gillette travel razor vintage

Vintage 1965 (K3) Gillette Travel Tech Double Edge Safety Razor

Notes on this razor : It was rescued from "the wild" and is in good shape.  Due to it's age and previous use, you will see some minor age related wear that is typical for a vintage razor.  It's been inspected, cleaned, lightly polished, and sanitized.  Ready for use.

Weight : 1.5 oz.

Overall Length : 2-1/8"

Vintage 1958 (D4) Gillette Tech Double Edge Safety Razor $ 23.99

Vintage 1966 (L1) Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed $ 24.99

Vintage 1940's Era Gillette Fat Handle Tech Double Edge Safety Razor $ 22.99

Vintage 1956 (B2) Gillette Tech Double Edge Safety Razor $ 22.99

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Who knows about these vintage Gillette travel sets?

• Thread starter Old School TSD
• Start date Mar 6, 2021
• Mar 6, 2021

Old School TSD

• Mar 19, 2021

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• Thread starter

flynshave said: Very nice! I was inspired by this post do do some digging, and found this on the bay. With the Lockheed Constellation on the case I just had to have it. Your shaving brush is way nicer, but my shaving stick looks nearly new. Little Tech shaved fine. No date code, so 1946-1950. View attachment 1238961 View attachment 1238963 View attachment 1238962 Click to expand...

Old School TSD said: Glad I could assist with your RAD! I've seen that brush looking for my set...guessing it's nylon? Click to expand...

I'll gladly give you 10 bucks for it, you did well! It's nice that it crosses into the aviation theme for you... now you only count half of what you spent on it towards your razor collection.  

• Mar 31, 2021

Bounder said: The long tube was for the tooth brush & small travel toothpaste. View attachment 1238942 Click to expand...

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig.

• Apr 1, 2021

• Apr 14, 2021

Old School TSD said: Is that a photo of your own set, or did you find it somewhere? Link please.... Click to expand...

Bounder said: Sorry for my tardy reply! I saw the Travel Pak on worthpoint.com. If you enter 'travel pak shaving kit' on the site, you will see lots of links to eBay sales. Some are going very cheaply, especially in the UK. Click to expand...

Old School TSD said: I've admired some of these travel sets, usually seen with a zamac head tech and pass. I jumped on this one in great, almost new shape and was pumped to find one of the tubes is like a lipstick tube TTO badger brush. How cool! I'd have paid the 25 bucks just for that little brush lol. Can anyone tell me more about these? I'd like to know: - Were they put together and sold by Gillette, or did they just supply razors to some department store merchant? - What should be in the long tube across the bottom?... toothbrush? - One vial has I'm guessing talc powder, the other smells like an aftershave. Would they have came empty or filled?... with what, old spice or the like? - The other brass tube like the badger brush twists and brings up a little shave soap stick... was it, and is it replaceable? Any knowledge dropped is appreciated! View attachment 1232788 View attachment 1232792 Click to expand...

alex2363 said: Gillette did lots marketing aimed at traveling business people.... Click to expand...

• Apr 16, 2021

Old School TSD said: That was a pretty cool site, but they want you to pay to see prices? Don't they know you can search completed auctions on ebay for free? Click to expand...

• May 7, 2021

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The 7 Best Vintage Safety Razor [Since 1930s]

August 29, 2021 by Lee Cantor Leave a Comment

For anyone that loves a clean shave, a vintage safety razor is a must-have.

Nowadays cartridge razors with multiple, disposable blades enclosed within a plastic case are gaining ground. They are lightweight, easy to use, and best of all – Cheap. 

However, the problem for a lot of people, like you and me, is that the standard cartridge razors leave us with a less than adequate shave. Why should we have to have such painful aftermath for some facial grooming?

What can we do to reduce the drag and irritation followed by shaving?

Go back in time! 

Not literally, of course, but go back to the era of vintage safety razors, which your grandfathers and previous generations used to use. The single blade is perfect for delicate skin, and glides over it smoothly, leaving it feeling clean and silky. Double-edged safety razors were a tool that can sculpt your facial hair into a masterpiece and, between you and me, it still can!

