think it looks cool

I have yet to actually use the head stamped Gillette. As of today I'm still using the head that came with the Rimei RM2003, pics below:

Note that I received, but never used, a Remei blade with it as shown.

Thank you all for the responses. Unless I can find another late 70s plastic handle Tech, it looks like the 7 O'clock Sterling would make a pretty close match to keep as a backup.

TexFlood said:

The "Gillette 7 O'clock Sterling" from India looks virtually identical to the Chinese razor I bought from Tinydeal for under $3.

I bought it from http://www.tinydeal.com/gillette-fusion-two-sided-manual-razor-for-male-p-83039.html

There are some closeup photos at http://chinesewebwinkels.nl/gillette-double-edge-scheermes/

Here is the package image from the tinydeal web site and looks identical to what I received.
View attachment 607868

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I have exactly the same one. Im a sucker for those chinese sites. I have maybe 6 or 7 dirt cheap razors from them.
im planning on doing a write-up on them once OCtober has finished.

Jas101 said:

I have exactly the same one. Im a sucker for those chinese sites. I have maybe 6 or 7 dirt cheap razors from them.
im planning on doing a write-up on them once OCtober has finished.

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Cool. I'd love to hear what you bought and your opinion of same. My cheap Chinese razors as of now are the two I posted here, the one in the blue King Gillette stamped package from TinyDeal which you quoted above and the Rimei from Deal Extreme which is what I'm using.

Vintage Modern said:

I came across some pictures of a modern DE razor called the "Gillette 7 O'clock Sterling", and to my eyes, it looks like a Tech head on a plastic handle. Is it?

Actually, the head looks pretty much identical to my (English made) 1979 Tech, which also boasts a plastic handle - and happens to be my favorite razor...

Tech experts, I summon thee... Handles aside, are these two razors pretty much identical? Or is there some detail I'm missing?

Click to expand...

So I'm not an expert on Techs and I don't actually own an original. But I believe that I have a pretty good, if cheap, modern copy in the Rimei RM2003, which I actually think is a slightly better copy than either the Sterling or "Chinese Tech".

I will assume that the Sterling is similar to my TinyDeal blue package King Gillette stamped Chinese razor, which it certainly looks like. The head looks like a Tech head. The main issue is the handle which is long and light. If it's an issue for you best thing is to swap out the handle with one you have or obtain. I bought an extra Rimei so can use that handle if I like.

Here are some photos, "borrowed" from this forum with appropriate credit given, of the Sterling and various models of the Gillette Tech. So depending on which Tech you compare the head to, it's very close or at least in the ballpark.

Here is the Sterling head close-up (photo credit to Subcontinental)


Disassembled with alternative metal handle (photo credit to DenSpec)
View attachment 608410

Here are various versions of the Gillette Tech (photo credit to gunslinger1108)

TexFlood said:

Disassembled with alternative metal handle (photo credit to DenSpec)
View attachment 608410

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That disassembled Sterling head looks very similar to the Tech I'm trying to match...

Vintage Modern said:

That disassembled Sterling head looks very similar to the Tech I'm trying to match...

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Sure does!

Of course, even the photo with 11 different Techs in it doesn't cover all the bases. Off the top of my head there is obvious a Canadian Tech with triangular cut-outs, a "hybrid Tech" from England that has a raised flat bottom, and, of course, the obscure open comb Tech. There are probably others.

ClubmanRob said:

Somebody please school me. Aren't the Sterling and Rubies a modern Knack and not a Tech? Or is a Knack a Tech?

I'm kind of sketchy on plastic handled Gillettes.

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The Knack was a TTO, while these are three-piece razors.

You could say the Knack was a Tech in the same sense that the Ranger Tech was a Tech — technically speaking. By that standard all the Gillettes after about 1940 were Techs. But in common usage "Tech" usually means a three-piece razor.