Gillette Tech heads and thoughts.

CjH

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Location
Bedford
Hi
So I have a few razors,
But I want to ask something of you more knowledgeable people's.

I have 4 Gillette, one Gillette old (I repaired the cracked handle), one aluminium handle tech, one slim twist (white/ivory colour handle) and a slim adjustable.
All the heads are some what similar bar the open comb of the "old".
But I keep looking at the Gillette "New".... It keeps talking to me, saying "you need me also".
When I look at the Gillette "New" head, it seems to have that little bit more weight and Class (the machining, shape & thickness) ,compared to the dare I say standard Tech head.
That's where you guys come in.
Is the tech head anything like the "new"?
Is the "new" only open combed or is it also closed combed?
Is it worth looking to get one?
I just don't know!!!
 
The Tech head is the same as the NEW, but the NEW LC & SC have more blade exposure and therefore for some (myself included) the NEW has too much blade "feel" as a result. YMMV.

What's your favourite Tech BM? I bought 2 Techs earlier this year, that have sorted by RAD acquisition needs pretty much forever, in particular the UK Ball End Tech. Why do I like it so much? It's the only razor I trust myself to use when shaving with a hangover.

If you want a well made tech that has more weight than some of them do you may want to look at the English flat bottom tech with the fat handle, it's a closed comb and a very nice razor to have in your tech collection. ;) P.
My Ball End Tech is heavier than my Fat Handle Tech, I imagine down to the handle of the BET being solid brass. Both are superb razors, and are my favourite two razors.
 
What's your favourite Tech BM? I bought 2 Techs earlier this year, that have sorted by RAD acquisition needs pretty much forever, in particular the UK Ball End Tech. Why do I like it so much? It's the only razor I trust myself to use when shaving with a hangover.


My Ball End Tech is heavier than my Fat Handle Tech, I imagine down to the handle of the BET being solid brass. Both are superb razors, and are my favourite two razors.
I only have three Tech's and they are all English flat bottoms, two with fat handles and one with a two peice handle. :) P.
 
I have an American early war Fat Handle Tech, a 1960s ‘Sportsman' and a 1948 English Flat Bed fellow. I like the ‘48 the best. That said, the New eclipses them performance-wise. Maybe it's the weight. I'm currently enjoying News from a ‘Jewellery Set' (1930s-40s); a Black and Red set (1930s); a No.88 set (1934) and an as-yet-to-be-tried-because-it-only-arrived-yesterday New Standard (1921-28).

I think the vintage Gillettes are hard to be beat for DEs; especially 1920-40s era.
 
Hi
So I have a few razors,
But I want to ask something of you more knowledgeable people's.

I have 4 Gillette, one Gillette old (I repaired the cracked handle), one aluminium handle tech, one slim twist (white/ivory colour handle) and a slim adjustable.
All the heads are some what similar bar the open comb of the "old".
But I keep looking at the Gillette "New".... It keeps talking to me, saying "you need me also".
When I look at the Gillette "New" head, it seems to have that little bit more weight and Class (the machining, shape & thickness) ,compared to the dare I say standard Tech head.
That's where you guys come in.
Is the tech head anything like the "new"?
Is the "new" only open combed or is it also closed combed?
Is it worth looking to get one?
I just don't know!!!
You need one. You must (sepulchral enabling laugh).
 
What's your favourite Tech BM? I bought 2 Techs earlier this year, that have sorted by RAD acquisition needs pretty much forever, in particular the UK Ball End Tech. Why do I like it so much? It's the only razor I trust myself to use when shaving with a hangover...

I use a Gillette English "ball end" nickel plated (what's left of it) heavy Tech for 99% of my shaving nowadays. I paid around $10.00 U.S. for it and have another mint one in reserve for when I pass 120 years of age and the first one wears out. ;) I can't tell any difference between it and an American one. Both are perfect daily shavers for me with their excellent blade rigidity. I really couldn't ask for a better razor and I have tried a sh**load of others to only come crawling back to it like a repentant lover. :sneaky:
 
I use a Gillette English "ball end" nickel plated (what's left of it) heavy Tech for 99% of my shaving nowadays. I paid around $10.00 U.S. for it and have another mint one in reserve for when I pass 120 years of age and the first one wears out. ;) I can't tell any difference between it and an American one. Both are perfect daily shavers for me with their excellent blade rigidity. I really couldn't ask for a better razor and I have tried a sh**load of others to only come crawling back to it like a repentant lover. :sneaky:

Post war, oval slot?
 
1945%20(P1%20on%20blade)%20Contract%20Tech.JPG
 
I use a Gillette English "ball end" nickel plated (what's left of it) heavy Tech for 99% of my shaving nowadays. I paid around $10.00 U.S. for it and have another mint one in reserve for when I pass 120 years of age and the first one wears out. ;) I can't tell any difference between it and an American one. Both are perfect daily shavers for me with their excellent blade rigidity. I really couldn't ask for a better razor and I have tried a sh**load of others to only come crawling back to it like a repentant lover. :sneaky:

Thanks for the info.

Sounds much like my Tech! I'm in agreement with all your observations, for a daily shaver for my face anyway it's the most comfortable razor I have used. I tend to use a lot of modern Gillette blades as well and find they match perfectly.

Yeah the nickel plating on mine isn't in the best collection either. Mine clearly was used A LOT for a very long time and has lasted from the 50's I guess.

Here's mine
BET 01.jpg

Of course the head is something that many have spoken about, but IMO the solid brass handle doesn't always get as much credit as I think it does. I find the balance to be the most ergonomic of the razor handles I have used. I know a lot of people aren't a fan of Omega boar handles (eg 10066) but I always keep finding myself back to the lighter smaller handles for brushes as well, but of course this is a YMMV issue but I find for a lot of more modern razor handles and brush handles they can be a bit too heavy/big at times.
 
All "ball end" Techs are oval slots.
Source please.
I have two Canadian Wartime Production triangle slot ball end techs. Canadian triangle slot techs are all wartime production as techs commenced production in 1939. I also have two triangle slot Canadian Fat Handle Techs. Technically (pun intended) there are no Pre-war Canadian Techs. (Canada was in WWII from the start in Sept 1939 unlike the US which never entered the war until more than 2 years later after Pearl Harbour)
 
I guess I will revise what I said earlier and I will invoke the old collector's mantra of "Never say never". Gillette went to the oval slots during WWII therefore in theory all post war Techs should be as such, BUT I have seen a mere few that had the older triangular slots. That raises questions as to whether these mere few were "Frankensteins", i.e., simply mis-matched by their owners, or Gillette had some older baseplates that they found in house and in an act of New England frugality simply pushed them out the front door. Knowing the history of New England frugality I am slightly inclined to believe the latter as they were then "Tighter than the bark on a piss elm tree!" as the old saying goes. ;)
 
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