Problems after switching from Gillette Super Speed to Gillette Heritage. Thoughts?

[RayClem]

One of my first DE razors was an EJ DE89. Although many people recommend that razor to beginners, it took me quite a while to find the right shave angle and pressure to get a comfortable shave with that razor. Once I figured it out, I can use it without issue, but I struggled for a while before I got to that point.

I much prefer razors that clamp the blade close to the edge of the top cap. One moderately priced razor that does this is the Parker Semi-slant.

 

[carluchi]

+1 for getting another Super Speed with the same year that your Dad's is.

They are a dime a dozen here (not sure about the EU though), but if it works for you, you should get the same performance with a the blade you have been using for years. Dad's razor can then move to a more secure location or even to a display shelf.

 

[njpaddy]

I disagree with you calling my choice an 'issue' because being from a European country that's not a part of the EU doesn't leave you with much choice when it comes to things like shaving equipment.

Sorry. No offense meant. If there was a one-shave-fits-all, B&B would have folded 10 years ago. The best part of wet-shaving is the fun in experimenting to find what works best for you. Once you find it, it becomes just shaving.

 

[glm38]

Greetings gents,

Thought I would start this thread because I would love to hear your opinions and experiences and hopefully improve my technique and/or arsenal because I'm obviously doing something wrong.
Short life story: Suffered with cartridge razors for many years, decided to follow the footsteps of my father and grandfather and gave a shot to the safety razor my dad gave me many years ago.
It was Flare Tip Gillette Super Speed with the regular tip (same color as the handle). I bought an Omega boar brush and Arko shaving soap. As for the blades, I started with Derby but I quickly switched to sharper blades and settled with Sputnik.
For years I shaved with this combination and it was perfect. I shaved every morning, against the grain, baby smooth, 0 irritation.
Then one day I thought about buying a new razor and retiring the Super Speed partly because I was curious and partly because I was a bit afraid of breaking the old thing which would make me sad. I decided on the Gillette Heritage.
Ever since I switched, from the very first shave, something didn't feel right. I tried both milder and sharper blades (eventually switched to Astra SP which I currently use) but after almost every shave I would get at least one bump (almost like something an ingrown hair causes) that usually turns into a pimple and causes hell for the next shave. I use the same technique as with the Super Speed: relax face with warm water, create a nice, thick yogurt-like leather and use no pressure.
I don't know the correct terminology for describing hair but my beard doesn't have that many hairs but the hairs are very thick and sharp.
I know most modern razors are light-years behind in quality when compared to vintage so could that be the problem I'm having? Is the heritage more or less aggressive than the SS?
I will most likely go back to the SS until I can find a decent replacement.
Could anyone recommend something? A good replacement razor or a change in technique? Should I just stick with the SS until it breaks?

Sorry for the long post.
Kindest regards.

My initial thoughts are that your dad's old super speed is one of the most popular and One of the finest razors ever made. And that the Gillette heritage will never equal it. And it's also unlikely you'll EVER wear it out. The old gillettes are that good and durable.

I would look for another super speed or 2. And if you want some variety you can pick up vintage Gillette ball end tech which is an equally good razor. You can usually find both techs and super speed razors in good condition for $25 or less on ebay.

 

[DrStrange]

I disagree with you calling my choice an 'issue' because being from a European country that's not a part of the EU doesn't leave you with much choice when it comes to things like shaving equipment. There is very little to choose from and ordering something online will usually cost you many times the product value because of the insane import fees and the fact than non-EU countries are treated as third-world.
If I didn't have somebody in the US at the time to buy the Heritage I never would have owned it.
I will give you some examples:
Only razors you can buy in stores are King C Gillette and some Parker razors online. Muhle, Merkur, Edwin Jagger.... non of those can be bought here.
When it comes to shaving brushes, you can find Omega, Proraso (which I also own) and some very cheap boars. Right now I'm using a Yaqi silvertip badger from AliExpress and I like it.
When it comes to creams and soaps, just the generic stuff: Nivea, Palmolive (which I use now) and stuff like that.
Excuse me if I don't want to spend $50+ for a shaving soap.
But enough about that.
Would you say the Merkur 34C is it a good alternative for the SS? How does it compare and how does it compare to the Heritage?

1940's style Supper speed is easy to find cheap on eBay.

