my vintage gillette obsession..

[brit]

Please pardon the interruption...
Welcome to the Journals, @brit . I'm enjoying your posts.

thank you Bruce.

 

[Spider]

and conservatory

That’s my favorite! I have a few, was able to stock up from a local store.

 

[brit]

good morning gents,fabulous tech/nacet shave.fine arko lather built with the semogue 830 boar,one of my first brushes purchased in 2017,still a favorite.finished the shave with a cold rinse and fine aftershave.a bit of pacific shave balm added if needed..ove this set up.
today's razor is the canadian post war tech,this one has no date code,but has an etched cap,most likely 1950 ish,the solid military handle is from my 1953 canadian military set.while this razor is still stamped 1932, it is the same as the u.s post war version,which became the standard design around the world by the early 50s until the zamak cap design surfaced around 1963.canadian tech production ended at the end of 1954.
this razor is the most common other than being canadian made and shaves just like the others.loves a sharp blade.the handle helps and is similarly weighted to a ball end handle.
have a fine day everyone.

 

[brit]

That’s my favorite! I have a few, was able to stock up from a local store.

i believe i got mine from a u.s vendor,don't remember seeing it available in canada,maybe briefly.i did manage to get a bottle of barbershop after shave before the shipping ban.

 

[Bill M]

hello gents.my deal in a nutshell.i learned to shave with a bic disposable then gillette 2 blade carts in the early 1980's.not enjoyable by any means and and always viewed it as a chore.i chose to shave as little as possible as i was in the auto industry and saw little client front line contact.leave me be and i'll get the job done was my moto..skip a few years and a marriage or 2,i started using William's soap and a brush around 2006,but still used mach 3's.still hated it but was marginally better.at least more "traditional "I always got a lower neck irritation line/ingrown hairs. Thoroughly frustrated at having these issues in my late 40s i grew a full beard and did the least needed to maintain a respectable appearance.2017 ..i owned an auto repair shop and had some space to show off some cool old school memorabilia in the front office/reception area.i was always into vintage tools,cars old stuff so i bought a fatboy razor to display in a cabinet.well .that just piqued my interest and i decided to actually try it.after a trial run with readily available wilkinson blades i was intrigued and proceeded to purchase anything vintage.Rabbit holes-101
Long story short..
i decided to narrow my gillette adventure to british gillettes..well i am british born and my RAF WW2 serving grandad was a gillette man since the late 1930s.it made sense to honour his indulgence and enjoy stuff he could of acquired. His last gillette i remember was a white handled slim twist.from the early 70's.
History done..
i purchased many brit gillette sets online from the uk and hooked up with some brit gillette collectors over the last few years.i wasn't greedy and only got what i wanted,not multiples to gloat about or sell for profit.gillette tech razors became a weak spot as their are so many variants around the world and over the course of 60+ years of manufacture.they are also cheap to acquire/collect if you have an eye..Some shave better than others..

View attachment 95576

These days i shave daily due to work expectations and have since 2018.i change my razor almost daily as to be honest,they all shave quite similar.no shelf queens in my den.once you have the technique down pat it's a no brainer.there are exceptions..old type/single ring/new improved require an extra bit of attention.(all early 3 hole blade).and the brit red tip of course,don't get complacent with that one..
i usually use gillette st .petes blades and have acquired a few thousand,mostly blue/white tuck platinums-the new swedes as as some say,gsb-the old 7oclock blues as reported by some.and nacets.i also indulge in vintage spoilers when the mood arises.astras,polislvers,various other 7 oclocks and others fill bins in the archives also,just to keep things authentic to the cause.feathers and kai blades are around but rarely used.i buy barber 100 packs to keep things affordable and share with my friends.
obviously i shave daily so there is little use for a 3 pass shave.i do 2 across the grain with some buffing/touch up for near bbs,being mindful of the lower nech area-source of ingrowns for many years.
my favorite gillettes are brit OC NEW rfb's,with the new sc a close second-i have all 4 generations of aristocrat and 'crat jr variants/populars but they are mostly for fun and nostalgia.i do a touch up pass most of the time with a lowly 1965 brit flair tip rocket with residual slickness and/or water/witch hazel.it gets the last stragglers and hard to get whiskers with it's slim head and positive exposure.only made from 1964 -66 it is really gillette's best all brass non adjustable.imo.brit/canada market as far as i know.so there it is..my story.sorry for the longish ramble.happy shaves gents.

