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gillette red tip

novicewetshaver

novicewetshaver

Sr. Shave Member
i was thinking about getting a gillette red tip, seen a few on ebay and murphy and mcniels site for about 50 bux. Is there anything in particular i should be looking for when getting one of these razors? is a certain production year i should be looking for or are they all pretty much the same, any thoughts would be apreciated thanks!!
 
There are Plenty on the bay that Don't have a case that are Very reasonable in price right now.. I found mine at a flea market early on in my journey when I first started and I think I paid 5 dollars US for it... If the red on the tip is damaged there are Plenty of videos showing how to refresh the red and what color / shade of red to get... I have not heard a lot of people say there was much difference in the years but I am sure someone will be along shortly that knows way more than I do....
 
If you are NOT in a major hurry I would say watch some of the auctions and just try to get the best deal in the best shape you can get within the price you want...
 
I’m not sure what the going price in the wild these days is but $50 sounds high to me. The red tip is a pretty basic TTO style razor worth adding to your collection if you don’t already have one but like Jaro has already said, I would be looking to do it at a more reasonable auction price if you aren’t looking for a specific collector piece. I am not aware of any specific benefits in finding a particular year, just find one that is intact and functional. I have even retouched the red paint on a few that have had nice plating but poor ‘red tips’.

The red tip is supposed to be more aggressive than the standard super speed and significantly more aggressive than the supposedly more mild blue tip version. I don’t know if I would call the red tip aggressive but I do like how it shaves.
 
I’d inquire at the various shave forums/groups you’re a part of first before trying eBay or a company that’s restored a razor.

A lot of spots have a BST. So if you have permissions for that, just post that you’re looking for one and find a nice trusted long time member to buy from. There’s lots of folks out there with large collections that can be convinced to part.

Companies that restore razors will usually be the most pricey. Spots like eBay are a crap shoot. First do your research so that you know to a reasonable extent what a red tip looks like compared to a super speed or something similar. Ask for pictures, confirm nothing in the mechanics is rusted up or loose, look for a 100% rated seller. If they dodge questions, don’t give you what you’re looking for, or aren’t open and communicative, don’t buy.
 
We try very hard not to be an appraisal sight so you won’t see any hard price recommendations here but… as a point of reference it has been at least 3 years since I bought a red tip but when I was buying them I often got them as part of a 3-4 razor bundle that I paid $10-$20 for or maybe paid $5-$10 for a single razor. All in fair condition or looking like they needed heavy cleaning. What little time I’ve spent on eBay recently I don’t think the $5 razors exist anymore
 
Of course I agree with Both of the Chris' @GearNoir and @CBLindsay on what they had said and with what was said about the BST sections and dealing with a trusted seller first.. If you do look at the bay , first look at completed auctions to get an idea of what they have been going for and ask on the forums what they have seen them for just so you won't overpay.. I am seeing them on the bay as buy it now currently for about 20 something dollars and up... Auctions with a few days left are currently at less than 10 dollars and up...
 
The red tip is a classic and one of my favorite razors. Well worth a try. The only difference I'm aware of in them is in the British ones. I think they are slightly more aggressive than the US ones. And if I recall, the British ones had a slight variation within the red tips with different markings to show one as slightly more aggressive than the other. But the US ones should all be the same no matter what year ('55-'60).
 
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