Test Extracted from Gilletteadjustables website

The Gillette Adjustables were produced from 1955 until 1988. Gillette was trying to find one razor that could meet the needs of any individual regardless of their shaving needs. A one size fits all product. Their first attempt was the serial numbered Toggle (1955). The adjustable razor products went through many iterations and refinement over the years. The last version produced was the I-2 diamond knurled Super Adjustable "Black Beauty" with black plastic bottom plate.

The sequence of models went something like this... First, there were the Serial Toggles which had a 4 digit serial number stamped into the bottom plate and were sold for $7.50. Initially Gillette was trying many different models simultaneously. Toggles, Bottom Dials and Fatboys models were all fighting it out to be the best. Bottom Dials (1956 - 1960) were the precursors to the Fatboys (1958 - 1961) but both were produced in conjunction with each other. The Serial Toggle (1955) was replaced by the Standard Toggle (1958 - 1960) and the Chrome Toggle (1960). The Standard Toggle was a high end gift product which sold for $10 and the Fatboys, which beat out the Bottom Dials, were retailing for $1.95

After the Toggles, Bottom Dials and Fatboys had run their course, they were replaced by the Slims (1961 - 1967). Gillette felt they had the perfect razor with only two models needing to be produced; an Aristocrat Slim for the higher end gift market ($5.00) and the Standard Slim for the everyday shavers ($1.50).

However, the Slim was too short for some customers and expensive to produce. Gillette went back to the drawing board and produced the Super Adjustables (1968 - 1988). There were two models of Super Adjustable, 84 millimeter and 109 millimeter versions. Two lengths were needed to cover the market. Also, a gold Super Adjustable (1969 - 1970) was made to be sold as gifts for a short time. By 1977, the short super adjustable and the gold gift version had been discontinued. Too many models of double edge razors were a distraction to the cartridge razor markets which were strong and profitable. From 1977 to 1988 the sole reigning model of adjustable double edge safety razor was a 109 mm black handled version with nickel plated brass doors and black plastic bottom plate. After 1988, Gillette deemed it uneconomic to continue producing products for the double edge razor and razor blade markets. End of an era!

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TOGGLES

Here are the Toggle razors! These are collector favorites. They are called Toggles because the mechanism to open the doors is a lever located on the bottom of the handle that toggles back and forth. These were the first adjustable razors and they were developed in the mid 1950's. There are 5 different types of Toggle razors - 3 major ones or models (Serial Toggles, Standard Toggles and Chrome Toggles) and 2 sub ones based on their color. At first glance they all appear similar - they all have toggle levers, but they are different in a few ways. In the top row of the Toggle Family picture there are the two Serial Toggles. There are two types of them one in gold and one in nickel. In the middle is the Standard Toggle; there is only one of these types. And, finally in the bottom row there is the Chrome Toggles. There are two of these types, again a gold one and a nickel one.

Toggle (Standard)
This is the most popular type of Gillette Toggle safety razor. It would seem that many many have survived to this day as they can usually be found for sale on popular auction websites. There are only two different manufacturing date codes for this model, It was manufactured in the first quarter of 1958 (D-1) and again for the fourth quarter of 1960 (F-4). It has a 1-9 position adjustment dial to adjust the aggressiveness of the users shave. The toggle lever on the bottom of the razor has five positions; two for rinsing the blade, two for changing the blade and one for locking the blade to shave. The original retail price was $10.00 and the wholesale resale price that resellers, such as men's shops and drug stores, would have gotten was $6.00. Sometime in 1960 the retail price of the F-4 was changed to $12.50. Approximately 70,000 of the D-1 version were produced (they were sold from Christmas 1957 until the stock of these razors was depleted at a time well into 1958.) The D-1 is more rare than the F-4. This razor weighs 87 grams.