Not only this, but it’s also way more environmentally friendly (reducing the size of those landfills!) and a lot cheaper in the long run with a blade for a safety razor costing around $.25! Why haven’t you made the switch yet?

Recently, you do have some modern options developed by companies such as Edwin Jagger who produce vast quantities of high-quality safety razors. However, if you want some of the most luxurious shaves, you want a vintage razor . Right back to the basics, while giving you that retro ‘WOW’ factor!

The feeling of owning an antique razor, a rare collectible, is like no other. A lot of these razors are dated back to immense historical events, such as the second world war, allowing you to feel tied in with history. They just don’t make them like they used to anymore, and owning a vintage razor will make you a minority. You just can’t find them anywhere nowadays!

Where Can I Get A Vintage Safety Razor?

It is no secret that if you want to buy a vintage safety razor, you are going to have to do some digging.  

• From your older generations

Your first port of call will be the attic of your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparent’s house. If they fought in the second or first world war, I could almost guarantee they would have had a double-sided safety razor on them at some point.

The only downfall with this is that a razor that old will most likely have defects upon it. Rust and corrosion will completely affect the shave you acquire. Restoration is on the cards, but this solely depends on how damaged the razor is.

• Antique stores

Another option is to look for vintage safety razors in antique stores. These are where you will most likely find them cheap and of high quality! I might be the only one who says this, but I personally find the challenge fun!

• Reselling sites

Reselling sites, such as eBay, is the easiest possible way to find restorations of the best vintage safety razors – like the ones we list below! 

It is the easiest way to find the ones that will provide the shave you want, whether that is an aggressive shave for you experienced shavers or a fast lightweight shave for beginners!

What Should I Look For In A Vintage Safety Razor?

Determining the best vintage razor for you is a daunting task.

The three types of blades in vintage safety razors are double-edged, single-edged, and injector blades. The most common and favored type is the double-edged, found commonly in Gillette brands.

• Safety Razor Aggressiveness

First of all, you need to determine how aggressive of a shave you like.

For a beginner, you want a less aggressive shaver. If the gap between the bottom and the head of the razer is wider, the more aggressive the shave will be. This may cause more irritation if you are not able to get the pressure right, but will also give you a sharper shave. 

Gillette determines the aggressiveness of its razor via a color-coded system, which will be discussed further in the article.

• The Razor’s Weight And Handle Length

Other factors that need to be considered are the weight of the razor and the length of the handle razor…

The heavier the razor is, the more useful for beginners. Meanwhile, the length is more dependent on your comfort. If you have larger hands, pick the longer handle! 

The 7 Best Vintage Safety Razor Reviews

• Gillette Superspeed Collection 1942-1986 (Our Top Picks)

Gillette Superspeed Collection

Now, this brand of double-edged razors is extravagant. I couldn’t pick just one. They are a lot heavier than the usual razor and therefore allow the blade to do the work for you.

Therefore, it is one of the quickest shaves out of all the vintage safety razors. The razor heads are not adjustable in this series, but they developed multiple types of razors with different types of heads, that were color-coded to determine the type with ease.

• The red tip is a more aggressive shave.
• The blue tip is the mildest shave, great for a beginner.
• A silvertip is more in between.

The only con I can think of with this type of razor is the limited supply. With Gillette moving from this quality series of razors to the plastic disposable ones, you will have to find one that has been restored.

Saying that, restorations come relatively cheap, and you can actually find them very quickly with a search on eBay.

If you are happy paying a premium for a restored version, I recommend buying from a website dedicated to vintage razors, for example, abovethetie.com.

• Gem Featherweight Safety Razor – 1953 (Best Budget Razor)

Gem Featherweight Safety Razor

This single-edged blade is perfect for those of you on a tight budget who still want to experience the luxury a vintage razor can give you.

First manufactured in 1953, this type of razor was heavily promoted on radio shows and posters alike, branding the shaver as being the “sharpest V-Edge of all”. 

