When did the Trac II start out selling DE razors?
- Thread starter fritts80
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If I recall correctly, my father was devoted to a Krona and didn't get lured by Trac II until until several years of advertising had passed.
After initial enthusiasm, he got disillusioned with "the first blade shaves incredibly close, the second even closer" and went back to a single blade--disposable BICS.
After initial enthusiasm, he got disillusioned with "the first blade shaves incredibly close, the second even closer" and went back to a single blade--disposable BICS.
That's It!!!
I am 56 and I worked in a Super X (old drug store) in the late 70's early 80's, and I never remember seeing any DE's come through the register or when stocking. The first razor I started shaving with (that I remember) was the Good News disposables. And boy did I hate it.
It may have been the Good News, not the Trac II, that made inroads. My father wasn't thrilled by the idea of the Techmatic or the Trac II. But it was disposables that won him over. Twin blade razors did make a splash, but you could get twin blade injector and DE blades (note: came across the latter online, but don't recall them in stores). The double injector blades were so common at one point I couldn't find single injector blades.
Disposables was the game changer. Supposedly Gillette first hit the US market with the Good News in 1976. Bic predates it by a couple of years, but was not in the US market at that time. My father ended up going to Bic, which he still uses today. Disposables like the Bic were cheap. Even today they're cheaper than SE and DE shaving, and that, along with it didn't require as much control, was the attraction.
Disposables was the game changer. Supposedly Gillette first hit the US market with the Good News in 1976. Bic predates it by a couple of years, but was not in the US market at that time. My father ended up going to Bic, which he still uses today. Disposables like the Bic were cheap. Even today they're cheaper than SE and DE shaving, and that, along with it didn't require as much control, was the attraction.
I started shaving in 1979, at the tender age of 14, with twin-blade disposables (probably Good News). These were what my father used at the time. I recall drugstores having DE blades (and Injector blades), but not razors taking them. My 14-year-old mind associated DE blades with cocaine use. 
Very good, Feather-man. I agree that they would like to consign the Techmatic to the dustbin of history. Great point. Although, Astronaut Michael Collins did use a Techmatic and Old Spice on the Apollo 11 mission!
Razor and Shaving Cream, Apollo 11
Razor and Shaving Cream, Apollo 11
By 1975, when you and I began to shave regularly, Gillette had been aggressively marketing the Trac II for years and had already essentially discontinued DE razors. There wasn't much incentive for us to start off with the old system, though I did try my father's DE razor for a while. And yes, Good News was bad news, although probably not as bad as the BIC disposable.
I started shaving about 1977 using the household razors, a Super adjustable and a 1957 Tech. I think I switched to a Trac II in 1980. Stayed with that for around 20 years until it became a chore to find twin blade replacements. Went to a Mach 3 for about 10 years and then back to DE using the same 1969 Super and 1957 Tech.
When I was 8 or 9 (I was born in 1972) my parents were cleaning at my grandparents house, found my grandfather's DE stash, and threw them away. I grabbed them out of the trash because they belonged to my grandfather (who passed away in the 60's). When it came time to start shaving I just gravitated towards them since I had them and I'd been waiting a long time to use them. I've been DE shaving since then. I'm 45 now. When I first started shaving, I started with a Schick Krona. Up until a few years ago I didn't think hardly ANYBODY used a DE except for me. Back in the 80's I bought ALL of the Schick DE blades when our local Woolworth's went out of business. I still have a ton of blades from then. They are TERRIBLE but that's what I grew up with.
Also 56 and started with Good News and hated it.
I'm 63. I started in the mid to late 60s with a Slim adjustable, same as my Dad's. At some point I remember switching to the Trak-II and actually preferring it. I had a beard from 73-81 so I wasn't shaving much of my face. My excuse was that I hated shaving 
After that I pretty much stuck with the Good News disposables. They were cheaper than the Trak II carts. I always thought the Bic disposables were harsh.
After that I pretty much stuck with the Good News disposables. They were cheaper than the Trak II carts. I always thought the Bic disposables were harsh.
When I started shaving it was with a Trac II, (very first shaves were with Bic disposable). I don't think anyone I knew, aside from my dad, used a DE.
I remember seeing a Gillette DE razor in my local Walgreens, probably around 1990, and being surprised they were still being sold. It was probably a super-adjustable, or black flare-tip from what I remember.
As an aside, my neighborhood drugstore still sells (at least until recently) sing-edge blades. I'll wager single edge razors haven't been produced for decades.
I remember seeing a Gillette DE razor in my local Walgreens, probably around 1990, and being surprised they were still being sold. It was probably a super-adjustable, or black flare-tip from what I remember.
As an aside, my neighborhood drugstore still sells (at least until recently) sing-edge blades. I'll wager single edge razors haven't been produced for decades.
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I'm around the same age as a lot of you. 57. Started shaving in the mid 70s. Started on a Trac II. But even back then I was kind of fascinated with wet shaving and older razors. I used Williams in a mug with a badger brush for a while. I used an injector for a while too but couldn't get the hang of it and always ended up with multiple cuts. Eventually went back to the Trac II and atra. Used those along with bic disposables for years.
Went to DE several years ago and rediscovered wet shaving.
Went to DE several years ago and rediscovered wet shaving.
Gillette sponsored Friday Night Fights on TV in the 50's and had a jingle for the Gillette Blue Blades. I also started out with a DE razor....BUT...Gillette started a mail campaign where they sent you a free trial Trac II razor. They did this for several new razor introductions. After all, the money was in the blades! As some point as the models were "improved," they resorted to advertising to get you to purchase the latest, greatest shaving razor. In truth, the more blades they added, the quicker the darned thing clogged up!
I first shaved with a double edged, probably around 1968. I thought it a bit clumsy and prone to nicks
I used a Schick injector for awhile and I suspect I tried the Wilkinson bonded blade before switching to a Trac II. I continued to use a Trac II until a few years ago when I switched back to a DE.
I managed to give myself a good nick this morning. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
I'd like to try a modern single edged -- perhaps something like a Razorock Hawk.
I used a Schick injector for awhile and I suspect I tried the Wilkinson bonded blade before switching to a Trac II. I continued to use a Trac II until a few years ago when I switched back to a DE.
I managed to give myself a good nick this morning. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
I'd like to try a modern single edged -- perhaps something like a Razorock Hawk.
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Perhaps we Brits are more conservative, or cost conscious, but DE blades have always been pretty easy to find here in the UK, in many drug stores and quite a few supermarkets. Having said that, I started shaving with a Trac II (I think it had a different name here, maybe Contour?) in the 70s and went on to jump on whatever was the "latest and best" system over the following years, until discovering DE shaving.
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