The Serial Toggles are called that because they have serial numbers stamped into the bottom plate on the underside of the razor head. Also, the adjustment dial on the Serial Toggles is different than most Gillette Adjustable razors - the top adjustment setting is a "5". The majority of Gillette's Adjustable razors produced over the years had a top adjustment setting of "9". Regardless of the adjustable razor - whether the top setting is 5 or 9 - there are only, in actuality, 9 different adjustments. Of course the adjuster dial sets the blade gap of the razor allowing for closer shaves or more comfortable shaves. As previously stated, there are two types of Serial Toggles, a gold one and a nickel plated one. Of the two types, the gold one has had more examples survive to this day. However, it is still very rare. The nickel version of the Serial Toggle is ultra-rare! Less that 5 versions are know to exist in collector's hands. All the Serial Toggles have a manufacturing date code of A-3 (1955 - Third Quarter). Curiously enough the date code of the Serial Toggle is stamped on an internal part of the razor. For this reason, it was not discovered by collectors for many years. Also, the serial number stamped into the head is a 4 digit number, implying that Gillette never intended, at least initially, of creating more that 10,000 of them (0000 - 9999).

The middle razor in the family picture is the Standard Toggle. The Standard Toggle, as the name implies, is the most commonly available toggle razor. There are thousands of these razors available for collectors and shavers to enjoy. The Standard Toggle was manufactured in D-1 (1958 - First Quarter) and F-4 (1960 - Fourth Quarter). Therefore, although identical, you will find stamping differences corresponding to when this type of razor was manufactured. The F-4 is more common than even the D-1. The Standard Toggle has a maximum adjustment setting of "9" and an indent in the collar to indicate the setting position. This indent was inlaid with red paint and is called a "Red Dot" indicator.

The Chrome Toggles are shown in the bottom row of the Toggle Family picture. There are two types of Chrome Toggles; a nickel plated and a gold plated type. The nickel type again is rare but the gold type is extremely rare. Only one version of the gold plated chrome toggle has been found to date. The Chrome Toggle model got their name from a prominent razor collector in Germany (Joachim Duwe AKA Mr Razor), who, at the time of his decision to name it, called it "chrome" because he had only seen one type of silver colored toggle razor. And, he had never seen a gold version of it; nor the nickel Serial Toggle. Well, the name has stuck. The major difference between the Chrome Toggle types and the other models of toggles is in the position indicator. The position indicator for the Chrome Toggle is a spring, not an indent in the collar. The Chrome Toggle has a "Black Spring" indicator which has two functions: to indicate the position and to provide resistance and tactile feedback at each setting. The Chrome Toggle was only manufactured in F-4 (1960 - Fourth Quarter).

Serial Toggle Gold
The date code puts these Gillette Toggle razors as being made the 3rd quarter of 1955. The A-3 code is hidden but found stamped on the underneath of the base plate/blade bed. There is a four digit serial number on the bottom plate. That means in all likelihood ten thousand or less of these razors were originally produced. It seems that only a dozen or so have survived to this day. The razor's originally retail list price was $7.50 and has a serial numbered warranty card that matches the serial number stamped into the razor. The last most aggressive adjustment position is "5" and the first least aggressive adjustment position is "1". There is an internal spring that causes a firm click at each adjustment position.With adjustments at each 1/2 position, there are a total of nine adjustments that can be made with this razor. The leather case is made of pigskin. The razor came with a five year free service guarantee when the 3 cent postage paid registration card was sent in. It also came with a crystal clear "Styrene" cap to protect the head of the razor when traveling. The razor weighs 79 grams

Cased Serial Toggle Nickel
This Gillette Toggle razor is identical, parts wise, to the Serial Toggle Gold excepting that this razor is plated from the Gillette factory in nickel. There was one difference to what Gillette did in the final finish between the gold and nickel plated versions - the nickel plated version does not have a red dot dial position indicator - they put no paint in the indent! At this time there are only three of these razors known to exist. This razor shown here, #3805, was found in the field and needed to be totally disassembled and cleaned to restore it to working condition. This task was undertaken by master razor mechanic Christoper Smith of Idaho aka "Captain Murphy". During the disassembly, Chris discovered a heretofore never seen date code on this model of razor. The A-3 date code has since been verified as it can be seen on many gold plated Serial Numbered Toggles without disassembly. This date code is now affectionately known as the "Captain's Code". Prior to discovery of this date code it was believed this type of razor was manufactured in 1956; but the A-3 date code indicates a production time of third quarter 1955. This razor weighs 79 grams

