1969 Gillette Black Beauty Super Adjustable 109 mm in GOLD.

[Kurios1]

Hey folks. Too hot to hunt for me and the ground is probably dry as well. So I thought I'd hone my camera skills and shoot a few pics of my latest acquisition to my new found "hobby" of wet shaving with vintage double edged razors. I picked this 1969 0 4 date code Gillette Black Beauty Super Adjustable 109 mm off Fleabay. She's in remarkable condition for her age. I gave her the trial run this morning and I think we will be getting along fine. I just love the old craftsmanship that went into these old "relics". I am still experimenting on various razor blades and adjustments but, I do like the new "ritual" of lathering up and the difference in how well these old time DE razors get rid of whiskers. Baby Butt Smooth. Enjoy the slideshow. Kurios1

 

[4x4x4]

....Nice job ! Good lighting Though I'm not a fan of textured dusty backgrounds.
What camera are you using ?

 

[Kurios1]

....Nice job ! Good lighting Though I'm not a fan of textured dusty backgrounds.
What camera are you using ?

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I do have a dust problem. I need to hire a maid. The camera is an "old" Pentax Optio 750z. 7.0 megapixels 5x zoom with macro. It does an ok job for an older camera. I used to have an old Pentax ME Super SE and some nice lenses back in the 35mm SLR days. Things have sure changed from those days with photography.

 

[Garrett424]

She's a beauty all right. Pretty fancy too; a classic precision instrument that should last forever.


I found two 1976 Gillette Super Speed razors at a church sale a few years ago; both still sealed in the original packs with two Gillette Platinum Plus blades included (which you can still get at Walgreen's btw for about 6 bucks).

I paid 3 bucks for both of them. I know it was expensive but I just had to have them. They are truly fine precision instruments that do the job far better than anything you can find in the shaving aisle of your local store these days.

I've used quite a few different blades but I really like the Gillette Platinum Plus the best. They're still excellent blades and even at 6 bucks for a pack of 9 it's a great deal. One pack lasts quite a while. I also found some store brand blades at Dollar General for 1 dollar for 5 blades that come from Viet Nam. The company that makes them is actually a subsidiary of Gillette and the blades are actually pretty decent for a buck.
I've also tried some blades made in Israel that sell for around 5 bucks for 5 blades that you can find at CVS. They're not bad at all either.

I hear that Feather blades are the very best but I still haven't gotten around to trying them.





I have one still sealed in the pack. A co worker offered me 50 bucks for it but I just couldn't let it go; not even at that price.



Since going back to DE wet shaving I've never looked back. It's just SO much better; not to mention WAY cheaper than those WAY overpriced, junk multi blade razors that get clogged immediately if you haven't shaved for more than two days. You can have a fresh new blade whenever you want and those whiskers just snap right off with zero irritation. The warm lather is way better than that skin drying, propellant laden cold foam from a cold can on a chilly morning too.
I've been using the Van Der Hagen Deluxe shaving soap for a while now. You get two pucks for 5 bucks at Walgreen's. You just can't beat it. I tried the Van Der Hagen Luxury soap which cost a bit more but I like the Deluxe way better.

I can't exactly remember why I ever switched in the first place. I can't think of one good reason why it was ever a smart idea.
I do HIGHLY recommend DE wet shaving to anyone sick and tired of throwing their money away on overpriced, inferior shaving products that may look pretty cool but don't even give you a decent shave. You only need one good sharp blade. Any professional barber will agree.

Happy hunting and happy shaving...

 

[Garrett424]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I do have a dust problem. I need to hire a maid. The camera is an "old" Pentax Optio 750z. 7.0 megapixels 5x zoom with macro. It does an ok job for an older camera. I used to have an old Pentax ME Super SE and some nice lenses back in the 35mm SLR days. Things have sure changed from those days with photography.

Yeah, I have a 12 year old Canon digital camera. Can't recall the megapixels at the moment but when I got it it was really great.
Now the camera on my LG phone blows it away.

I used a Canon AE1 for years until some dirt bag, thieving criminal broke into my house and stole all of my equipment.



I have a friend who is a professional photographer and some of the shots she gets from her I Phone are just amazing. It's hard to believe that tiny lens can capture such fantastic images.
She's truly gifted though. She has a great eye.

 

[coinman123]

Yeah, I have a 12 year old Canon digital camera. Can't recall the megapixels at the moment but when I got it it was really great.
Now the camera on my LG phone blows it away.

I used a Canon AE1 for years until some dirt bag, thieving criminal broke into my house and stole all of my equipment.



I have a friend who is a professional photographer and some of the shots she gets from her I Phone are just amazing. It's hard to believe that tiny lens can capture such fantastic images.
She's truly gifted though. She has a great eye.

