Gillette New Standard

One of the finest shaving instruments I've ever laid my grubby hands on. The decorative etching on the handle provide a terrific grip even in soapy situations and the open comb head is perfectly balanced to provide a close, medium aggressiveness shave. I still would have preferred paying slightly less than $30, but I do not feel cheated.

Out of the dozen razors I've tried, this is the closest shaving of them all. I've tried a dozen different razors, including new and vintage. Of those, I have four Gillette open combs. I like to rotate my razors, but two get much more use than the others; an NDC Super-speed and my 1921 New Standard. They complement each other in that, when I'm in a hurry or don't want to even think what I'm doing, the SS gives an effortless shave without even a risk of drawing blood. But for those days that I want a shave so close that my face is still smooth when I get home from work, I reach for the New Standard. Now to my ratings.

Price: I paid $50 for a cased silver model in great shape. This is competitive with many new models but you certainly can find less expensive razors. For how substantial these razors are, I find the price fair. 7

Quality: These are built like a tank. I docked it one point as these are prone to get hairline cracks on the handle. 9

User Friendly: I find the open combed razors the easiest to find the correct blade angle with. They leave a tell-tale trail when the angle is off. 10

Grip: Between the pattern on the handle and the bottom knob, it provides a secure grip. 10

Ease of Blade Replacement: This is a three piece where the bottom screws off. I find this easier than a three piece where the entire head is removed but not a easy as a TTO. 8

Aggressiveness: I find this just right. I get a BBS shave every time. 10

Adjustability: NA

Balance: It is one of the heavier Gillette razors. If you are used to the others, you may find it bottom heavy. 9

Used to think I was an old-type man, till my daughter got me a gold/bronze colored new. Tried it this morning with a nos Rotbart Platinum (about same as a Swede) and had a great shave. Must be the smoothest combo I tried sofar. As it is an oc it is easy to get the angle right. It is not an overly aggressive razor (about the same as an old-type), but it does cut very well. Worth a try.

Found one today in an antique store. $20.00 in a beat up case with a blade case in lousey condition. Spent an hour cleaning with tooth paste, silver polish and finally brasso. I think this razor has hardly been used. It is absolutely beautiful, can hardly wait to use it & will add a post as soon as I have used it a few times.

This razor gives me the best shave of all my Gillettes. I have a tough beard, yet get consistent BBS shaves in 2 passes with no irritation. It is heavy, well balanced, and aggressive in the sense that it mows down beard growth in a couple effortless passes. It is the 'sledgehammer' of the Gillettes comparable in shave to my Merkur 39c. Found mine in very good condition in thrift store with case and blade tin for $8. A must have in anyone's rotation. If I could have only one razor, this would be it.

I recently purchased a gold type Gillette NEW Improved from 1926 from Joe's Collectibles for 30$. No case, but the mint condition ones with the case go well into 100.00 on Ebay, so I didn't fret about the price. The razor came in really good condition for it's age. I just sanitized it and cleaned up with Simple Green and a toothbrush.

This razor is awesome. I used it this morning for the smoothest BBS shave I have had to date. I Thought my shaves were awesome with my previous go-to razors, the fat boy and the Slim adjustable. Those are also really good razors, but I think this one wins hands down.

The open comb head brings the razor to the aggressive side of things, so be careful if you're not used to an aggressive shave. I usually use my vintage Gillette adjustables set to 8 or so, so I didn't have much of a problem learning the angle. This with a feather blade is pure heaven for my facial hair needs.

If you can find one of these at a good price, get one. They're really handsome looking and provide a lot of enjoyment!

Several months ago, I tried a gold-tone NEW and hated it. Almost totally turned away from open-comb razors. Then, a few weeks ago, I came upon a 1918 ball-end and loved it. The Bostonian then caught my eye and I soon had one in my hand.

My previous go-to combination was a Fat Boy and Feather blades. This New Standard, loaded with Gillette 7 O'Clock (yellow), is my current go-to combination. It rivals the Fat Boy for a BBS shave with no irritation.

Price: Bought from a fellow B&B member for $30. While it's more than I have paid before for any razor, I think it's well worth the money.

Quality: A heavy razor, thick teeth, and nicely detailed.

User Friendly: Absolutely. A pleasure to look at, hold, and use.

Grip: Depending on the wear, the pattern does provide a decent grip.

Ease of Blade Replacement: Not as easy as my TTO razors, but I like replacing blades in this razor moreso than the 1918 ball-end.

Aggressiveness: I could have almost done with one pass and had BBS. Wow. I rate it a 10 based on stubble reduction, not on burn or irritation. (With regard to irritation, it was like shaving with a Super Speed...absolutely none.)

Adjustability: This is probably a rating for the adjustable razors, but I found that this razor let me know when my angle was wrong (without slicing up my face) and I was able to adjust easily. So I give it a "10" in that area.

Balance: The razor's heft is balanced well. I had no trouble holding or maneuvering it.