Chrome Toggle Nickel
This a rare nickel plated Gillette Toggle lever based adjustable razor. It was only manufactured fourth quarter of 1960 (F-4). This type razor is not really chrome but is called that to distinguish it from the D-1/F-4 Standard Toggle which is gold plated. The adjustment dial is very reminiscent of the adjuster on the F-4 Bottom Dial Adjustable Gillette safety razor. The warranty card is serialized. The original set calls for a 20 pack of Blue Blades sealed in cellophane. However, there are a few examples of NOS sets that are kitted with a 10 pack of Super Blue Blades cellophane wrapped with the "Easy Does It" instruction sheet. The shipper for all the sets calls for a 20 pack of Blue Blades. That is, when they started kitting Super Blue blades with this set they did not update the printing on the shipper. This razor weighs 86 grams

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BOTTOM DIALS

Here are the Bottom Dial razors! These are rare and exciting beasts. Many fledgling collectors would love to get their hands on one of these razors. However, it is not so easy as they are very rarely found in the wild and the most "common" of these rare razors sell for over $1000 on the popular auction sites. In the Bottom Dial Family picture located to the left there are the three (3) types of Bottom Dials. The two types on the left are both 1-5 position Bottom Dials. Please notice the main difference between the two bottom dials on the left and the one on the right is the terminating label number on the adjustment dial - the two on the left terminate with a "5" and the one on the right terminates with a "9".

As far as rarity, the Black Dial 1-5 type is the most rare; maybe 10 of these exist. Next is the Nickel Dial 1-5 type; about 20 of these exist. Both of the 1-5 Position types were Gillette prototypes and were for research purposes only. The Nickel Dial 1-9 type was actually sold at the retail level so there are more of these are available. I would say there are about 3 or 4 dozen of these still in existence today.

Bottom Dial 9 Position
This razor has been nicknamed the "Bottom Dial" to distinguish it from another razor Gillette called the "Gillette 195 Adjustable" razor - they also called the razor nicknamed the "Fatboy" the same thing. This razor is easily identified as different from the Standard Fatboy in that its adjustment dial is located below the handle; hence the nickname Bottom Dial. Some people call this razor the Bottom Dial Fatboy due to it being priced at $1.95 the same as the Standard Fatboy. This razor is relatively rare. It was offered for sale to the public but today it is extremely rare for one to become available on one of the auction sites with a warranty card, correct case and instruction sheet. The case is easily distinguished from the Standard Fatboy case in that the magnifying lens, in the transparent case lid, is located over the bottom end of the razor. instead of the top end. Also, the Bottom Dial case has the number "195" inscribed to the left of the word "Adjustable" on the white plastic insert. This razor was available for sale originally for $1.95. It was only manufactured in the fourth quarter of 1960 (F-4). It is not to be confused with its cousins the 5 Position Bottom Dials - this razor, with a F-4 date code has a maximum adjustment dial label of "9" - not "5". Also, its cousin the 5 Position Bottom Dial was a prototype never offered for sale to the public hence it has no date code stamped into it. This razor weighs 84 grams

Bottom Dial 5 Position Nickel
This razor is very rare as less than ten are known to exist. The handle, twist-to-open knob and retainer cap are made out of aluminum and it was designed as a razor to test markets and not meant for mass market sales. Gillette was completely in the dark about what consumers would want in an adjustable razor. Was it too heavy? Not heavy enough? Was the adjustment dial too close to the TTO knob? How about the shave? Too close or not close enough? These razors were produced in the hundreds and given to focus groups to see what worked. The head is nickel plated brass and there is no date code stamped into the razor. This razor weighs 72 grams.

Bottom Dial 5 Position Black
This razor is extremely rare. There are only about six known to exist. Even though there is no date code, some put this razor in the 1957 time frame. This razor is identical to the NDC 1-5 Position Bottom Dial (Nickel Dial) excepting that the adjustment dial was originally painted black with white numbers from the Gillette factory and it is 5 grams lighter. It is believed that some of the Gillette focus groups felt the Bottom Dial was too heavy and different versions of this razor were made at different weights to test the acceptance of lighter razors. The handle is made out of aluminum and it is a marketing prototype. By calling it a prototype what is meant is it was test marketed and was never sold at retail. No price tag, instruction sheet or warranty card is know to have come with these. However, there is apparently a case for this razor. The case says "Gillette Test 1-5" on the bottom and it has two magnifying lenses one to highlight the silo doors and the other to highlight the adjustment dial. It is assumed that about 650 of these (including both the black and nickel dial versions) were ever made by Gillette. It is also believed that the adjustment dial and twist-to-open knob were considered too close (being next to each other) by the focus groups and this is why the adjustment dial was moved closer to the head and the Bottom Dial design was abandoned by Gillette. The head is nickel plated brass and there is no date code stamped into the razor. This razor weighs 67 grams.