40's Style Super Speed for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for 40's Style Super Speed at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[SuperSilver]

It does seem that perhaps the mild Gillette Heritage just doesn't work for you. Personally I have experienced that over time many razors I didn't like at first I can now get excellent shaves from. That being said, it does sound like a more aggressive razor might work much better for you. The Merkur 34C is also a pretty mild razor and similar to the Heritage. Since you are in Europe you should be a able to get a Fatip Grande or Piccolo for a good price. The Open Comb Fatip razors are wonderfully smooth but very efficient razors. In addition they are made out of brass!

Yes! I can order the Fatip Piccolo for a resonable price. Is is worth it to add more money and get the R41? How does the Piccolo compare to the R41?

 

[SuperSilver]

So yesterday I decided to shave off the 3-4 days worth of beard using the same brush, cream, blade ane method as with the Heritage but using the SS and the results were almost like magic. Just switching the razor felt like my whole face changed. No bumps, no irritation, nothing. BBS with no effort at all. The SS is simply that good.
I decided to continue using the SS until I find a proper replacement. I will keep my eye out for another well mantained SS or adjustable. Untill then I may order the Piccolo or R41 tepending on your opinion. Is the R41 a lot more aggresive or worth the money?
I would like to thank everybody for taking the time to help me. You are true gentlemen!

 

[ewk]

Untill then I may order the Piccolo or R41 tepending on your opinion. Is the R41 a lot more aggresive or worth the money?
I would like to thank everybody for taking the time to help me. You are true gentlemen!

I would go for the Piccolo open comb slant. I generally get irritation from open comb razors, but this one is smooth and efficient. It is something completely different and worth it. Plus, it is super cool looking.

The R41 is called "the beast," but I think that is an overstatement. It is efficient, and I like it. But I do not use it as often as the Fatip.

Really, they are different enough, I would go try both

 

[Shaveprentice]

Yes! I can order the Fatip Piccolo for a resonable price. Is is worth it to add more money and get the R41? How does the Piccolo compare to the R41?

I prefer the Piccolo over the R41. The R41 is more aggressive but the Piccolo has better blade rigidity. I think one reason that the Heritage is not working at all for you might be because it doesn't have really good blade rigidity. The Super Speed clamps the blade better than the Heritage does. The R41 does not clamp the blade well at all. If you have a tough beard and thick whiskers than a razor that clamps the blade well is even more important than for someone with average whiskers. Many people like the R41 but many people do not. I like the efficiency of the R41 but I hate the blade chatter which sometimes creates a rough shave. Not everyone likes the Piccolo either but in my experience it is quite efficient, a much smoother razor than the R41 and a really good value.

Another widely available and really inexpensive razor that has pretty good blade clamping is the Rapira Platinum Lux Razor. It is a Gillette Tech clone and pretty cheaply made but in my experience it shaves very well. If you can find it for cheap it is worth a try to see if a Tech type razor with good blade clamping works better for you.You can use your Heritage handle on it too.

 

[SuperSilver]

I cannot afford both razors and the slant Fatip is not available to me so I will go for the Piccolo. Maybe I'll get the R41 some time in the future.
I'm almost certain my problem is caused by rigidity because today I shaved with the SS like it didn't have a blade in it (didn't bother with the angle, pressure, strokes...) and still got amazing results.
I know its silly to compare the Piccolo with the SS, but can I expect at least similar results when it comes to rigidity? I'm sure it will be good as long as it's better than the Heritage because I used a very cheap razor similar to the mentioned Rapira one and still got better results than the Heritage.

 

[Shaveprentice]

I cannot afford both razors and the slant Fatip is not available to me so I will go for the Piccolo. Maybe I'll get the R41 some time in the future.
I'm almost certain my problem is caused by rigidity because today I shaved with the SS like it didn't have a blade in it (didn't bother with the angle, pressure, strokes...) and still got amazing results.
I know its silly to compare the Piccolo with the SS, but can I expect at least similar results when it comes to rigidity? I'm sure it will be good as long as it's better than the Heritage because I used a very cheap razor similar to the mentioned Rapira one and still got better results than the Heritage.

