... and youse dufes laugh at me ...

[Thumper]

Picked this puppy up out of the back of a bathroom drawer at an estate sale and paid $2.00 for it. Brought it home, spent about 5 mins. cleaning it up and threw it up on eBay with a starting bid of $65.00. It just sold for $91.00. Cool beans! :D

1739

[Chicken Dinner]

Proving yet again that most folks have more money than sense. Good on you for helping to redistribute it.

[Thumper]

:beer

[BarryBobPosthole]

Jim, I was thinking about you the other night when I saw an ad on TV for what is essentially a safety razor. The ad is done by one of the guys on the pawn shop reality show, Pawn Stars maybe I don't watch that shit, but he was selling safety razors as the 'newest way to get a great shave' and 'no need for all those blades' and so forth and I got a good laugh out of it. I can't recall what he was selling them for but seems like it was 19.99 or something close to that and guess what, you get three extra razor blades if you call now!

Thought it was pretty funny.

BKB

[BarryBobPosthole]

Microtouch was the name of the razor. Google it!

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

I think I saw the same ad as well...

[Thumper]

There are zillions of them out there. Not many Schicks bring much $$$, but some certain models can get a bit pricey. The Gillettes are the most popular. Some like the "Toggle" for example can bring $200 - $500 depending on condition ... one recently sold on eBay for $1380.00! The one pictured above is called a "195", but most collectors call it the "Fat Boy" (made 1958-1961) and it's highly desirable. Nice ones bring close to $100 consistently and real clean ones can hit $150-$185 or so. It's all about condition. I've sold about 10-12 of them but most of the samples I had brought $65-$95. The "Slims" are pretty desirable (60's) and bring $35-$60 normally. I probably have 100+ razors in inventory. Age doesn't mean squat ... I have some from the late 1800's to the early 1900's that "might" bring $20. Then I have some from the 60's that bring an easy $35 - $75. It's fun and a bit educational. One thing I like about estate sales ... EVERYONE has a razor of some sort. These days I find a ton of disposables or "cartridge" type razors. Some of the more modern cartridge types can still bring $30-$40 depending on the model, but generally they'll bring $10-$20. I sold a few Schick Personal Touch (lady's razors) for $50-$75. They're all over the map pricewise, but fun to play with.

P.S. Electric razors? Ya' can't GIVE 'em away!

[Bwana]

Who would have guessed???

[Thumper]

Barry, re; the Micro-Touch ... you wouldn't believe the movement toward the "old school" razors. People are getting pissed off at Schick/Gillette and their multi-bladed monsters. Crap! There are razors nowadays that the blades cost close to $4.00 each. Twin blades, triple blades, quads ... you name it, it's getting ridiculous. The old school DE blades are a dime a dozen and you get a better shave. These multi-blade units clog up almost instantaneously with whiskers and they're hell to clean. Fine with me ... I'll spend my time digging these relics out of bathroom drawers! ;)

BTW .. yeah, the pitchman for Micro-Touch is Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars. The old TTO (twist-to-open) razors are making a comeback. It's kind of a protest against the megablade monsters they're coming out with these days.

Here's a typical blog. FUNNY if you have time to read it ... BUT, it mirrors the general feelings of the "shaving world". The author .. (speaking of Schick) .. claims to be the CEO of Gillette! ;)

Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades

Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of shaving in this country. The Gillette Mach3 was the razor to own. Then the other guy came out with a three-blade razor. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the Mach3Turbo. That's three blades and an aloe strip. For moisture. But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened—the bastards went to four blades. Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling three blades and a strip. Moisture or no, suddenly we're the chumps. Well, fuck it. We're going to five blades.

Sure, we could go to four blades next, like the competition. That seems like the logical thing to do. After all, three worked out pretty well, and four is the next number after three. So let's play it safe. Let's make a thicker aloe strip and call it the Mach3SuperTurbo. Why innovate when we can follow? Oh, I know why: Because we're a business, that's why!

You think it's crazy? It is crazy. But I don't give a shit. From now on, we're the ones who have the edge in the multi-blade game. Are they the best a man can get? Fuck, no. Gillette is the best a man can get.