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FATBOY
PATENTS: 2562115 / 2848806 / 2848807 / Case patent: 2702116

Here are the Fatboy razors! The Fatboy razors are wildly popular. The standard type is readily available and can be had for less than $200 in mint condition. They are also fairly easy to still find in the wild. These found ones can be wonderful bargains if you don't mind a little clean up.

In the Fatboy Family picture to the left, there are the three (3) types of Fatboys. All three types have 1-9 Position top located adjustment dials. The leftmost razor pictured is the Executive Fatboy. It is very similar to it's cousin the Standard Fatboy, pictured on the far right. The main separating characteristic of the Executive is that it is plated from the factory in gold. The next difference is its Twist-To-Open knob; which has unique horizontal and vertical knurling, unlike the other two types which have cross hatched knurling. The middle pictured razor is the nickel plated Red Dot Fatboy. It is called that because the blade position indicator is a round indent that has been inlaid with red paint - it looks like a red dot. The position indicator on both the Executive and the Standard Fatboys are springs that have the dual purpose of indicating position and also providing resistance and click feedback to the user as the dial is turned to each position.The next difference is the "toothy grin" of the Red Dot Fatboy. This is because the base plate is different on the Red Dot; the entire plate raises or lowers, unlike the other two types of Fatboys. The razor pictured on the right is the Standard Fatboy. It is nickel plated and lightly shorter than the Red Dot Fatboy. The Standard Fatboy can have a red indicator spring. This causes some confusion but look closely; the cut out for the indicator is not a round indent - it is a rectangle that houses a long red spring that for the most part is unseen. So look for the circle or the rectangle; don't just look for the red color.

Please note there were slight manufacturing changes that were made to the Standard Fatboy. The changes are so minor that, in my opinion, they do not cause them to be classified as different types or sub-types of Fatboys. Below is an example of a slight change to the Standard Fatboy in it's collar design

STANDARD FATBOY

The Gillette 195 Adjustable Safety Razor or as it is more commonly known the "Fatboy" was made for three and a half years between 1958 (D-3) and 1962 (H-1). The original retail list price was $1.95 and this is where the 195 comes from in its proper name. Sometimes it is also called a "Fat Boy". This is one of the most popular Gillette Adjustable Safety Razors and prices for these have been going up on popular auction sites for many years. The models from 1958 D-3 through 1960 F-2 are especially popular because they are more easily taken apart to be cleaned. This is because the retainer cap in the end of the handle has two service notches that allow for partial disassembly. Another change occurred during the E-3 period. During the E-3 period, Gillette redesigned the part that appears just below the adjustment dial and eliminated a small collar just below the adjuster's knurling. So that means you can find E-3's with and without collars. See pictures below. So there are different designs of the Standard Fatboy razor - The razors from D-3 to E-3a (collar and service notches) - The razors from E-3b to F-2 (no collar but with service notches) - And finally, the razors from F-3 to H-1 (no collar and no service notches). Recently it was discovered that there exists some F-3's, F-4's and even a G-3 with service notches (but these are more rare); this implies that there were multiple lines making Fatboys, some lines using the old parts and some lines using the new parts. The internal design of the Bottom Plate was also changed but this can only be seen when the razor is disassembled. The adjustment dial on all Fatboys has nine positions and starts at "1" and clicks at each number until you reach "9", the most aggressive setting. These razors weighs 79 grams.