The Piccolo has even better blade rigidity than the Super Speed. The Piccolo clamps the blade very well on both the bottom and top of the blade very close to the blade cutting edge. Even though the Gillette Super Speed is a great design it is much easier for a well designed three piece razor to exert greater clamping force on the blade than a twist to open razor can. The only negatives about the Piccolo IMO are that sometimes you have to fiddle with the blade a little to get perfect blade alignment when tightening down the razor and it uses a different thread pitch so most other razor handles won't work. Also since it is a pretty low priced razor the plating quality is not always superb but since it is made out of brass it should still last a very long time.

A little additional info...Most people use the Piccolo with the standard Fatip top cap and handle and love it. If you want to play around and experiment than you probably will be able to use your Heritage top cap with the Piccolo base plate and then you can use your Heritage handle and most other common DE razor handles as well. I actually prefer to use an Edwin Jagger DE89 top cap(which I think is very similar to the Heritage top cap) on my Fatip so I can use a different razor handle. In addition using the DE89 top cap also eliminates the need to fiddle with the blade alignment because the blade alignment pins are a larger diameter than the stock Fatip top cap. Blade clamping and rigidity is the same with the DE89 and Fatip top caps.

Just to clarify, I love Gillette Super Speeds. However I also think that the Fatip razors are one of the best performance values for a new DE razor widely available today that hopefully will work as well for you as it does for me and many other people.

 

[Happy Jack]

Should I just stick with the SS until it breaks?

Welcome.

Yes. If the SS has worked so well for you why change? Find a spare SS if you want to preserve your heirloom, but there's no need to go down the rabbit hole of trying different razors to find one that you enjoy almost as much.

Personally I don't rate the R89 / DE89 / Heritage head at all, so I can understand why you're disappointed with it. I find them very inefficient, and they clog up rather easily. Maybe you are having to go over the same spot too many times or having to press too hard?

The few times I've shaved with mine I've immediately had to shave again with another razor.

 

[slimshavy]

I cannot afford both razors and the slant Fatip is not available to me so I will go for the Piccolo. Maybe I'll get the R41 some time in the future.
I'm almost certain my problem is caused by rigidity because today I shaved with the SS like it didn't have a blade in it (didn't bother with the angle, pressure, strokes...) and still got amazing results.
I know its silly to compare the Piccolo with the SS, but can I expect at least similar results when it comes to rigidity? I'm sure it will be good as long as it's better than the Heritage because I used a very cheap razor similar to the mentioned Rapira one and still got better results than the Heritage.

I think rigidity is the least likely culprit for your problem because the SS does not hold the blade rigidly. I can't say that absolutely, and I've not tried a Heritage, but among my vintage Gillettes, the SS is the least rigid. It's less rigid than the Slim, which has design elements to improve rigidity over the Super Speeds, but still isn't very rigid.
My NEW SC and Old type are both very rigid designs but you have to be careful how you shave with them. Super Speeds are super and speedy because they limit the angle you can shave at. You don't get cut and the shave is quick and enjoyable, even though it might not last as long as shaves from other razors.
The Fatip holds the blade more rigidly than the SS and will probably give you good shaves, but those two things aren't much related.

 

[Shaveprentice]

I think rigidity is the least likely culprit for your problem because the SS does not hold the blade rigidly. I can't say that absolutely, and I've not tried a Heritage, but among my vintage Gillettes, the SS is the least rigid. It's less rigid than the Slim, which has design elements to improve rigidity over the Super Speeds, but still isn't very rigid.
My NEW SC and Old type are both very rigid designs but you have to be careful how you shave with them. Super Speeds are super and speedy because they limit the angle you can shave at. You don't get cut and the shave is quick and enjoyable, even though it might not last as long as shaves from other razors.
The Fatip holds the blade more rigidly than the SS and will probably give you good shaves, but those two things aren't much related.

I agree that the Super Speed being a TTO doesn't super rigidly hold the blade compared to some other razors but it has vastly better blade support than the Heritage. I think all other things being equal(blade gap, blade exposure, blade angle,etc...) a razor that supports the blade better and clamps the blade closer to the cutting edge will always deliver a smoother, more consistent and better shave. However, I agree that blade rigidity might not be the cause of the OP's problems. Since the Heritage is an even more mild razor than a 40's Super Speed and the OP gets great shaves with the Super Speed but horrible shaves with the Heritage, blade rigidity seems to be a likely culprit though. Also the OP stated that he has very thick whiskers which makes blade rigidity even more important IMO.