What part of this don't you understand? If two blades is good, and three blades is better, obviously five blades would make us the best fucking razor that ever existed. Comprende? We didn't claw our way to the top of the razor game by clinging to the two-blade industry standard. We got here by taking chances. Well, five blades is the biggest chance of all.

Here's the report from Engineering. Someone put it in the bathroom: I want to wipe my ass with it. They don't tell me what to invent—I tell them. And I'm telling them to stick two more blades in there. I don't care how. Make the blades so thin they're invisible. Put some on the handle. I don't care if they have to cram the fifth blade in perpendicular to the other four, just do it!

You're taking the "safety" part of "safety razor" too literally, grandma. Cut the strings and soar. Let's hit it. Let's roll. This is our chance to make razor history. Let's dream big. All you have to do is say that five blades can happen, and it will happen. If you aren't on board, then fuck you. And if you're on the board, then fuck you and your father. Hey, if I'm the only one who'll take risks, I'm sure as hell happy to hog all the glory when the five-blade razor becomes the shaving tool for the U.S. of "this is how we shave now" A.

People said we couldn't go to three. It'll cost a fortune to manufacture, they said. Well, we did it. Now some egghead in a lab is screaming "Five's crazy?" Well, perhaps he'd be more comfortable in the labs at Norelco, working on fucking electrics. Rotary blades, my white ass!

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we should just ride in Bic's wake and make pens. Ha! Not on your fucking life! The day I shadow a penny-ante outfit like Bic is the day I leave the razor game for good, and that won't happen until the day I die!

The market? Listen, we make the market. All we have to do is put her out there with a little jingle. It's as easy as, "Hey, shaving with anything less than five blades is like scraping your beard off with a dull hatchet." Or "You'll be so smooth, I could snort lines off of your chin." Try "Your neck is going to be so friggin' soft, someone's gonna walk up and tie a goddamn Cub Scout kerchief under it."

I know what you're thinking now: What'll people say? Mew mew mew. Oh, no, what will people say?! Grow the fuck up. When you're on top, people talk. That's the price you pay for being on top. Which Gillette is, always has been, and forever shall be, Amen, five blades, sweet Jesus in heaven.

Stop. I just had a stroke of genius. Are you ready? Open your mouth, baby birds, cause Mama's about to drop you one sweet, fat nightcrawler. Here she comes: Put another aloe strip on that fucker, too. That's right. Five blades, two strips, and make the second one lather. You heard me—the second strip lathers. It's a whole new way to think about shaving. Don't question it. Don't say a word. Just key the music, and call the chorus girls, because we're on the edge—the razor's edge—and I feel like dancing. :)AR

[Penguin]

Thanks for the morning grin Jim. :)

I have to tell you that my father and mother, in a fit of "What the hell can we get a guy who doesn't want anything for Christmas this year?" bought me one of those monsters with a gazillion blades this past year. I gave it to Goodwill without even trying it. I have a Sensor that is heaven only knows how old and I like it. When you have to go sideways to shave under your nose the damned razor is too big! Haha.

That said I am not a fan of safety razors. I tried my dad's when I was a teen and cut the hell out of myself. Still have a slight divot in my cheek because of that thing.

Will

[Chicken Dinner]

I may not have the thickest beard in the world, but I've been fine with two-blade disposables my entire life. My one nod to luxury is I buy 'em with a pivoting head. All I do is throw the old one away on Saturday or Sunday and take out a new one on Monday.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I use a Gillette Fusion disposable and for me it does the trick. My one throwback is I use a shaving mug with just plain old cheap Williams shaving soap and a brush. My typical yearly pattern is to wear a full beard from the first day of winter through the first day of spring and a van dyke the rest of the year, but this year I've been thinking about just letting it grow now as I'm tired of shaving all the time.

BKB

[LJ3]

I don't laugh at you for the razor thing. I think you're gross. Big difference :)

[Penguin]

You guys are going to laugh at me but Hank mentioning his thick beard and changing blades once a week brought something to mind.

Do you know how often I change my blade cartridge? Once a month. And I could probably go longer if I wanted.

Trick to it: After splashing your face with hot water put your shaving cream on and then fill the sink slowly, say a minute or two. Just let it the shaving cream soak there on your face for a couple of minutes before you start. This alone made my blades last much, much longer. Sounds quacky but it really does work.

