"How old is this razor?" It can be difficult to figure out. Sometimes patent dates are a help, but they give you the front end of the date scale, and not always too exactly. Some razor makers put serial numbers on their razors, but we don't always have the key to how the serial numbers fit to dates of manufacture. Gillette is one manufacturer for whom we have information on serial numbers and later date of manufacture codes that we can link to time.
Other makers included serial or manufacturing codes, but we do not have the keys. AutoStrop and Rolls are two well known manufacturers who serial numbered their razors. If you have the key to another manufacturer's codes, please share this information with other collectors.
| Razor Serial Numbers were impressed on all Gillette razors from 1904 until 1921, and on deluxe models from 1921 until 1931 (except for a period in 1927-28). This corresponds to the time King Gillette was directly associated with the business, and may have been at his insistence. These serial numbers were on the top of the guard, or sometimes the inner barrel. There were no razor serial numbers from 1931 until 1951. |  |
 |
Gillette Date Codes were used from January 1951 until 2001. They are found in the top left and right corners on the underside of razor guards, both 3 peice and 1 piece models. The letter represents the year, found on the chart below, and the number 1-4 correspond with the quarter of the year. |
| Gillette Blade Date Codes (and earlier lot systems) were imprinted on one side of the blade as a series of letters and/ or numbers, or on the cartridge. The blade system adopted in 1931 is still in use today, and was used on razors as well after 1950. All the coding systems are listed below. |  |
Please Contact Us with any corrections or updates.
Go to.... 1910's 1920's 1930's 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's
YEAR |
SERIAL
|
MODEL |
ERA |
RAZOR
|
BLADE
|
| 1903 | No Serial No.s | 100* | OLD TYPE | "Double Ring" handle thin cap/guard | Blades notched for "heat lots". |
| 1904 | 1-25424 25425-45424 |
100* 100* |
"Pat. appl. for" & "Pat. Nov. 15.04" (USA) |
"Gillette Blade" around center hole. Year/ month/ day/ lot serial #'s | |
| 1905 | 45425-370424 | 100* |
"Pat. Mar.7.05" (Canada) Single Ring Handle Introduced |
"Gillette Safety Razor Company" twined around all 3 holes. | |
| 1906 | 370425-770424 | 100*/102 | King Gillette's picture on blade wrappers. | ||
| 1907 | 770425-A195424 | 102 | |||
| 1908 | A195425-A675857 | 102 | "Diamond & Arrow" Logo. Pocket Edition with solid fancy handles & matching cases. |
"Diamond and Arrow" logo introduced (1-1/8" wide). Steel lot# only on blade. | |
| 1909 | A675858-B222220 | 102 | |||
| 1910 back to top |
B222221-B697600 | 102 | Aristocrat Model introduced. | ||
| 1911 | B697601-C80508 | 102 | 3 digit code: 1=year, 2/3=week | ||
| 1912 | C80509-C260238 | 102 | |||
| 1913 | C260239-C407806 | 102 | |||
| 1914 | C407807-C578360 | 102 | Bulldog handle intoduced. | "No" above stropping/honing | |
| 1915 | C578361-C911806 | 102 | Milady Decollette short handle (long neck) | 1 1/8" diamond & Pat. # |
|
| 1916 | C911807-D516474 | 102 | |||
| 1917 | D516475-E449207 | 102 | Hollow Handle Pocket Edition | ||
| 1918 | E449208-J7344 Plus F/G/H (no I) J Series all U.S. military |
102 |
3.5 million razors produced for US forces in WWI
|
35 million blades produced for US forces in WWI | |
| 1919 | J7345-K927216 J Series all U.S. military |
102 | Big Fellow introduced. | ||
| 1920 back to top |
K927217-N459887 | 102 | Diamond and Arrow reduced to 7/8" wide. | ||
| 1921 | N459887-P679777 1A-863912A (USA) V=Spain, W=France, Y=Britain, Z=Canada |
102 102A/106 |
NEW IMPROVED | 102A: "Old Style" Thick cap/guard 106: New Improved / heavy flat guard |
|
| 1922 | 863913A-336676B | 102A/106 | Old Style still seen with no serial # | ||
| 1923 | 336677B-391575B | 102A/106 | |||
| 1924 | 391576B-485927B | 102A/106 | |||
| 1925 | 485928B-602049B | 102A/106 | 4 digit code: 1=decade/ RH# of 2+3=year/ 2+4=week | ||
| 1926 | 602050B-770070B | 102A/106 | |||
| 1927 | 770071B-902611B Serial No.'s end Oct. 17 |
102A/106 | |||
| 1928 | Serial No.s start Aug. 28 1C-94800C | 102A/106/126 | 126= Mod. 106 /narrow shoulders | Last year for 3-hole blades. | |
| 1929 | 94801C-241755C | 102A/126/134 | Model 134 "long slot" test marketed | "New" Gillette Long slot blade (no serial #). | |
| 1930 |
A-J 1/2/3/4 |
134 | NEW | 134: New Gillette (takes slotted blade) | "De Luxe" Kroman stainless steel blade introduced/ discont'd. Year letter/ number code introduced. |
| 1931 | B No more razor serial #'s to 1951 |
134/148/154 160/162/164/170/175 |
148/154:short bar/two bar caps 160/2/4/70/5: "Goodwill" types. Handles: ball end and new bar end. |
Blue blade (plain slot and diamonds) introduced. Blades get 2x crosshatch |
|
| 1932 | C | 134/160 | 160: Standard Goodwill/solid cap | Blades get 4x crosshatch | |
| 1933 | D | 134/160 | "New" blade discontinued. Blade corners notched. |
