OP
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Rocket or Super-Speed ?
'Flare Tip' Rocket Trifecta
- Thread starter Bogeyman
- Start Date
Rocket or Super-Speed ?
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I have both, very nice razors. The SuperSpeed in a beautiful complete set.
A further point to add and a story with a happy ending...
I bought a rocket from a Canadian seller on eBay and although not mentioned in the description it was marked on the base with an 'A'. Since then I have identified a few more on eBay. They all have something in common - Canadian sellers. Whilst it isn't a large enough sample size to be statistically accurate yet, I now cautiously propose a theory that Rockets marked with an 'A' were made for the Canadian market. At the time before NAFTA came into being and the UK joined what was then known as the Common Market (now EU), the UK had tariff free trade with the overseas dominions, Australia, Canada and New Zealand etc. Hence the reason why Gillette exported to these countries from the UK.
I spotted that rare beast the English Flare Tip Superspeed on eBay the other week and much to my pleasant surprise managed to snaffle it for the same price as a good Flare Tip Rocket. So far so good.
The razor arrived today entombed in a jiffy bag. I opened it and something small dropped out and rolled away into the sunset. I didn't think much of it at the time and deposited the razor in a mug of hot soapy water at work for a good initial clean. It was only I put in the mug upside down that I realised the maltese cross retaining screw was missing. Damned seller must have known it was loose and just wedged it in. I went crawling round on my hands and knees, but to no avail. Fortunately since then a donor razor kindly supplied by another member here has allowed me to effect a proper repair.
Another point about the lose screw. Again from what I have read US Flare Tip Superspeeds changed from this to a retaining ring in approximately 1957. Therefore bearing in mind that Flare Rockets first emerged in 1957 (Mr Razor) with a retaining ring, not a screw, I would again like to cautiously propose that the English Flare Tip Superspeed was a limited toe in the water, possibly using some US sourced parts (the handle and tip as the head is a standard Superspeed with English endcaps), before Flare Tip Rockets went into production using wholly English parts. As Brit Pat 694093 was imprinted post 1955, this means English Flare Tip Superspeeds must have only been in production during 1956; hence the rarity.
When I took the razor out of its bath something caught my eye. The handle, but not the head or tip seemed very shiny. Nickel doesn't come up all shiny after just soap and water, but rhodium does. Revisiting the famous Rocket thread on TSD revealed that very occasionally non TV Special Rockets occasionally emerge with rhodium plating. I took the photo below just after the razor was bathed, but not cleaned further, and the rhodium is hopefully self-evident.
In the space of few days I have gone from thinking I initially found a good priced rare razor, to cursing the seller, to now thinking that rare (UK Flare Tip Superspeed) x rare (Rhodium handle) = very damned rare indeed?
I bought a rocket from a Canadian seller on eBay and although not mentioned in the description it was marked on the base with an 'A'. Since then I have identified a few more on eBay. They all have something in common - Canadian sellers. Whilst it isn't a large enough sample size to be statistically accurate yet, I now cautiously propose a theory that Rockets marked with an 'A' were made for the Canadian market. At the time before NAFTA came into being and the UK joined what was then known as the Common Market (now EU), the UK had tariff free trade with the overseas dominions, Australia, Canada and New Zealand etc. Hence the reason why Gillette exported to these countries from the UK.
I spotted that rare beast the English Flare Tip Superspeed on eBay the other week and much to my pleasant surprise managed to snaffle it for the same price as a good Flare Tip Rocket. So far so good.
The razor arrived today entombed in a jiffy bag. I opened it and something small dropped out and rolled away into the sunset. I didn't think much of it at the time and deposited the razor in a mug of hot soapy water at work for a good initial clean. It was only I put in the mug upside down that I realised the maltese cross retaining screw was missing. Damned seller must have known it was loose and just wedged it in. I went crawling round on my hands and knees, but to no avail. Fortunately since then a donor razor kindly supplied by another member here has allowed me to effect a proper repair.
Another point about the lose screw. Again from what I have read US Flare Tip Superspeeds changed from this to a retaining ring in approximately 1957. Therefore bearing in mind that Flare Rockets first emerged in 1957 (Mr Razor) with a retaining ring, not a screw, I would again like to cautiously propose that the English Flare Tip Superspeed was a limited toe in the water, possibly using some US sourced parts (the handle and tip as the head is a standard Superspeed with English endcaps), before Flare Tip Rockets went into production using wholly English parts. As Brit Pat 694093 was imprinted post 1955, this means English Flare Tip Superspeeds must have only been in production during 1956; hence the rarity.
When I took the razor out of its bath something caught my eye. The handle, but not the head or tip seemed very shiny. Nickel doesn't come up all shiny after just soap and water, but rhodium does. Revisiting the famous Rocket thread on TSD revealed that very occasionally non TV Special Rockets occasionally emerge with rhodium plating. I took the photo below just after the razor was bathed, but not cleaned further, and the rhodium is hopefully self-evident.
In the space of few days I have gone from thinking I initially found a good priced rare razor, to cursing the seller, to now thinking that rare (UK Flare Tip Superspeed) x rare (Rhodium handle) = very damned rare indeed?
Last edited:
OP
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I have read where the 'A' marked ones were possibly made in Germany by Gillette.
OP
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- #23
Yes, but those razors were marked as such.
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True.
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Bump for current discussion purposes.