I just bought an AE1 broken for $5, I fixed it up within an hour, I still love the effect film has. I used a Chinon SLR all last year for film, now that I have an AE1 I think I am going to switch. I am buying some film today (I hope), I still have some chemicals left from last year, and a good negative scanner still attached to my laptop.

 

[Kurios1]

She's a beauty all right. Pretty fancy too; a classic precision instrument that should last forever.


I found two 1976 Gillette Super Speed razors at a church sale a few years ago; both still sealed in the original packs with two Gillette Platinum Plus blades included (which you can still get at Walgreen's btw for about 6 bucks).

I paid 3 bucks for both of them. I know it was expensive but I just had to have them. They are truly fine precision instruments that do the job far better than anything you can find in the shaving aisle of your local store these days.

I've used quite a few different blades but I really like the Gillette Platinum Plus the best. They're still excellent blades and even at 6 bucks for a pack of 9 it's a great deal. One pack lasts quite a while. I also found some store brand blades at Dollar General for 1 dollar for 5 blades that come from Viet Nam. The company that makes them is actually a subsidiary of Gillette and the blades are actually pretty decent for a buck.
I've also tried some blades made in Israel that sell for around 5 bucks for 5 blades that you can find at CVS. They're not bad at all either.

I hear that Feather blades are the very best but I still haven't gotten around to trying them.



View attachment 1462886

I have one still sealed in the pack. A co worker offered me 50 bucks for it but I just couldn't let it go; not even at that price.



Since going back to DE wet shaving I've never looked back. It's just SO much better; not to mention WAY cheaper than those WAY overpriced, junk multi blade razors that get clogged immediately if you haven't shaved for more than two days. You can have a fresh new blade whenever you want and those whiskers just snap right off with zero irritation. The warm lather is way better than that skin drying, propellant laden cold foam from a cold can on a chilly morning too.
I've been using the Van Der Hagen Deluxe shaving soap for a while now. You get two pucks for 5 bucks at Walgreen's. You just can't beat it. I tried the Van Der Hagen Luxury soap which cost a bit more but I like the Deluxe way better.

I can't exactly remember why I ever switched in the first place. I can't think of one good reason why it was ever a smart idea.
I do HIGHLY recommend DE wet shaving to anyone sick and tired of throwing their money away on overpriced, inferior shaving products that may look pretty cool but don't even give you a decent shave. You only need one good sharp blade. Any professional barber will agree.

Happy hunting and happy shaving...

Amen & Amen. Thanks for the detailed reply. I started watching YouTube videos of men wet shaving the "old" fashioned way and became intrigued with the process and results. I got my old Gillette 48'-50' Aristocrat out and began wet shaving. I have a handful of various blades I am experimenting with. Eventually I will find the soap, blades, and settings that suite my face the best. I just tried a Feather blade this week. They are reportedly the sharpest most aggressive blade available. It worked well for me with maybe just a few tiny "weepers" after the shave.

I find my self at work rubbing my hands over my face looking for any stubble I may have missed. LOL ! It's amazing how smooth these old quality built Gillette razors can get your face. Loving the experience and enjoying the art of wet shaving becoming part of my new daily routine. You got some very nice deals on some really nice razors there. I will also give the Gillette blades a try. It's amazing how much these vintage Gillette razors are bringing on auction sights. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled while hitting up thrift stores or garage sales.

Thanks again and enjoy your shaving experience.

 

[Garrett424]

Amen & Amen. Thanks for the detailed reply. I started watching YouTube videos of men wet shaving the "old" fashioned way and became intrigued with the process and results. I got my old Gillette 48'-50' Aristocrat out and began wet shaving. I have a handful of various blades I am experimenting with. Eventually I will find the soap, blades, and settings that suite my face the best. I just tried a Feather blade this week. They are reportedly the sharpest most aggressive blade available. It worked well for me with maybe just a few tiny "weepers" after the shave.

I find my self at work rubbing my hands over my face looking for any stubble I may have missed. LOL ! It's amazing how smooth these old quality built Gillette razors can get your face. Loving the experience and enjoying the art of wet shaving becoming part of my new daily routine. You got some very nice deals on some really nice razors there. I will also give the Gillette blades a try. It's amazing how much these vintage Gillette razors are bringing on auction sights. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled while hitting up thrift stores or garage sales.

Thanks again and enjoy your shaving experience.

The day I got my razors was a great treasure day all around. I was so excited about finding them I created a thread about it....

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...ure-two-rings-two-crowns-two-short-hunts.html

I started shaving with a standard safety razor in the late 70's. In the 80's my then GF bought me a triple header electric shaver which I kinda' had to use since she shelled out the money for it. That got me out of the habit for a while and I mistakenly went to multi blade disposables and canned shaving cream for years; I guess because that's what everyone uses these days. I never realized how terrible they really are until l I switched back.

