1960s Schick Adjustable Injector razor using a modern blade

[ekeko]

So, I picked up a Schick adjustable injector model, i knew it took replacement thin blade continuous belt cartridges which are no longer available but thought I could work around this using a modified modern blade. I know, why do this? I just saw it as a challenge I guess. It’s not going to be my daily razor
It was a bit of trial and error and quite fiddly. If you try this then take great care handling the blade and avoid the cutting edge!
I used Polimide Kapton insulation tape, it’s high temp resistant. Not that HT is really a requirement.
I also used a nibbler tool to shape the blade.

The top is pre nibbling, note the PK tape,
The bottom is after nibbling, this was my first trial and error attempt to see if I could get a fit, the second attempt was neater, straighter and much more fit for purpose which I put into the cartridge head. The U cut into the back edge of the blade is key to get the blade sitting correctly in the cartridge head.




I carefully removed the existing band strip from the cartridge. After sliding the blade in, as I said a bit of a fiddle and with PK tape off but with care for fingers, I ended up with this. I added the PK tape after as a safety just to keep the blade in place, the cutting edge of the blade isn’t full width of the razor head but when the cartridge is clicked into the handle everything was pretty tight.



I have used the razor as below, it’s still adjustable and gave a good shave. I’ll use the blade as a pattern in future.

 

[riverrun]

So, I picked up a Schick adjustable injector model,

That is not a Schick adjustable injector model.
This is:

 

[ekeko]

That is not a Schick adjustable injector model.
This is:

Hmm, interesting, the razor cartridge in my foto has the word Adjustable imprinted on it, you can just see it in the foto. It also has a black hi, lo lever on the side which changes the blade gap, there are no numbers I grant you, but still…. Maybe the word Adjustable means different things depending on the Schick model? ‍

 

[ekeko]

Having rechecked the paperwork mine is an Schick adjustable instamatic, not Schick adjustable injector.

 

[Boycie83]

I'm assuming this was Schick's answer to the Gillette Techmatic - or perhaps the other way round?

 

[ekeko]

Kodak launched their highly successful instamatic, pocket sized, point and shoot cameras in 1963, I think I had one in the day. I’m guessing the Schick wordsmiths maybe latched on and hoped word association would bring equal success?

 

[pjgh]

I'm assuming this was Schick's answer to the Gillette Techmatic - or perhaps the other way round?

It is indeed Schick's copy of the Gillette Techmatic ... it's a "band razor" as in there is supposed to be a reel to reel of sharp razor edge that can be drawn through the razor head.

@ekeko If you pop that cartridge out, you might see the original band.

 

[ekeko]

I did remove some of the band before installing my heath robinson blade assembly. Must have been an interesting production process to make the carts. Really detailed Gillette data sheet. This is what came with the Schick, a wee bit briefer!

 

[Deleted member 12673]

It is indeed Schick's copy of the Gillette Techmatic ... it's a "band razor" as in there is supposed to be a reel to reel of sharp razor edge that can be drawn through the razor head.

@ekeko If you pop that cartridge out, you might see the original band.

were these schicks better then the gillette techmatics?
i remember reading that the gillettes techmatics were awful

 

[pjgh]

were these schicks better then the gillette techmatics?
i remember reading that the gillettes techmatics were awful

I've used mine on patent anniversary date for a good few years ... fine! Pretty much how an injector feels. That'll be contentious, but ... my face, and that's how it feels to my face. Not as good as a Trac-II. I never tried the Schick offering - being a copy, it'll be (about) the same.

 

[pjgh]

I did remove some of the band before installing my heath robinson blade assembly. Must have been an interesting production process to make the carts. Really detailed Gillette data sheet. This is what came with the Schick, a wee bit briefer!

View attachment 90545

My apologies - you did say that you removed the band.

Does an injector blade fit between the cartridge and the head on the Schick? For width, I think it would be perfect and sit on the adjustable shelf perfectly. Whether it will slip all the way back is another question, but looking at your double-edge blade template I think it might well work!

I had a half-assed prat about with an Artist Club blade and a Techmatic a few years ago ...

Goosed Techmatic

You know me, always looking at defunct old razors with proprietary systems and dreaming up ways to get a shave out of them with some modern blade, or a modification of some modern blade, well, I got a tip on the other place and thought I'd run with it ... Suicidal blade presentation...

www.theshavingroom.co.uk

 

[ekeko]

My apologies - you did say that you removed the band.

Does an injector blade fit between the cartridge and the head on the Schick? For width, I think it would be perfect and sit on the adjustable shelf perfectly. Whether it will slip all the way back is another question, but looking at your double-edge blade template I think it might well work!

I had a half-assed prat about with an Artist Club blade and a Techmatic a few years ago ...

Goosed Techmatic

You know me, always looking at defunct old razors with proprietary systems and dreaming up ways to get a shave out of them with some modern blade, or a modification of some modern blade, well, I got a tip on the other place and thought I'd run with it ... Suicidal blade presentation...

www.theshavingroom.co.uk

I guess the simple answer is that an injector blade will slide in but needs “nibbling” in order to sit securly. Being thicker than a DE blade this would be imo a bit of a struggle. Handling the blade whilst doing this would be fun. My fotos might help explain this

here’s the cart with a modified DE blade, I’ve shaved ok with this one.


Tape off, blade slips under a retaining strip and sits snug at the rear, so to speak


Blade removed, note on the cart the 3 raised white plastic strips creating a castellated look with the metal retaining strip.
This is why the blade has to be shaped on its rear edge, to ensure stability.


not a very clear foto, but here is the Wilki sitting on an injector blade. It needs nibbling a fair bit.
if I’m honest, probably easier to fettle a thinner DE blade than an injector blade.
As I said in an earlier post, just saw this as a challenge and wouldn’t do it on a regular basis!