Due to the razor being made in surplus, and quite recent for a vintage razor, the lightweight razor is still quite cheap to buy. The plastic handle also makes it quite cheaply made compared to other vintage razors. This is the best budget razor as it does not mean any quality is lost!

Pros – 

• Gives a very close, smooth shave. Perfect for those who want to try Single-edged blades.
• The short handle makes it comfortable and easy to maneuver 
• Perfect for sensitive skin, due to its very mild shave.
• The handle texture allows for amazing grip, even when using shaving oil!

Cons – 

• Not suitable for beginners as more pressure needs to be applied because the handle is lightweight.
• Might cause irritation if you’re not experienced with safety razors.
• Might take a few more passes than usual since the blades are straight rather than scalloped.
• Golden Shave Double Edge Safety Razor – 1950’s (Easiest To Acquire)

Shop now at Amazon

This beautiful double-edged blade has a comb head, which is perfect for those of us with hard and thick hair. It gives them bushy beards a close shave without the irritation. Being able to purchase on amazon is a lot easier and cheaper than other options.

• Common on the market
• Great for thick hair, thanks to the closed comb head 
• Difficult to corrode
• Easy to control from the first start
• Might cause skin irritation due to its aggresive open comb head 
• Limited handle size (Only one size)  
• Gillette Black Handle Super Speed – 1970’s (Best For Beginners)

Gillette Black Handle Super Speed

As I told you before, the superspeed series was one of a kind. It won’t be the last you hear of it either! The Black Handle is one of the newer developments in the series and is well renowned for being the mildest shave out of all the vintage safety razors, hence why it is perfect for beginners.

• Perfect for beginners thanks to the heavyweight handle
• Easily glide over the skin thanks to The scalloped blade
• Causes less irritation on the skin
• Common razor so you can buy restorations for a reasonable price.
• Might be TOO mild for those experienced with vintage safety razors. 
• Not the best quality from Gillette compared to the previous razors in the series. 
• Take time to create the amount of passes you need for shaving
• Gillette fat handle Tech – pre-war, 1938-1945 (Best Heavy-Duty Vintage Razor)

Gillette fat handle Tech – pre-war

This razor is an amazing buy for people with the thickest beards. It has a very original design, with a short, stumpy handle and a serrated pattern for extra grip.

Was introduced before the second world war and became a staple for those who had enlisted to take with them due to it being able to glide through unshaved faces.

• This razor can cut through your thick, bushy facial hair with hardly any passing. 
• This fat handle is designed for a clean but more aggressive shave.
• The design is spectacular. 
• The triangle holes on the blade and razor provides immense grip on the thick handle.
• For such an old razor, being engineered pre-war, it is not that difficult to locate and quite inexpensive to purchase.
• I recommend adding this antique to your collection, as it has such historical presence!
•  If you have large hands, you may have trouble with holding this razor! 
• Due to the fat handle, the length of the razor is quite minuscule.
• The pressure you apply could do damage to your skin and leave you with redness and irritation.
• Gillette Blue Tip Super Speed – 1950’s (Best For Sensitive Skin)

Gillette Blue Tip Super Speed

Another entry from the super speed series! This is a TTO (Twist to Open) double-edged razor that is engineered to perfection to give a mild shave that is silky on the skin.

A later development, Gillette found people searching for the milder, smoother shave, and brought this vintage razor onto the market! 

Those of us with skin that is prone to irritation will understand the pain in trying to find a vintage safety razor that will give a close shave, without leaving us with the redness. This is why the blue tip is so useful!

• Glide over the skin easily thanks to the scalloped blade and the heavy handle 
• Numerous handle lengths for your customizability.
• Limited on The market and Pricey
• Cannot adjust the blade as you like. 
• Gillette Slim Adjustable – 1955 (Best Adjustable Vintage Safety Razor)

Gillette Slim Adjustable

This type of razor was introduced after the war after the realisation that one type of razor may not be practical for all.

There were times when people needed to vary the shave they were getting, after injuries or even just because they wanted a different shave!

This was an alternative to buying a new razor after every shave!  