Origin of the Name "Fatboy"

So, I have a theory about "FatBoy". The official name of the Fatboy was the "Gillette 195 Adjustable Razor". I have a letter from Vincent C. Ziegler, President of the Gillette Safety Razor Company (a division of The Gillette Company), dated February 8, 1960 that specifically calls the Fatboy that name. However, one June 3, 1962, I have a Gillette Advertisement in The Salt Lake Tribune (P.80) that calls the newly designed razor model the "Gillette Slim Adjustable Razor". This ad goes on to compare and contrast the new "Slim" to the older "195". The "Slim" is trimmer, slimmer. longer and lighter than the "195". I believe that at some point after the introduction of the "Slim" people started calling the older "195"... Fat! The term "Fat Boy" is also used to describe a massive motorcycle produced by Harley-Davidson in 1990. They say the name could have come from a combination of "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" the names of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in World War II. On Wikipedia the term Fat Boy seems to be associated with a song names in the early 1990's. My guess as to when the name took on most of it's popularity.

EXECUTIVE FATBOY

Executive Fatboy
The official name of this razor is the Gillette Executive Adjustable Razor, Executive Fatboy for short. The Executive Fatboy razor is very similar to the Standard Fatboy excepting it is plated in gold and the knurling on the handle and twist-to-open knob is different (it is horizontal as opposed to crisscross on the Standard Fatboy). Note: There are some odd examples of Executive Fatboys that have been discovered. See the pictures below. A later Executive Fatboy (F-4) has been found with crisscross knurling on the gold plated TTO knob while retaining the horizontal knurling on the handle. This may have been a case of Standard Fatboy TTO knobs being used to build Executives in production. The adjustment dial has nine positions, starts at "1" and terminates at "9" (the most aggressive setting). It was made in 1958 (first appeared as D-3 in time for Christmas and D-4), 1959 (E-1 and E-4) again in 1960 (F-1, F-2, F-3 and F-4) and finally in 1961 (G-1). The G-1 models appear mostly overseas - did Gillette not offer these in the USA in 1961?

This razor was packed with 10 Blue Blades. This razor's name should not be confused with other razors by Gillette called "Executive". Gillette first used the term in 1929 and filed for a trademark on the name on November 19, 1941. This razor originally had a retail list price of $5.00, was plated in 22 Carat gold and weighs 79 grams.

RED DOT FATBOY

Red Dot Fatboy
The Red Dot Fatboy has an blade adjustment mechanism very similar to the Standard Toggle. Also, the Red Dot Fatboy clicks on each of its nine adjustment positions via an internal spring plate just like a Standard Toggle. Both of these razors, the Red Dot Fatboy and the Standard Toggle, have a "Red Dot" indicator. This is different than a Standard Fatboy which has an partially exposed long internal spring (which is has a dual purpose of being position indicator and causing a "click" on each setting position.) Of course the Red Dot Fatboy has a twist-to-open mechanism to activate the opening of the doors to facilitate loading of the blade as opposed to a toggle lever which is the defining characteristic of the Toggle family of razors The case for the Red Dot Fatboy is similar to a Standard Fatboy case however it is higher and longer. The Red Dot Fatboy handle is also longer than a Standard Fatboy and the Red Dot Fatboy is heavier. The Red Dot Fatboy's entire blade tray moves up or down when the adjustment dial gets turned just like the Standard Toggle. The Red Dot Fatboy was test marketed for a list price of $2.49, a 54 cent premium over the price of the Standard Fatboy. However, in other markets this razor sold for $1.95. The most commonly found manufacturing date code for the Red Dot Fatboy is D-1 - the first quarter of 1958. The Red Dot Fatboy weighs 84 grams.