Will

[BarryBobPosthole]

That's why I shave after I shower. Does the same thing. On days I'm in a hurry and don't have much growth, I can shave with just hot water and get away with it.

BKB

[Thumper]

Go get your stool LJ ... you know the drill. ;)

P-hole, ya' have to "learn" how to use a DE razor ... once you have it figured out, it's hard to beat it. 'Course, it's like guns ... there are a zillion different designs/models and they all shave differently believe it or not. Some are mild and the others are anywhere in between and work their way up to aggressive. The razor handle is like a gun ... you match it to the game you're hunting. Beards/faces are all different and a mild razor won't work if you need an aggressive razor. That's the reason adjustables became so popular in the late 50's. The same goes for blades ... where the handle can be compared to the gun ... the blade is the "bullet/cartridge". All blades shave differently and a bit of experimentation is necessary to find the correct combination ... blade/handle = cartridge/gun in "our terms".

Penguin, as far as cartridge razors, I'm a big fan of the Sensor. Believe it or not, the ORIGINAL design Sensor handle is starting to bring some money. Sensor Excel and Sensor3 are not popular at all ... the "old" Sensor is the one to have. The weird part, the HANDLES are the same ... just a slightly different design (rubber grips/color, that sort of thing), but I guess everyone wants the "Original".

The cartridge razor that started it all was Gillette's TracII ... I was issued an old DE TTO in the Army and when the TracII (double bladed cartridge) came out in '71, I received a free one in the mail. I used the TracII exclusively from that point forward until the Atra came out in '77 ... I switched. It was also double bladed but the head swiveled. I used the Atra until the Sensor came out in 1990. THEN the stupid blade wars started between Gillette and Schick. (I stayed with Gilette). They came out with a 3-blade cartridge for the Sensor (Sensor3). The rest of the craziness is history ... and is the impetus for the blog posted above.

(FYI ... I still use my TracII, Atra and Sensor.)

I've sold much of my collection, but still hold onto my primo examples of the Trac II and Sensor. They'll be the last to go I suppose. :(

Here are some of my baby pics. ;)

Here's my TracII Deluxe (Gold) ... the only "collector" TracII they made:


1744

And here are "The Boys" ... a FULL collection of Special Edition Sensors (plus an original carded Sensor).

Orig. carded Sensor, Silver Edition, Gold Edition and Platinum Edition Sensors:

174517461748174917501751

[Bwana]

So are you saying if I had one of those Sensors in it's original package it would be worth something?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I used a DE razor, or as they really should be called, a safety razor, for several years. all through my Air Force years in fact and probably until about 1985 or so when it just got to be too easy to use a disposable. My favorite one was an adjustable one by Gillette. Had a black handle is all I remember. Felt like a real deal when you held it in your hand.

BKB

[Thumper]

The package makes it worth "more" ... but just an old used Sensor handle by itself will many times bring $20 or so. (I've seen as high as $30)

The prices are all over the map ... one will sell at auction for $25 today and another will sell for $10 tomorrow.

Ya' won't get rich with the later model cartridge handles ... but hey, I run into them all the time and pick them up for $0.25 - $0.50 and sell them (Sensors) for $19.95. It all adds up. The old TTO's are where the real money is ... or the boxed collectable pieces like I posted above.

[Thumper]

Barry, I have quite a few black handle Gillettes ... they had a "Flair Tip" with a black handle but if yours was an adjustable, it was probably what was called the Gillette Super Adjustable "Black Beauty". It was made from 1969 - 1987 ... so it fits that time-frame.

http://www.abovethetie.com/images/featured/feature_super6.jpg

[BarryBobPosthole]

I don't know if it had a long or short handle, but it looked pretty much exactly like the one in the picture. Had a nice hefty feel to it too.

I kind of miss it, although when I lived in Florida it had a tendency to give me razor burn. So getting rid of razor burn and a four year case of jock itch were welcome reliefs when I move away from there!

BKB

[Thumper]

Jock itch and razor burn??? What were you doing? Shaving your bikini line? Is THAT why you started traveling to Brazil? :D

[LJ3]

See what happens in these threads? You're all gross!

[BarryBobPosthole]

You need to get out away from all that estrogen in your house Len. And I blame wearing fatigues year around in Florida for the ball rot.

BKB