Great ramble bro

 

[brit]

Great ramble bro

thank you my friend.cheers.

 

[brit]

good day gents.another fine tech shave this morning.


fine campione lather built with the handmade zebrawood 400.described as a creamy tobacco scent ,nice enough.matching splash to cap it off.

today's tech is a u.s post war model from the late 40s,no date code,oval lather slots and unetched cap.probably came in a fancier case than the standard "tech box"of the era.with the fat handle this razor is slightly head heavy compared to a ball end version,even though this handle is thicker."standard" tech shave as all the post war era techs,this design had the second longest run next to the zamak cap late tech design,and..
loves a sharp blade.very common tech of the era with many made well into the 50's.reasonably priced on the web theses days,the only thing they suffer from is the plating wear,not as robust as the nickel version.some Korean war era models had a zamak cap due to low brass reserves,and are prone to corrosion.
have a fine day everyone.

 

[GearNoir]

Hope the day treats you well too Gary! Great shave set today!

 

[brit]

Hope the day treats you well too Gary! Great shave set today!

thank you Chris.cheers.

 

[brit]

good morning gents,fine 2 pass shave today with the z-4 canadian tech.nacet combo.very smooth and efficient.-as techs go.
slick mint scented lather built with the drug store beechwood omega boar-don't fully soak this brush in the sink as the handle will crack and split.
this soap is sadly discontinued,but i have a small stockpile left.i house it in a canadian made Dominion glass gaylord brand shave mug from i believe late1940s -50s.
finished the shave with Clubman reserve whiskey woods,housed in a vintage Woodbury aftershave bottle.these aftershaves smell better when stored in glass over the new plastic ones. imo.
This tech razor shaves the same as any other post war design tech-frosted/etched cap,fat handle,but this on is i believe the last run of canadian tech/razor production,.some folks say early 1955,though i haven't found an example newer than z-4 so far.canada got british made razors from here on including u.s made adjustables.
other cool notes to this razor is it's all brass/nickel constuction-(u.s techs of this era had nickel plated zamak caps due to wartime brass use) and a unique thinner collar on the handle compared to earlier canadian models.every boxed z dated canadian razor i have seen has this handle.it could well be british made as the brit handles had the same collar.

top handle-z-4,lower handle ealy candian 1939-53.
i know,pure tech geekery..

Have a fine day everyone..

 

[brit]

good morning gents.
i gathered the next day's shave set up after my recent shave like always,so i can get a good pic with the light available.but..a parcel showed up early.like a school boy at christmas i couldn't wait..

and i wasn't disappointedthe vintage williams shave can wait another day or so,it's old already..
spead a little into the captains choice copper bowl and built a fabulously slick creamy lather with the yaqi silvertip.man this stuff loves water,lovely sheen.
smooth 2 passer with the canadian tech.nacet combo.barely felt the blade.very impressed.excellent post shave feel.matching splash to seal the deal.awesome.

the canadian flat bottom tech is a rare bear indeed.i paid a few $$ when it appeared for sale,just had to have it.heard they existed but haven't seen one before or since online or anywhere else.it has a unique cap with a double inner crease that hasn't been used on any gillette i've seen,brit or otherwise.i am thinking it was a short run between the canadian prewar type and post war.


note the double creaded cap

next to it's brit flat bottom brother..

and of course i have no idea what case it came with ,so a friend relined an old valet case.all the canadian techs.


if anyone has any ifo about this gem .please let me know.
have a fine day everyone.

 

[Scuttlesoap]

That is a beautiful set!

 

[brit]

That is a beautiful set!

thank you so much.