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SLIM

Slim (Standard)
The "Slim" Gillette Adjustable razor superseded the Fatboy and had an original retail list price of $1.50 (45 cents less than the Fatboy) which was later adjusted to $1.79. The Slim is made of a very durable nickel plated brass.There are nine adjustment positions on the adjustment dial with "9" being the most aggressive and "1" being the least aggressive. It also has a twist-to-open mechanism at the bottom to allow for changing or rinsing of the blade. There is also a quarter turn to firmly lock the doors down on the razor blade. The Slim compared to the Fatboy has a more compact head, a longer narrower handle and is lighter. The easiest way to recognize a Slim is to look at the adjustment dial; it has both horizontal and vertical knurling as opposed to the Fatboy which has only vertical knurling on the dial. The first Slim produced was in 1960 (F-2) and then produced continuously each quarter from 1961 (G-3) until the last Slim was produced in 1968 (N-4). The G-3 and G-4 Slims overlapped with the end of production of the Fatboy whose last date code was G-4. The G-3 Slims appear to be much more rare than the G-4's giving rise to the theory that Slim production started in the later half of the third quarter and G-4 was the first full quarter of Slim production. The Slim was initially packed with six Super Blue carbon steel blades. Gillette was late to the party with the introduction of stainless steel double edge blades. Its competitors Wilkinson, Schick and American Safety Razor beat Gillette to the market with this type of blade and sales suffered at Gillette until they caught up. But soon in 1962 saw the introduction of Gillette's new stainless steel blades so the Slim was also packed with a reduced count of two Gillette Stainless Blades that year. Fully caught up by 1965, the Gillette Super Stainless Blades 2-Pak was introduced into the Slim packaging in 1965 (K-4); the K-3 Slim still contained the 2-pak of regular Stainless Steel blades. The main difference with the Gillette Super Stainless Steel Blade aka "The Spoiler" was the introduction of a "miracle plastic coating baked onto the edge" - purported to cause a noticeable reduction of "pull". Also, in 1965 Gillette changed their logo from a Serif type font to a more modern looking San-Serif font. The new logo can be see to being used on the third quarter K-3 Slim printed packaging. However, Gillette continued to use the older Serif font logo on their case molding for many more years - plastic molds to expensive to change? The Slim weighs in at 71 grams.

Minor Changes to the Slim Design

The following Gillette design changes to the Standard Slim were documented by master razor collector Joachim Duwe. He was gracious enough to provide the following photographs of his discoveries.

In 1962, Gillette changed the design of the bottom edge of the positioning bar/door actuator between the H-3 and H-4 manufacturing models. There do exist some H-4 models with the old style positioning bar/door actuator therefore the change was made in the fourth quarter of 1962. (see photo below to the right.)

In the USA and Australia they marketed this new Gillette Adjustable razor as the "Slim". However, in the United Kingdom the Slim was marketed as the Gillette Adjustable Mk II. Maybe "Slim" was not considered a sophisticated enough or proper name to be calling this new version of the adjustable razor. So, in the UK the Fatboy was considered the Gillette Adjustable Mk I and the Slim was considered the Gillette Adjustable Mk II.

Aristocrat Slim
This razor is identical to the Standard Slim nickel plated razor excepting that it is plated in 22 Carat gold. It was introduced in 1961 (G-3) while the Standard Fatboy was still being produced and was manufactured until 1967 (M-3). Its original retail list price was $5.00 and its official name was the Gillette Aristocrat Adjustable Razor. This should not be confused with other models of Gillette razors called the Aristocrat as this razor is adjustable and the others are not excepting for the New Aristocrat razor name used in 1969 for the gold Super-109. Gillette first used the Aristocrat name on August 1, 1914 and filed for a trademark on this name on November 13, 1919 and received the mark registration number 0139303. However, this trademark was abandoned February 9, 2002 so we probably won't see this archaic name being recycled again.This razor weighs 71 grams

Spioler blade was introduced in 1965

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SUPER ADJUSTABLE
Patents: 2848806 / 2848807 / 3050852 / 3209454 / 3829969

Here is the Super Adjustable Family of razors! These are also called the "Black Beauty". Gillette was hitting their stride when they produced the Super Adjustables. Not only were they great shavers but Gillette had figured how to produce them economically. Every profit dollar was discovered without sacrificing shave quality. If you don't own a Fatboy or a Slim, really really really you should be enjoying a Super Adjustable.

The hallmark of the Super Adjustable family is the black handle which is a resin coated aluminum. Super easy to identify. The first two Super Adjustables were produced simultaneously. They were the "Super-84" and the "Super-109". Subsequently the "Super" label on the packaging was changed and modernized to "Super Adjustable". The Super Adjustable 84 had an 84 millimeter long handle very similar to the Slim. Also a 109 millimeter handle was introduced in the Super Adjustable 109. A longer handle provided a better balance and better reach for the ladies. The 84 was dropped in favor of the 109 mm length.

An upscale gold headed version of the Super Adjustable was also produced for the Father's Day gift market. These gold versions are not as easy to find these days; and are very rare to find in their original packaging.

The Super Adjustable 109 PV (Plastic plate with Vertical knurling) was introduced in 1977 to save on manufacturing costs. The bottom plate was made out of black plastic instead of nickel plated brass. And the Super Adjustable 109 PD (Plastic plate with Diamond knurling) was introduced in 1980. This model was in production until 1988 when Gillette stop manufacturing adjustable double edge razors. By then expensive multi-blade cartridges were the rage.

