Gillette Tech

I love my Techs, especially my beat-up little ball-end Tech. Sure it doesn't have the heft of, say, my Fatboy or Merkur 38c, or the aggressiveness of my slant or my adjustables opened up all the way, but it gives wonderfully smooth results on those days when I'm in the mood for a quick, mild shave. To me, the Tech is the DE equivalent of an Injector - even though it's a bit like driving a high-powered sports car with automatic transmission, the experience is still a very good one.

For me it works best with Astra SP, Gillette Platinum (current production, white pack), Iridium Super, and NOS Gillette Bleue Extra blades. I'm not crazy about the results I get when I use Feathers in mine, which seems a bit odd I suppose.

Anyway, if you don't have one already, pick one up. Don't be deceived by their low prices - they deliver first-rate shaves.

This was my second DE razor. For $10, it can't be beat. It feels great, and it works well.

It's the PERFECT starter razor. Not too aggressive, but it more than capable of giving BBS shaves. One has to wonder: who cares about aggressiveness if you've already achieved BBS?

Some of the gold lacquer was coming off but that didn't bother me. In fact, I'd read in the forums that cider vinegar was bad for cleaning these razors because it would remove the lacquer. So with that in mind, I used the vinegar to get rid of the flaking lacquer. The razor looked beautiful afterwards.

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Any pics of what your Tech looks like without the lacquer? I just picked up a gold fat-handle and am contemplating doing the same thing.

I have a 1960's british alu-tech and its great, picked up 2 on e bay, 1 totally unused and boxed and another in immaculate condition for next to nothing and it was my first vintage razor and great to start off your de journey, yes it is a mild razor but also you can move it around your face with ease and i also find any blade will give a good shave in this razor and as its so light you feel safe using it which is great when new to a de, use some good cream and a good technique and you will get a great shave from this little gem, always in my rotation and a joy to use.

Price
10 because these babies can be had almost nothing on eBay or an antique store.

Quality
10 because they've been around for 70-80 years, and still look great!

User Friendly
10 because it's the ideal beginner DE.

Grip
8 because it's not the most efficient design, but it does the job well enough.

Ease of Blade Replacement
8 because the three-piece design can give some people problems, for some reason.

Aggressiveness
5 because it's a mild shaver. For some, this is enough. But for the rest of us, it takes something a little more aggressive to get the job done.

Balance
Most of these seemed a tad too light for me, but they'd be a good starting point for a beginner.

Still new to this, I fed my RAD by getting 2 Tec's off of E-bay (one was bid on and forgotten). Loaded my '53 with a fresh Feather and WOW!

Feathers and I do not usually get along with my Merkur fixed razors or my vintage Gillette TTO's. Lots of redness, weeper, etc. This combination of mild, low aggressiveness DE and a very sharp, well respected blade, may just be perfect.

Proraso cream and this pair gave me BBS in my usual 4 passes - could have stopped at 3, actually.

I highly recommend this as a newbie necessity!!

Of the 3 razors I own, this is my favorite. The tech is a mild razor but paired with the right blade gives an incredible shave. It's very hard to cut yourself shaving. However when changing the blade be carefull, I found out the hard way on one of my fingers, ouch!!! Price is very good as well. Everyone should own a tech, it won't dissapoint...

The Tech has always been a great shaver, especially for the beginner. I have found that I just can't take them out of the lineup. I like to use it ever now and then as a breather from the more aggressive razors that I use. A great little shaver, easy to use, nicely balanced, simple and easy to use. A real winner.

Price: ebay has tons of these for awesome prices. Great prices for an antique.

Quality: That really depends on the condition of the razor. Seeing that most of these were built in the 50's. Mine was in excellent condition and unused. You can still find them...

User Friendly: pretty much the same as any 3 piece razor. easy to disassemble.

Grip: The grip is ok. The razor is small, and the handle thin compared to the merkur I own.

Ease of Blade Replacement: Pretty much as dangerous as most, you have to be careful replacing the razor as with any 3 piece safety razor.

Aggressiveness: This razor is very mild. I had to shave 5 times, and run 6 passed on my neck to get a bbs shave. No irritation at all. Shaves great, just not as aggressive as I would like.

Adjustability: N/A

Balance: Excellent balance and very light weight, and easy to maneuver.

I bought this razor out of shear boredom, and wanted to try a new razor, specifically a Gillette antique razor. So I picked the "tech".

The lack of aggressiveness of this razor was disappointing. I thought the razor was all around great and felt very well. But was disappointed in the closeness of the shave. It took too many passes for me to get a bbs shave.

I will continue to use my trusty Merkur 38c razor.

My first DE shave was with a Merkur HD. I quickly had three weepers on my neck around my adam's apple. The next day I received my ball end tech. I got a wonderful shave with no cuts and little irritation. The tech is what made me fall head over heals for wet shaving. It's a great beginner's razor, and I've been using it several times a week ever since my odyssey began. I now also use several other Gillettes, but find myself coming back to the tech. It's a beautiful piece of machinery.