 

[brit]

good morning gents..thought i would give the seaforth set another go,this time with a favorite razor model.
lovely slick lather built with the wcs lantern silvertip.usual face prep,quick wash with imperial leather soap.
2 smooth across the grain passes with a little touch up got me where i like to be.no muss no fuss.
matching splash to finish.awesome.
i rarely use set ups twice in a row,but i wanted to see how far i could take the soap..and yes ,it loves water.shineeey..

but alas,like i traditionally do,another set up will be up for tomorrow...i generally don't do comparisons to my other products because if i like them i keep them,if i don't they're moved along..
the #77 is a razor set that has been around since the early 30's to the mid 50s,with many different razor types available,from 2 piece open combs to techs,possibly a rocket or 2.the case itself came in a few colors,from green,burgundy,brown,and black.this 1945 black cased version came with the last year of the Open Comb New RFB razor that gillette built,except for a Nacet branded OC tech,during the early 60s.
other colors of this case were avalable also,blue,white and yellow,but they had different set numbers.
my gillette knowledge is murky in some areas such as old types and some u.s models,but i try to research british models as best i can with what little info there is on them.forgive me if i am off a year or so. or miss something others know about.please add if you know more.
this set has the thin handle which was available in 1947 ish in the brit flat bottom tech sets,but this handle is unique as it's a little longer to fit the #77 case.all of my other thin handle tech's handles are shorter.
thank you all again for reading along.such boring ramblings about long lost shaving items..again,it's an obsession.
have a fine day everyone.

 

[heysi]

I've been on the hunt for a British flat bottom (there's a joke in there....I'm almost certain) for many years. I figure it will materialize when I least expect it (or can afford it). But yours is drool worthy.

 

[brit]

I've been on the hunt for a British flat bottom (there's a joke in there....I'm almost certain) for many years. I figure it will materialize when I least expect it (or can afford it). But yours is drool worthy.

thank you.i have acquired a few,the razors themselves are quite rare in as they were only made from around 1947 -50 ish.but tons were made in various different sets.i have found most of mine on ebay.uk for decent prices.the prices tend to be jacked up when they are sold on north american sites.buying them from the source can be worth the little extra shipping cost.

 

[Graybeard57]

Some of the best-looking razors are British Gillettes, IMO. I enjoy learning about them, Gary.

 

[brit]

good morning gents,another fine tech shave in the books.this time with a favorite.the brit flat bottom.


did the usual face wash with imperial leather soap,then built a fine soft-serve like shiny DG lather with the restored ever-ready 100 brush,weighted and fitted with a finest badger.
smooth 2 passer across the grain with the brit tech/blue box platinum combo,a little buffing and done.matching splash to finish.scent is described as bond #9 bleeker st. awesome .
and now more tech geekery..

the #25 tech set from 1948 has been a favorite for a while.the #25 also came with other razor types including flat bottom new OC and bakelite razors.this tech design originated from the OC flat bottom new,also marketed under the nacet and 7 oclock brand.this set has the thin handle option as gillette's fat tech handle won't fit the case.like the #77 this set case was around since the late 1930's until the early 50s.the flat bottom tech was made from approx 1947-1950 and was replaced with the standard u.s post war design.during this time it got a couple of safety bar and script upgrades with little shave difference.

brit gillettes from this era are said to be nicer quality/plating etc and were built with longevity in mind.
for me the brit flat bottom tech is my favorite tech,but i generally use them with a solid/heavier handle.
thanks for following along.
have a fine day everyone.

 

[heysi]

View attachment 96085

for me the brit flat bottom tech is my favorite tech,but i generally use them with a solid/heavier handle.

I also love the British flat bottom tech. My #25 set (identified by you...thank you for that) is one of my go-to razors each morning. Mine is similar to the middle base plate pictured above. I also pair mine with a heavier handle that I've frankensteined together out of a solid brass handle and a custom-made piece I designed and had my work machine shop make for me.



Thanks for the history lesson. Keep em coming.

 

[brit]

I also love the British flat bottom tech. My #25 set (identified by you...thank you for that) is one of my go-to razors each morning. Mine is similar to the middle base plate pictured above. I also pair mine with a heavier handle that I've frankensteined together out of a solid brass handle and a custom-made piece I designed and had my work machine shop make for me.

View attachment 96091

Thanks for the history lesson. Keep em coming.

thats very cool.i use the french tech version of the thin handle that is solid,similar weight to a ball end tech handle.balances it out a bit.