Super Adjustable 84
This razor is commonly known as the short "Black Beauty". This razor early on was called by Gillette on it's packaging the Super-84. Later on in it's life Gillette simply called it the short Super Adjustable. Whatever they called it or how ever they packaged it, the razor was made the same exact way; excepting of course the date code that was stamped on the bottom of the razor head on it's nickel bottom plate. This razor was the replacement for the Gillette Slim. It gets its name from its handle length which is 84.0 millimeters.The Super-84 has a slightly longer handle and weighs less than its predecessor the Slim. The adjustment dial is also larger with easier to read numerals. The head size is the same as the Slim. The handle is believed to be made of aluminum and coated with a black resin. It was manufactured from 1968 (N-3) through 1975 (V-4) for sure. However, some say production could have ended possibly a little later. Initially the razor was packaged with a 2-Pak of the Super Stainless blades (PTFE coated for less "pull"). In mid 1970 to early 1971 Gillette switched over the the newer Platinum Plus Stainless Steel Blades (Platinum-Chromium alloy coated for less "pull" and greater edge durability). The original retail list price was $1.95. This price was the same as the list price for the Super-109. Later prices were adjusted to $2.95 to account for inflation. There are nine adjustment dial positions with "9" being the most aggressive and "1" being the least aggressive. This razor weighs 67 grams

Super Adjustable 109
This razor with a nickel bottom plate, black resin coated aluminum handle and vertical knurling was debuted as the "Super-109" but later the same razor was called the "Super Adjustable". The Gillette Super-109 was priced at $1.95 in 1969 but due to the high USA inflation of the 70's had to have its list price raised to $2.95. This razor was called a Super-109 based on its handle length of 109.5 mm. Its companion razor the Super-84 had a shorter handle. When the Super-84 was discontinued, there was no longer a need to distinguish between the two razors and the Super-109 became simply the Super Adjustable and any list retail pricing was removed from the packaging. This razor with the nickel plated brass bottom plate was discontinued in 1976. Moving forward the bottom plate was made of black plastic and the razor was still called the Super Adjustable. This razor weighs in at 67 grams.
Manufacturing Modifications to the Super Adjustable near the end of it's life.

In 1976 for the W-1 models through to the final W-3 models, Gillette changed the base plate/blade bed from a roughly diamond shape stamp to a rectangular shape. Photo and information courtesy of master razor collector Achim aka Mr-Razor

Date Code Anomalies: The R-R "Black Beauty" and the Missing Year

There is a strange anomaly with the date codes for the Gillette Super-109 . It seems that Gillette decided to skip the date code for the year "Q". The theory is that it looked too much like the year "O" so they wouldn't use it. So they produced P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4 for 1970 and then R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 for 1971. But it seems this decision caused problems because there are Q-1 and R-R date codes for the Super-109s too! The Q-1 is more common than the R-R. Such that there is no premium for Q-1 razors but there maybe a premium for R-R razors due to their more limited availability. These maybe errors made by Gillette employees that they considered not important enough when discovered not to release the razors to consumers. As per Robert K Waits , A Safety Razor Compendium: The Book Page 447, The Q date code was mistakenly used in the first quarter of 1971

Super Adjustable 109 Gold
It seems Gillette initially didn't know what to call this razor - the packaging simply calls it an "Adjustable Razor". This razor debuted in the first quarter of 1969 (O-1), two quarters after the debut of it's cousin razor the Super-109. It is identical to the Super-109 as it's handle is 109.5 mm in length but instead of being plated in nickel, as the Super-109 is, this razor is plated in 23 Carat gold.. Made for six quarters O-1 (rare), O-2 (rare), O-3, O-4, P-1 and P-2. List price for this deluxe razor was $2.95; a premium of $1.00 over the nickel plated Super-109 out at the same time. This razor was marketed in Japan with a nice presentation box however it was called the "New Aristocrat" there. The Aristocrat name has been used by Gillette for many of it's different razor models at different times in the companies history over the years. Weighs 68 grams.

