1957 Gillette Super Speed C-1

If I had to choose one razor, and one razor only, to use for the remainder of my natural born days, my 1957 SS would be my immediate and unflinching choice. I was born the same year as my razor, so perhaps I am a bit biased.

A marvel of simplicity and solid construction, this magnificent razor provides a clean, close, consistent shave. I can use it when I am tired, or in a hurry, or just plain brain dead, and it always pulls me through. Or, my SS and I can spend some quality time together, working on new techniques and perfecting our craft. I think of it as an old friend who I have known for ages and can trust absolutely.

My Slant? Not so much....

I own 3 of these babies and have been using them for a little over a month. They are my first DE razors and are extremely happy with how they perform. They are very well built, TTO makes blade loading/unloading a breeze and the weight ration is just right. One thing that might take getting used to is the shorter handle compared to cartridge razors. The razor is very mild so you would really have to try hard to cut or nick yourself. It gives me very good quality shaves and I wouldn't be surprised if they are the only razors I ever own. So don't hesitate to pick one up and try it for yourself, it won't dissapoint...

This is my first vintage Gillette (so I don't know how much help I'll be) - and no wonder these are so coveted. I'm amazed at what it must've taken to produce such a great feeling, great shaving design. I use mine with Israeli Personnas and Tom's of Maine peppermint cream, and with one pass atg (for my head, and my face long ago, atg is all that gets anything done) my head is smooth as a cue ball I've also used it with the IPs and Tabac to great success. The tight functioning of this thing is absolutely stellar, it tightens the blade with no travel, has a definite "stop", and the doors open and close smoothly and evenly. It has nice weight but isn't too bulky shaving behind my ears and the back of my neck. I give the aggressivesness a 9 because it could have more, but this is really being nitpicky; and I give the grip a 9 because it could be more aggressive, but this is also nitpicky. I'd like a longer handle for my big hands, but I've probably learned better technique using this such as I'm able to grip it, and of course I suppose a guy could find a long handled model (?). I got this on ebay from a store, "gillette_safety_razors" (hope I typed that right), and it came completely cleaned, oiled, and ready to go, so you can check that out. This is just a fantastic shaver, and a sweet piece of Americana