 

[SuperSilver]

I ordered the Piccolo open comb and it will arrive in about 30 days (I hope). I will be happy with it as long as it doesn't leave bumps like the Heritage.
I will post in this thread again when it arrives, after a couple of shaves with it.

 

[SuperSilver]

Also, I will keep an eye out for a well maintained SS.

 

[Shaving like a boss]

Why not just find a good Fatboy or Slim Adjustable? You can adjust them to your liking. I have both and personally I like the Fatboy a bit better BUT that is my opinion only. Some like the SA because it has a slimmer head and is lighter. Just a thought.

 

[HDSledge]

Greetings gents,

Thought I would start this thread because I would love to hear your opinions and experiences and hopefully improve my technique and/or arsenal because I'm obviously doing something wrong.
Short life story: Suffered with cartridge razors for many years, decided to follow the footsteps of my father and grandfather and gave a shot to the safety razor my dad gave me many years ago.
It was Flare Tip Gillette Super Speed with the regular tip (same color as the handle). I bought an Omega boar brush and Arko shaving soap. As for the blades, I started with Derby but I quickly switched to sharper blades and settled with Sputnik.
For years I shaved with this combination and it was perfect. I shaved every morning, against the grain, baby smooth, 0 irritation.
Then one day I thought about buying a new razor and retiring the Super Speed partly because I was curious and partly because I was a bit afraid of breaking the old thing which would make me sad. I decided on the Gillette Heritage.
Ever since I switched, from the very first shave, something didn't feel right. I tried both milder and sharper blades (eventually switched to Astra SP which I currently use) but after almost every shave I would get at least one bump (almost like something an ingrown hair causes) that usually turns into a pimple and causes hell for the next shave. I use the same technique as with the Super Speed: relax face with warm water, create a nice, thick yogurt-like leather and use no pressure.
I don't know the correct terminology for describing hair but my beard doesn't have that many hairs but the hairs are very thick and sharp.
I know most modern razors are light-years behind in quality when compared to vintage so could that be the problem I'm having? Is the heritage more or less aggressive than the SS?
I will most likely go back to the SS until I can find a decent replacement.
Could anyone recommend something? A good replacement razor or a change in technique? Should I just stick with the SS until it breaks?

Sorry for the long post.
Kindest regards.

Don't worry about breaking the SS. Use it. You are correct in that most new offerings (including from Gillette) don't satisfy like the vintage Gillette razors widely available for a reasonable cost.

 

[SuperSilver]

So while still waiting on my Piccolo to arrive and reading through your comments and suggestions I got an (not very crazy) idea.
The first great advice was ditching the Heritage in favor of my SS. However, while the SS does get me very smooth shaves with little to no effort I did notice that it may be a bit too mild for me since it requires me to go ATG.
The second great advice (and I don't know how I never thought of that before) is trying to combine different razor parts. That said, I present to you my creation:



IT'S ALIVE!
(excuse the scum on the handle)
Ok, so It's not as sophisticated as I made it sound but boy oh boy is it a good combination. Old Type head + Heritage Handle. Clash of generations, old Gillette and new Gillette. The grandpa and the grandson.
The handle on the OT I have is cracked, which is typical for them but also the part where you screw in the head comes out. The handle on the Heritage is actually pretty good.
I decided to stick with what worked for me: Astra SP, Proraso boar brush, Arko soap mashed into a bowl and finish with Clubman.
Enter, third great advice: finding the angle by starting at the cap. I think this works especially well with this open comp head.
The first shave was unbelievable. I had only a day's worth of beard, so basically a 5 o'clock shadow and all I needed was one pass WTG and a tiny bit of cleanup to get very pleasing smoothness. There was a bit of stinging on my neck because I went ATG and the whiskers there go in every possible direction but nothing scary.
Also, I should add that I was stretching the skin through most of the process.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th shaves were just as pleasing with the 4th requiring XTG because the blade is slowly dulling and I got a hang of the neck shaving so no more stinging.
If the Piccolo is anything like the Old Type in terms of aggressiveness or efficiency I think I may be set for life. Well, until I see another good looking open comb razor. You know there's no going back from the rabbit hole!

 

[Quaznoid]

As the SuperSpeed worked well for you, why not stay w it? It won’t break w normal use. It may well be the only razor you’ll ever need