Tried an open comb today - Nice!

B

BazC

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I've been using a ball end Tech almost exclusively since I switched to DE shaving a few weeks ago. It's a nice razor and I'm very happy with it but today, out of curiosity I tried a Gillette New and I loved it!

It's a tatty old thing I found in a Flea Market, heavily used and loads of plating loss but otherwise in good condition, no pitting or missing teeth and it shaves beautifully. You can feel the blade more which is a bit unsettling at first but it gives great feedback both in feel and sound. Teamed with an Israeli Personna and two passes WTG I got a great close shave.

So this one's a keeper, I might even get it replated and I'd advise any noobs like myself to give a Gillette New a try if you get the chance! :D
 
I'd second that - my GoodWill (like a New, but subtly different) gives a great weekend shave, although I find it a little aggressive for day to day use.

But at the price shaver-grades are available for (should be less than £10 delivered from ebay) they are well worth a punt. Just check for cracks/splits in the handle tube, as they are prone to this and it makes tightening the handle correctly quite tricky.
 
Yes they're certainly available cheaply, I paid £2 complete with bakelite case!

One thing I'm curious about though - the top and bottom plates are obviously brass but the handle looks like copper. Is that possible or has it just oxidised oddly?
 
That's a great price Baz. :)

Which particular NEW model is it you bought?

It might be worth posting a photo up and then we can advise regarding the handle.
 
I believe it's a Tech handled New?

5bi82.jpg
 
Yes it is mate.

That's a very nice find at a very nice price. :)

The handle condition is totally normal for Tech Handled NEW's. I'm not sure if the handle was made out of copper or brass, but that will shine up nicely.

A good clean and polish is all that it needs.

My tip would be to use a toothbrush with some mild metal polish (such a s Maas) on the handles and use diagonal strokes. That cleans up knurled handles better than just going up and down the length of the handle.

I love Tech Handled NEW's.

They are one of my top three razors and the best open comb (along with a #77) out there IMO.
 
Thanks for the advice, I have some Brasso wadding, I might be able to apply the polish the work it into the grooves with a toothbrush.

That was a good weekend, I also got a mint EverReady Streamline in metal case for £10 :D Another stallholder had two Rolls razors but I managed to resist those!
 
I'd avoid the Brasso if i were you Baz, I think it may be a bit too strong and is liable to remove plating.

I use Maas when polishing razors as it is mild but very effective.

The Streamline sounds like a really good buy as well. :)
 
antdad said:
Brass handles are usually copper plated, it makes for a better substrate for nickel plating.
Click to expand...

Ah that makes sense thanks for the info! How come the head isn't copper plated though?
 
BazC said:
Yes they're certainly available cheaply, I paid £2 complete with bakelite case!

One thing I'm curious about though - the top and bottom plates are obviously brass but the handle looks like copper. Is that possible or has it just oxidised oddly?
Click to expand...
Yes the tube part is copper, fails eventually. I have recently made a hobby of replacing the copper tube with stainless steel.
 
BazC said:
antdad said:
Brass handles are usually copper plated, it makes for a better substrate for nickel plating.
Click to expand...

Ah that makes sense thanks for the info! How come the head isn't copper plated though?
Click to expand...

Dunno, maybe it was felt a handle requires more robust plating.
 
They are great razors. My favorite is the pre and WW1 '04's .
If you want to experiment I had read that the 'tracks' that the teeth leave on the lather is an indication of if your holding the razor at the correct angle? Believe that if there's tracks than the angle is off. As you can see I just hold mine so it feels good and shaves!:)-)
 
Yes I did notice "tracks" occasionally while I was shaving but didn't really think about it at the time. I found the razor gave great feedback and was very easy to judge the angle. I'm sure I would adapt to it very quickly.
 
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