• Has the ability to adjust the blade gap between the razor’s edge and its head.
• Easy to determine the aggressiveness. 
• Suitable for “learners”
• Quite difficult to adjust if you are newer to the game. 

It is a well-known fact that shaving with a vintage safety razor will never die. It makes you feel classy and takes you out of a world where plastic razors, developed for profits, can stop you from having that perfect shave. 

Furthermore, vintage razors can be a perfect link to your grandparents history and give you the opportunity to step into their shoes, even if it is just for a few minutes!

It is easy to pick a modern safety razor, but if you want to add that extra bit of class, it needs to be vintage!

When it comes to shaving, it really is important to listen to your elders. By this post, I hope you will find out what kind of shave is perfect for you.

If you are a beginner with sensitive skin, just go for the Gillette Super Speed black handle or Gillette Super Speed blue tip.

If you are someone with a thick beard and wants a vintage razor that feels especially linked to history, Gillette fat handle tech – pre-war, would be perfect.

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Vintage Gillette Razor In Case

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Does Anyone Know About This Vintage Razor?

Discussion in ' Safety Razors ' started by jarmandc , Jan 19, 2012 .

jarmandc Member

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what this is. I came across this vintage gillette travel razor, it came in a tiny litte leather case stamped with "Western Germany" on the spine. It also came with a vintage Gillette Super Blue Blade, and a Wilkinson Sword blade in a black wrapper with what appears to be german writing on it. Does anyone know what year this is from? Or anything bout the origins of this type of razor? I've attached some photos. I appreciate it, thanks in advance!  

SharpSpine Well-Known Member

Look like a K4 Gillette Ball-end travel Tech. The K4 would date it to 1940 or 1965 according to this site . With the German writing on it I'm thinking it'd probably be the 1940 during WWII. Looks nice and I'm sure someone with a more authoritative answer will be here soon. Edit: forgot to mention that the 4 would date it to the 4th quarter of 1940 so somewhere between October-December of 1940 is about a close as you can get for the manufacturing date.  

swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

SharpSpine said: ↑ Look like a K4 Gillette Ball-end travel Tech. The K4 would date it to 1940 or 1965 according to this site . With the German writing on it I'm thinking it'd probably be the 1940 during WWII. Looks nice and I'm sure someone with a more authoritative answer will be here soon. Click to expand...

coche1 Actively Wishing Member

I don't know what it is or anything about it but it is pretty freaking cool IMO.  

macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

Sweet looking little razor! Great find. Tried it yet?  

fishcrow Birdman of TSD

Nice find.  

tomnat accepting applications

that is nice looking. I had no idea of the size of it until I saw the pic with it in your hand. Wow! that is small. Give it a try and let us know how it shaves.  

alpla444 That's sweet!

Tidy looking set, as mentioned already, "Have you tried it yet?"  

Shayne Redfearn Active Member

clearly a travel razor cool find...thanks for sharing the pics  

Dridecker Sherlock

I'm going to guess 1965. That looks like a new style Tech head, and Western Germany didn't really gain prominence until the country was divided by the winning countries after WWII.  

IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

Dridecker said: ↑ I'm going to guess 1965. That looks like a new style Tech head, and Western Germany didn't really gain prominence until the country was divided by the winning countries after WWII. Click to expand...

newb Resident Newb

newb said: ↑ +1, what Bill said. I have a few of these sets in the drawer, but I just can't imagine trying to shave with a travel tech. Click to expand...

IAmTheJody said: ↑ It's very usable, especially if you like the shave one gets from a full size Tech. Myself, for travel, I use a handle from one of these mini-Tech sets mated with Gillette single-ring old-type open comb head pieces. Works great. Click to expand...

battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

Yeup, a travel Tech. I don't care for the short handle but I heard that once you learn it, it is as good as any other Tech, you just have to get used to the little handle.  

GDCarrington Burma Shave

Mark1966 Well-Known Member

^^^^ What he said  

cryhavoc Member

I have one in a blue case and it is a great shaver!  

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