I saw a super close up picture of multi blade vs single blade cuts and the difference is staggering. The single blade cuts clean while the multi blades do not; not even close. They pull and tear at your beard. It's like night and day.
One blade is definitely THE key to a close, comfortable shave.

I definitely recommend the Van Der Hagen Deluxe shave soap. It has a great smell but it's subtle, rinses easily, lathers like crazy and it's slippery as hell. The Luxury soap tends to dry my skin a bit. Sometimes more expensive isn't necessarily better. You can get it at Walgreen's. Oh and if you haven't done so already, I recommend you spend the money on a badger brush. I started with a boars' hair brush and they're not nearly as good as badger. I got mine at Walmart (Van Der Hagen again) for 20 bucks. There are also some great synthetics you can get that people swear by.

The only downside with badger hair is that they STINK when you first get them; kinda' like a wet dog smell. You have to shampoo them a few times but once they're broken in, there's nothing better. They get really soft and really lay the lather on thick.

Van Der Hagen also makes a shave butter that's okay but not as good as the soap imo. I use the butter as an after shave balm and I really like it. It has macadamia oil in it and smells great. Costs about 6 bucks for a pretty good sized tube that lasts a long time.

I also noticed that both Walmart and Walgreen's are selling safety razors now. They're Chinese made and come under a few brand names. One is Van Der Hagen and the other I saw is Micro Touch One and is promoted by Rick from Pawn Stars. They're modeled on the Chinese Weishi razor which from what I understand, is not a bad razor. I know guy who bought one for 17 bucks (at WalMart) and loves it.

Wet shaving is definitely making a big comeback these days and I'm happy to see it.
Definitely not going back this time. I still have a Braun electric shaver for trimming around my mustache but for everything else it's DE blades all the way. It's just so much better and so much cheaper.

I once got a shave in a barber chair with the hot towels and straight razor. You will NEVER find a professional using a multi blade razor.
I think they're actually up to 5 and 6 blades in some of them these days. I've always wondered why the first blade doesn't cut the whisker off. It never made any sense at all. It's just a way for the razor manufacturers to make incredible amounts of money forever. Disposable products can be sold over and over.

Sorry for another long winded post but sometimes I get a bit carried away when it's something I'm interested in.
So again, HH & HS...

 

[Kurios1]

LOL! I have ALL DAY. I actually just got done shaving. All the shave talk got me interested in cleaning myself up. The Feather blade did a fine job once again on it's third or fourth time used. Every face is different and my beard pattern on my throat goes in different directions. I also have an "enormous" Adam's Apple which is difficult to get around without nicks and cuts. There is a definite learning curve with getting to know your beard growth pattern and the correct blade angle and direction to get them whiskers cut off down to the base. I do have the badger hair brush. Nothing fancy or expensive but, it does a fine job. I'll get me a puck of the Van Der Hagen Deluxe. I do like slippery for the blade to glide over the skin better. Been an enjoyable exchange my friend. You like guitars too? I have a small collection of them as well. Some cool old amps too. Rock on and have a great day. Kurios1

 

[Garrett424]

LOL! I have ALL DAY. I actually just got done shaving. All the shave talk got me interested in cleaning myself up. The Feather blade did a fine job once again on it's third or fourth time used. Every face is different and my beard pattern on my throat goes in different directions. I also have an "enormous" Adam's Apple which is difficult to get around without nicks and cuts. There is a definite learning curve with getting to know your beard growth pattern and the correct blade angle and direction to get them whiskers cut off down to the base. I do have the badger hair brush. Nothing fancy or expensive but, it does a fine job. I'll get me a puck of the Van Der Hagen Deluxe. I do like slippery for the blade to glide over the skin better. Been an enjoyable exchange my friend. You like guitars too? I have a small collection of them as well. Some cool old amps too. Rock on and have a great day. Kurios1

Yeah, I love guitars.
Been playing piano since I was about 5 or 6 and guitar since I was maybe 12 or 13. The music is in my blood. I have 8 siblings and we all play as does my Mom. I have cousins who are classical musicians but in my family we all came along in the rock n roll era.
of my two sons, my oldest is a great musician. he's 24 now and these days he's teaching me things. It's all good.

Playing music is my no. 1 love and hunting treasure is next...

 

[Kurios1]

Great therapy in your two loves. Yep. still sitting in my climate controlled Command Center. The humidity and heat are dreadful here today. I might make it into the water with my AT Pro but, chatting with like minded individuals here on T-net has been quite fun today. I'll dig out some of my axes and take a few pics some time to post. Got a few cool older models. Nothing super expensive but, just cool with their history.