Super Adjustable 109 PV
The Gillette Super Adjustable 109 PV was the double edge razor to take over for the previous model Super Adjustable 109. The earlier model had a nickel plated brass bottom plate. Because the PV (Plastic bottom - Vertical knurling) had a new plastic bottom plate, the date code could not be stamped into it. Gillette began stamping the date code into the metal base plate/blade bed. You can see the date code when you open the doors and peer at the blade bed. The PV was available from 1977 (X-1) to 1981 (B-4). This razor weighs in at 56 grams.

The main difference between the earlier Super Adjustable 109 and the new Super Adjustable 109 PV was the PV had a black plastic bottom plate. The earlier model had a nickel plated brass bottom plate. This was done to save on manufacturing costs and improve profit. Both the new and the earlier model had vertical knurling on the handle. PV indicates Plastic Vertical. The later version of the Super Adjustable was to get diamond knurling on its handle. That model is designated as PD indicating Plastic Diamond.

Super Adjustable 109 PD
The Gillette Super Adjustable 109 PD was the double edge razor to take over for the previous model Super Adjustable 109 PV. The earlier model had a vertical knurling on it's handle. The new PD (Plastic bottom - Diamond knurling) had of course a diamond knurling pattern on it's handle and Twist-To-Open knob. The PD was available from 1980 (A-1) to 1988 (I-2). The PD was in production for eight (8) years and was the last double edge razor Gillette produced; an end of an era! This razor weighs in at 58 grams.

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BLADE GAPS

Sorted Top to Bottom – Mildest to Most Aggressive

Dial
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Bottom Dial 5P .008 .011 .013 .016 .020 .023 .026 .030 .034
Serial Toggle .012 .013 .019 .020 .023 .027 .030 .032 .034
Executive FB .011 .015 .019 .022 .025 .027 .030 .034 .038
Standard Fatboy .011 .015 .017 .019 .025 .030 .033 .035 .037
Chrome Toggle .014 .019 .021 .024 .026 .028 .031 .034 .037
Aristocrat Slim .014 .016 .020 .025 .026 .031 .033 .035 .039
Standard Slim .015 .017 .022 .025 .027 .030 .034 .036 .039
Avg Adjustable .016 .020 .023 .026 .029 .032 .035 .038 .041
Red Dot Fatboy .019 .022 .025 .029 .032 .035 .038 .041 .044
Super Adjustable .018 .024 .026 .028 .031 .035 .038 .042 .045
Standard Toggle .021 .025 .027 .031 .032 .036 .039 .041 .043
Bottom Dial 9P .037 .040 .043 .046 .048 .050 .053 .056 .059

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ONE SIZE FITS ALL

One Size Fits All
The Adjustable Razor is Universal!

What most people don't realize when they see the Gillette Adjustable razor is that it was designed to be one product that could work for any customer regardless of their beard type or skin type. Truly one size fits all. In this way, a customer could buy a single razor, experiment with the setting and find a great shave. Before they had Red Tip and Blue Tip and standard Super Speed razors. A customer might have to buy two or more razors in order to discover the best one for their individual needs. This would cause dissatisfaction with Gillette; a problem that needed to be solved. The adjustable razor is not a gimmick! It was never designed to be a multiple pass razor with dial down or dial up shaves; although this can definitely be done with it. Gillette envisioned an initial trial period with your new razor. After some experimentation and you found your best setting, you would just leave it alone and do a one pass shave. Gillette found the typical customer wanted to shave as quickly as possible to get it done and out of the way (so much so that they had to invent coated razor blades because users never even splashed water on their face long enough to soften their beards). This is why so many razors are found in the wild frozen in one position. That was the perfect setting for that individual. And, soap gunk froze it there.

The following is a graphic from an internal Gillette marketing document in the 1950's showing how the range of settings of the adjustable razor satisfies the shaving desires of 99.7% of all consumers. Also, the average consumer will prefer a setting of "5" and 68% of all consumers will be satisfied with an adjustable between the settings of "4" and "6". So, one product could meet the needs of just about any individual, regardless of their beard of skin type. In addition, the marketing document went on to explain how a consumer can use the adjustability of the razor to compensate for conditions such as balancing skin comfort versus closeness, shaving different area such as the face and the neck; needing a lighter shave in the evening; getting the best performance out of a new blade; and special face conditions such as sunburn.