Gillette Old Type, Gillette NEW

Once you taste open comb shaving, there’s no going back.

 

Actually, once you try razor blade shaving there’s no going back to a cartridge system. Then, when you try open comb (which refers to the teeth on the razor’s head), you are even more addicted.

 

Here you can see a Gillette Old Type (foreground) and a NEW.

 

It’s complicated, because there’s the Old Type, the New Improved and the NEW (which came out after the New Improved). As far as I understand it, Gillette introduced the New Improved in 1921 as its original patents were running out. But it continued selling the former model, which became known as the Old Type, at a knockdown price to give them both ends of the market, and a continuing stream of customers for their profitable blades. I believe the NEW line was manufactured between 1929 and 1940.

 

The Old Type seen here was made in the 1920s, and the NEW in the ‘30s.

 

I have to say the NEW is probably my favourite, as it’s a little milder than the Old Type (that is, relatively; the NEW is the perfect balance between aggressive and smooth). The difference between Old and NEW is best explained with the observation that the former was designed for men used to straight razors, while what came later was for men that with DE razor experience.

 

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