||
| 1934 | E | 134/160/TTO (TTO=Twist To Open ) |
GEN. 1 TTO | Aristocrat One-Piece TTO with Bulldog handle & comb guard. | |
| 1935 | F | 134/160/TTO | |||
| 1936 | G | 134/TTO | |||
| 1937 | H | 134/TTO | Sheraton TTO (gold, open comb) | ||
| 1938 | I | 134/TTO | Senator TTO (nickel, open comb) |
Thin blade introduced in Red/ Black wrapper. | |
| 1939 | J | 134/TTO/Tech | TECH | Tech intro'd with triangle guard slots. | |
| 1940 back to top |
K-U | 134/TTO/Tech | Regent Tech TTO | ||
| 1941 | L | 134/TTO/Tech | Milord TTO (bar guard version of Sheraton) | ||
| 1942 | M | Tech | War production only | Blade "tick marks" denote Side I/ Side II | |
| 1943 | N | Tech | War production only | Limited civilian prod'n | |
| 1944 | O | Tech | War production only | Camoflage blade for military use. | |
| 1945 | P | Tech | War production mostly | ||
| 1946 | R | TTO/Tech | Full civilian production resumes. | Thin Blade black and white wrapper red print. | |
| 1947 | S | TTO/Tech | GEN. 2 TTO |
"SuperSpeed" replaces Senator. "Rocket" in Canada and UK. Tech gets parallel oval slots |
Center bars get notched July |
| 1948 | T | TTO/Tech | "Improved" TTO's notched for blade dispenser | Cream plastic blade dispenser | |
| 1949 | U | TTO/Tech | First plastic case: red/ clear styrene. | ||
| 1950 back to top |
V-E | TTO/Tech | Blue plastic blade dispenser | ||
| 1951 | W 1/2/3/4 (Yr. letter code plus quarter of year) |
TTO/Tech | Razors get date codes (year & 1/4) | ||
| 1952 | X | TTO/Tech | |||
| 1953 | Y | TTO/Tech | Executive: heavy rhodium handle | ||
| 1954 | Z | TTO/Tech | Colored TTO knobs for blade angle. | ||
| 1955 | A | TTO/Tech | |||
| 1956 | B | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | GEN. 1 ADJUSTABLE | Limited Release of the Toggle | |
| 1957 | C | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | |||
| 1958 | D | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | "Adjustable" Dial TTO. TV Special this year only. Limited nickle toggle run. | Super Blue Blade (silicone coated). | |
| 1959 | E | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | Adjustable TTO: short thick handle | ||
| 1960 back to top |
F-O | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | Toggle Adjustable produced. | ||
| 1961 | G | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | |||
| 1962 | H | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | Men's Adjustable gets long thin handle. | Last year for the Thin Blade? (H2) | |
| 1963 | I | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | Lady Gillette TTO. |
Stainless Steel Blade. | |
| 1964 | J | ADJUST/TTO/Tech | Tech notched guard ends | ||
| 1965 | K | TTO/Tech/Techmatic | GEN. 1 CARTRIDGE | "Techmatic" Band Blade Razor |
Super Stainless Steel Blade. Techmatic Band Cartridges. |
| 1966 | L | TTO/Tech/Techmatic | |||
| 1967 | M | TTO/Tech/Techmatic | |||
| 1968 | N | TTO/Knack/Tech/Techmatic | Knack (SlimTwist in UK & Canada) knob under head. "Orbiter 4000" electric Band razor |
Plus DE Blade. Super Stainless Injector Blade. | |
| 1969 | O | TTO/Knack/Tech/Techmatic | GEN. 2 ADJUSTABLE | TTO black handles (long and short), "Super Adjustable" |
|
| 1970 back to top |
P-Z | TTO/Knack/Tech | Platinum-Plus DE Blade. Last year for Blue Blade? | ||
| 1971 | R | TTO/Knack/Tech/TracII | GEN. 2 CARTRIDGE | "TracII" introduced | TracII slide-on Cartridge |
| 1972 | TTO/DE/Tech/TracII | Knack becomes "Double Edge" (DE)? | |||
| TracII introduced as "GII" outside North America. Tech prod'n ends in US. | "Twinjector" twinned injector blades. | ||||
| "Daisy" disposible for Ladies | |||||
| "Good News" disposible for men. | |||||
| "Atra" introduced | Atra clip-on pivoting cartridge | ||||
| Atra for Women | |||||
back to top |
"Swivel" disposible in 1980 |
|
|||
| 1981 | B | ||||
| 1982 | C | ||||
| 1983 | D | TTO/DE | Super-Speed TTO production ends? D2 | ||
| 1984 | E | ||||
| 1985 | F | DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo | Trac II and Atra "Plus" Good News "Pivot Plus" and Daisy Plus disposibles. |
Trac II & Atra Plus cartridges: "plus" = lubricating aloe strip | |
back to top |
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor | "Sensor" for Men introduced in 1990 | Sensor pivoting cartridge, with flexible twin blades. | ||
| "Sensor" for Women | |||||
| Sensor Excel | Sensor cartridge with aloe strip | ||||
Mach3 |
"Mach3" for Men introduced. DE production ends. | Mach3 triple blade cartridge. | |||
|
V-E
|
Mach3 |
DE Blades still available. | |||
|
2001
|
W
|
Mach3 |
Venus for Women, Mach3 style razor. Mach3 "Cool Blue" |
Venus for Women triple blade cartridge. | |
|
etc.
|
TO
|
BE
|
CONTINUED
|
....... |
Much of the information on this page has been extracted from the excellent books: "Safety Razor Reference Guide" by Robert K. Waits, and "The Complete Gillette Collector's Handbook" and Collector's Guide to American Razor Blades" by Phillip L. Krumholz. My thanks to both authors!
