Matthew Wild
Vintage Gillette open comb razors
Two vintage Gillette NEW razors – blatantly set up to show a US vs UK comparison.
On the left you can see the US version (copper) with the UK version for comparison. Both are long comb razors. I find the made-in-England version a touch more aggressive, but no less smooth. While they are harder to find than the US version, they are worth the extra effort and cost.
Although it’s difficult to make out clearly in this picture, the US Gillette NEW has a bar handle, while the UK version has an apparently one-piece handle that seems to be based on the standard handle the early Old Types shipped with (ie before the ball-end handle).
I don’t rave about the bar handle. It’s too light, and takes the balance of the razor too close to the head for my liking. (Although if you hold the handle very high up right underneath the head – like you are supposed to! – then this might not be such an issue.)
Oh, and I stripped off the decayed gold finish from the US NEW. The process is detailed here: www.flickr.com/photos/38722915@N04/5701969970/in/photostream.
Pic taken with Nikon Coolpix P300 in natural light.
Reach me at Wild West Communications if you want to use my photography, or talk about my communications work.
Vintage Gillette open comb razors
Two vintage Gillette NEW razors – blatantly set up to show a US vs UK comparison.
On the left you can see the US version (copper) with the UK version for comparison. Both are long comb razors. I find the made-in-England version a touch more aggressive, but no less smooth. While they are harder to find than the US version, they are worth the extra effort and cost.
Although it’s difficult to make out clearly in this picture, the US Gillette NEW has a bar handle, while the UK version has an apparently one-piece handle that seems to be based on the standard handle the early Old Types shipped with (ie before the ball-end handle).
I don’t rave about the bar handle. It’s too light, and takes the balance of the razor too close to the head for my liking. (Although if you hold the handle very high up right underneath the head – like you are supposed to! – then this might not be such an issue.)
Oh, and I stripped off the decayed gold finish from the US NEW. The process is detailed here: www.flickr.com/photos/38722915@N04/5701969970/in/photostream.
Pic taken with Nikon Coolpix P300 in natural light.
Reach me at Wild West Communications if you want to use my photography, or talk about my communications work.