Gillette Red Tip Super Speed A3 (1955) Review
Late evening shave tonight. I’ve been featuring a lot of soap lately and wanted to switch things up, so I went back to the vintage razors. My friend Aaron went above and beyond again, putting together a whole box of interesting vintage Super Speeds for me to work through. This is the first one I’m opening: the Gillette Red Tip Super Speed, code A3, from 1955.
The Razor
That red tip is the first thing you notice. Down at the bottom of the handle, you can just make out the date code: A on one side, 3 in the corner. Made in USA. 1955. And it still works perfectly.
The twist-to-open butterfly mechanism is genuinely satisfying. Watch it from the side: the doors lift up, the butterfly opens, you drop the blade in the center and close it. Very convenient for loading. The blade seats cleanly.
Now, the color coding. From what I remember from old discussions, the red tip was considered the most efficient or aggressive option in the Super Speed family. I could be wrong on that, so correct me if you know better. But looking at the blade gap and reveal on this one, things look just fine. Nothing scary.
Two things worth knowing before you start. First: butterfly-style razors have slightly chattier blade clamping compared to three-piece designs. I’ve noticed the same with my Gillette Fat Boy. Not a problem, just something to be aware of. Second: the blade tabs stick out on the sides, so be careful near your neck.
The Blade
I’m loading a fresh Gillette Silver Blue. I’ve bought a lot of these lately, and I noticed something: the new ones are single-wrapped, with just a small printed logo. The ones I used before were double-wrapped. Both are still marked made in Russia on the label.
Do you know why the wrapping is different? Are they the same blade? Maybe they’re made somewhere else now. It might be entirely in my head, but these single-wrapped ones feel slightly less smooth to me. Could be a placebo effect. If you know the answer, leave a comment.
Soap and Brush
For soap tonight, I’m using BBS Soaps Elevation, all the way from Greece. A unique and interesting scent. To my nose, a bit sweet and a bit milky. Very pleasant, and it felt right for an evening shave.
I lathered up in my Brousseau & Dov bowl. Brush is my Black Locust Trotter Handcrafts with a T1 badger knot. Off camera I kind of entered water-challenge mode and added about three times more water than usual. Big load, a lot of water. But the base held its structure beautifully. Gorgeous hydrated lather.
The Shave
First pass, with the grain, over about two and a half days of growth. Light blade feel. You get enough feedback to read your angle. Rinse more frequently when the stubble’s heavier, but the razor isn’t demanding. Comfortable from the first stroke.
It reminded me of my Fat Boy, that same butterfly characteristic, that same Gillette feel. Mild, yes. But decent efficiency on the first pass. Nothing to complain about.
Second pass, against the grain. Late night, so I didn’t linger. And immediately the razor felt even smoother on the shorter growth. That was the moment I thought: this would be an excellent daily driver for a vintage razor. Very comfortable going against the grain.
I picked up two tiny weepers at the end. That’s on me. When a razor feels mild, I have a habit of chasing BBS too hard - a little extra pressure, a few more buff passes. I said that out loud and then kept buffing anyway. Don’t be like me. The razor was done before I was.
Post-shave I used the matching Elevation aftershave splash from BBS Soaps. Alcohol-based, but zero tingle. Not even on the weepers. That confirmed the read: mild shave, skin happy.
There’s something I keep coming back to with vintage razors. You pick up a piece of hardware from 1955 and it shaves you cleanly in 2026. I use it for the first time, decades after whoever bought it new, and it does a perfect job. That time-traveling feeling is a big part of why I keep coming back to these razors. Gillette already knew how to build a great DE razor back then. Too bad they moved on.
One thing worth noting: efficiency can vary by year of manufacture with vintage razors. This is a 1955. Maybe a 1956 runs milder or slightly more aggressive, I genuinely don’t know. If you have experience with different production years across the Super Speed line, I’d love to hear about it. And I’ll say it again: Gillette, please go back to making double-edge razors. The King C. Gillette is still out there, but there’s so much more room in this market.
Big thanks to Aaron for putting this box together and letting me share the exploration with all of you. Let me know in the comments what your favorite vintage razors are. Techs? Super Speeds? Adjustables like the Fat Boy? There are so many great options. I’ll see you in the next video. Until then, stay safe and enjoy smooth shaves.