This is my first DE razor. I had previously shaved with an old Injector and lots of cartridges. There is not much to say here that hasn't already been said. This razor is affordable, durable, and decent looking if you find one without much brassing. It has good balance and is sized just right for my smaller hands and face. It is absurdedly easy to use. I was expecting a steep learning curve to transition to DE shaving, but the Tech made it a breeze. It might be true that this razor is not that aggressive (hence the 5), but I personally am not that hairy and I doubt I would need anything much more aggressive. I do wish the knurling were a little deeper for a nicer grip, and the 3-piece design makes it possible to accidentally grab along the blade edge when un/screwing the head, which I don't particularly care for. Those were the only two things I marked down.

Bottom line: Pure shaving ease and function in a cheap, durable, attractive package. I just purchased a second Tech for my travel bag, and an HD to compare it to, but since I am not AD-prone, I doubt I will be accumulating many other razors. Why, when I have all I need right here?

Don't have a Tech? Shame on you!

I was given thr ball-end tech as a christmas present this past christmas. It was passed down from my great grandpa and is my favorite razor to use when my face feels beat up. The aggressiveness of this razor is very low and works well with all skin types. The main reason I love it is because of the slim head design. I sometimes have trouble shaving the hair under my nose with my gilette red tip so this is usually my goto razor. A great razor that can be had for little to nothin almost anywhere. Highly recommended.

Using a British made Tech as pictured I have just had the best shave ever, what a great shaver

I'd recommend one of these in your rotation.

I have three Gillette Techs:



A US 1949 Military Issue plastic handeled Tech



A 1950's(?) British alu-handeled ball-end Tech



A 1960's British alu-handeled Tech


All three razors are similar in handeling and performance, therefore they are reviewed under one:

Price
These razors are among the cheapest vintage Gillettes to be found

Quality
As with al Gillettes; very high, thougn my impression is that the Techs lack a little in finish compared to the more up-scale Gillettes

User Friendly
The great balance and mildness make these razors quite user friendly. The overall lightness of them is less of an advantage though

Ease of Blade Replacement
I never give a three piece razor more than 9. Blade allignment is perfect on my examples, as it is to be expected of vintage Gillettes

Grip
Nice, but personally I would prefer thicker handles and a more agressive knurlig. The handle of the military Tech though is a 10

Aggressiveness
These razors are very mild. A bit too mild for my taste, but they are great for when you are in a hurry or as travel-razors. I usually use a Tech, when I am experiementing with new blades, soaps or techniques, due to it's lack of agressiveness

Balance
These razors are very well balanced

All in all the Tech was and is the mainstray of the safety razor - and thus a razor that most will be happy with, but not many peoples favourite razor. Everyone should have at least a few.


Regards.

Jakob

I just bought a Tech fat handle. Did some good prep, pre oiles, lathered, and loaded a feather blade. WTG,XTB and AGT (cheeks and neck only). I got a fantastic irritation free shave. This is a lovely razor and if you dont have one then get one.
I have Merkur 38, 39c Slant and Feather Safety Razor. Compared to all of these, this is now my personal favourite.

This really is a very nice razor.

Price is highly variable. You can find a tech in need of cleaning for $1 or a pristine British Tech for $20. My favorite techs were the cheapest I purchased or were thrown in a lot with other razors I was buying.

Quality: It is a 3 piece razor. There isn't much that can go wrong on it. Most of the techs that I have seen have been just as mechanically sound now as they were when made. Plating is a different issue. A lot of techs I have handled have had plating and brassing issues. Just tells me that they are great razors and were well loved and used by their original owners.

Not all techs are the same. I know techs have a reputation as being as being a mild razor; however, some of the older techs can hold their own and are smoother than Merkur HDs or feather portables. On the other hand, some of the techs I have tried have been in perfect condition, but couldn't give me a close shave without way too many passes.

A 3 piece such as this is not as easy to change blades on. Sometimes the blade sticks a bit to the head (change when dry, not wet!). You also have a tendency to want to hold the head (with blade) in your hand when you tighten or loosen the head from the handle. Either of these moves gives a good oppurtunity to get cut. If you don't respect the tech and take care, you are likely to cut yourself. That being said, I have never cut myself with my tech in this fashion.

Balance is fine on either the ball end of fat handled tech. However, I don't like the feel of the shorter travel handle.

I just started shaving with a bakelite handle tech. Lovely. I need to adjust a bit to get my neck closer, but smooth, no nicks, no problems.

I got one of these as my second razor, after a basic merkur. It was a much much better starter razor. Not very aggressive, a small, maneuverable head... I think this is a very good starter razor.

I've since moved on as my technique improved, but I've still got it. It's waiting for one of my friends to say "so, I was thinking of trying..." and I can loan it out as a forgiving way to learn.

Low aggressiveness is a virtue for the beginner, not a vice.