Welcome to the sharpest corner of the internet
I started collecting Gillette razors in 2008 because I wanted an alternative to expensive cartridge razors. I never expected that my first vintage Super Speed would lead to a collection spanning more than a century of Gillette history.
What continues to interest me is the variety. Two razors that appear almost identical can sometimes reveal different production periods, countries, materials, markings or histories. The more I collect, the more I realize how much there still is to discover.
Vintage-Razor.com is my way of documenting that journey and sharing what I have learned with other collectors.
I hope the archive is useful not only for identifying a razor, but also for understanding the history behind it and of course for having fun!
— Michael
Munich, Germany
www.linkedin.com/in/michael
Passion
I’m Michael and I held a classic safety razor in my hand for the first time in 2008 and quickly wanted to try out all possible combinations of different safety razors and razor blades. Since then, I’ve been hooked on the classic wet shave. Most razors are of course from Gillette. I collect everything from Gillette and am fascinated by the history of the company and the man behind it, King Camp Gillette. A true entrepreneur and mastermind.
Dream
I would love to exhibit my collection in a museum. I have so many ideas on how to present the history of the Gillette company. Lively and informative.
Preserve
In our fast-paced society, we often no longer take our time. On the one hand, we rush from appointment to appointment, from thought to thought. On the other hand, we save everything there is on the Internet. My aim is to create a comprehensive archive of information about the Gillette company. Of course, the focus is on the classic razors from the beginning to the present day.
About me and my collection
Vintage-Razor.com is the personal collection and research archive of Michael, a vintage Gillette collector based in Munich, Germany.
The collection began in 2008, while I was at university. At the time, I was frustrated by the increasing cost of cartridge razors. I decided to try a different approach and ordered my first vintage Gillette Super Speed, together with a selection of blades.
What began as a practical experiment quickly became a fascination.
I started trying different razors and blade combinations and soon discovered that Gillette’s history was far more extensive than I had expected. There were different models, mechanisms, handles, heads, materials, finishes, production periods, countries, packaging, advertisements and regional variations. One razor led to another, and collecting became a long-term passion.
I eventually moved from collecting many different safety-razor brands to focusing almost exclusively on Gillette.
Today, the collection contains 600+ documented Gillette-related objects, including more than 400 physical Gillette razors and more than 200 related objects and pieces of memorabilia.
The collection spans 1903 through the 2000s and represents Gillette production and distribution across 17+ countries.
More Than a Collection
Vintage-Razor.com was created not simply to display my razors, but to document them.
Every razor shown in the archive is physically owned by me. The photographs are my own, and the individual examples are catalogued as objects within the collection rather than being generic illustrations taken from elsewhere.
Where information is available, I document details such as:
- Model and variant
- Country of manufacture or distribution
- Approximate production period
- Date codes and serial numbers
- Patent markings
- Construction characteristics
- Handle and head variations
- Materials and finishes
- Condition
- Original packaging
- Original purchase information
- Provenance and previous ownership, when known
- Archive/catalog number
- Related accessories and documentation
Measurements are also recorded for selected rare or unusual examples.
This approach allows the archive to document not only the existence of a Gillette model, but also the differences between individual examples.
Dating and Identification
Dating vintage Gillette razors is not always as simple as reading a date code.
Depending on the period and country, I use a combination of evidence, including:
- Gillette date codes
- Serial numbers
- Patent information
- Construction characteristics
- Handle and head variations
- Packaging
- Period catalogs
- Instructions
- Brochures
- Advertisements
- Comparison with documented examples
Where possible, I distinguish between confirmed, probable, estimated and unknown dates.
I also compare information from multiple sources. These include original Gillette catalogs and brochures in my collection, period publications such as The Blade, collector references, historical documents, patents, museums and established collector communities.
When sources disagree, I do not want to present an uncertain date as an established fact. The goal is to make the archive useful while being transparent about the limits of the available evidence.
International Gillette Production
One of the main purposes of Vintage-Razor.com is to document Gillette beyond the United States.
The collection includes examples from 17+ countries, with particularly strong representation from the United States, England/United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.
International production is important because Gillette razors were not necessarily identical across markets. Manufacturing, markings, materials, packaging, distribution and model variations can differ between countries and periods.
I therefore document country-specific differences wherever possible.
One area that I believe deserves considerably more attention is South American Gillette production and distribution. Compared with the United States and major European markets, South American examples are relatively poorly documented in online collecting resources.
The archive therefore aims to preserve examples and information from these less-documented markets whenever they become available.
Gillette Memorabilia
A Gillette collection is not limited to the razor itself.
The archive also documents related material including:
- Razor boxes
- Blade packages
- Blade dispensers
- Instructions
- Catalogs
- Brochures
- Advertisements
- Store displays
- Packaging
- Patents
- Employee-related material
- Other Gillette memorabilia
These objects provide important context.
A box can help identify a production period. An instruction sheet can show how Gillette marketed or intended a razor to be used. An advertisement can reveal how a particular model was positioned in its market. A catalog can establish that a particular variant existed at a particular point in time.
Taken together, these materials help reconstruct the history surrounding the razor itself.
Rarity
Rarity is one of the more difficult subjects in vintage Gillette collecting.
I do not consider a razor rare simply because it is difficult to find during a short period of searching.
The rarity information in this archive considers several factors, including:
- Known or documented production numbers where available
- The number of surviving examples known among collectors
- How frequently a particular model or variant appears at auction
- How often it appears on platforms such as eBay
- Examples I have personally encountered
- Information from other collectors
- Historical documentation
- Provenance
Rarity classifications should therefore be understood as collector-oriented assessments based on available evidence, rather than definitive statements about the total number of surviving examples.
The number of surviving razors is, in many cases, impossible to establish with certainty.
Historical Research
The collection has developed alongside an ongoing interest in the history of the Gillette Company.
My research interests include:
- King C. Gillette
- Gillette patents
- Manufacturing history
- International production
- Advertising
- Military razors
- Packaging
- Retail and distribution history
- Blades and blade technology
Original catalogs, brochures, advertisements, instructions and historical publications are particularly valuable because they provide contemporary evidence of how Gillette products were actually produced, marketed and sold.
Whenever possible, the archive uses these historical sources alongside the physical objects themselves.
A Growing Archive
Vintage-Razor.com was launched in 2024.
The original motivation was simple: I wanted to make information from my collection available to other collectors and enthusiasts, while also creating a permanent digital record of the objects I had accumulated over many years.
The archive continues to grow.
New purchases are regularly added, and existing entries can be expanded as new information, documentation or comparable examples become available.
The collection is therefore not intended to be a finished catalog. It is an ongoing research archive.
The Purpose of Vintage-Razor.com
The purpose of this website is threefold:
To collect.
To preserve physical examples of vintage Gillette razors and related material.
To document.
To record individual examples, variations, dates, countries, markings, packaging, provenance and historical context.
To share.
To make this information accessible to collectors and anyone interested in the history of Gillette safety razors.
There are many excellent Gillette references and collector communities already available. Vintage-Razor.com is intended to complement those resources by documenting the individual objects in this collection and by focusing particularly on variations, international production and less-documented examples.