Mine is called a "Red and Black," because of the two-toned box:
This is a very common razor, sold from 1930-1939. Mine came with a cardboard pack of Divico Hair Cut Blades, which will stay safely in the box!
The three-piece design is astonishingly simple.
The blade fits over a threaded stud on the cap, which has a fin to orient the blade. The saddle has a full-length notch to accept the fin, and the stud fits through the hole. The handle has a threaded socket to secure the head assembly. You won't have any blade alignment worries if you buy a used New!
The design is elegant when compared to a Gillette Fatboy.
It's clear, when the blades of the two razors are placed at the same level, that the handle of the New is shorter, and the head angle is much shallower. The head of the New is wider, but it's more manouverable, due to its shallowness. The New weighs less than the Fatboy (with all its moving parts), and the New is just as well balanced in the hand.
Here you can see the blade exposure.
You'll also see that the cap isn't gold anymore, but more the color of copper plumbing pipe! This razor had only a few freckles of gold plating left when I got it, so to clean it up, I just hit it hard with Brasso. Cleaning the razor was quick, not having to worry about maintaining any gold finish, and it makes no difference in the shaving performance. Incidentally, the handle had what looked like Vice-Grip gouges -- maybe the handle had been screwed on too tightly at some point. This lowered the purchase price, and since I wasn't worried about preserving the gold, I easily cleaned up the damage with a fine file and an emory board.
So, how does it shave? I've used it twice now, and I enjoy it very much. (As required by law: YMMV!) At first I was concerned about shaving with an open comb, but this is quite a mild razor, and isn't for you men who've modified your Adjustables! My first shave was not very close, because I was so conservative; the second shave was outstanding, as good as any razor/blade combo I've tried so far: comfortable, smooth, and long-lasting. Plus, when shaving, it's fun to watch the lather filter through the teeth of the comb, and the way it piles up on the bottom of the head:
The shallow head makes it harder to maintain the proper angle when my attention wanders, but I'm sure it will become automatic in time. The real test? After today's shave, I splashed on some Pinaud Clubman: a little warmth, but no burn. That's a good shave!
Given all the shave cremes/lotions/balms/scents I've accumulated, I have only enough room for three razors on my "Daily Shaver" shelf. For months, the three spots have been held by my go-to Gillette Slim, the trusty Fatboy, and a sentimental favorite, a '55 Superspeed. But now which razor will take the third spot? Whose shaves get the raves?
It's the New! The Fatboy is demoted to the storage bin under the sink, with (gasp) the old electric!
--Glenn
