Gillette Date Codes

In 1930 Gillette started marking their blades with date codes. A 1/2/3/4 (Letter=year, number= quarter of year). In 1950, they started marking razors with the date codes. The following chart is a list of my dated Gillette razors. Following that is a chart explaining the coding system Gillette used from the beginning.

GILLETTE DATE CODES
W4
Black Tip SS
X2
Tech
Y1
SS
Y1
President 
B3
Blue Tip SS
C4
Red Tip SS
E2Fatboy
E3
Flair Tip SS
H1
Slim
H2
Slim
H2
Travel Tech
J4
Travel Tech
N3
Black Handle SS
O4
Super 109
P1
Knack
T3Travel Tech
U4Super 84
W3
Black Handle SS
X3
Atra







YEAR

SERIAL NUMBERS

MODEL

RAZOR NOTES

BLADE NOTES

1903
No Serial No.s
100*
"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
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
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
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 1/2/3/4
(Letter=year, number=
quarter of year). Only DeLuxe models  were serial #'d, starting 1-D
134
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 )
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, regular handle)

1938
I
134/TTO
Senator TTO
(nickel vs gold).
Thin blade introduced in Red/ Black wrapper.
1939
J
134/TTO/Tech
 Tech intro'd with triangle guard slots.

1940
K
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
"SuperSpeed" replaces Senator. "Rocket" in Canada and UK.
 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
V
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
Tech gets parallel slots

1953
Y
TTO/Tech
Executive: heavy rhodium handle

1954
Z
TTO/Tech
Colored TTO knobs for blade angle.

1955
A
TTO/Tech


1956
B
TTO/Tech
 Limited Release of the Toggle

1957
C
TTO/Tech


1958
D
TTO/Tech
"Adjustable" Dial TTO. TV Special this year only. Limited nickel toggle run. 
Super Blue Blade (silicone coated).
1959
E
TTO/Tech
 Adjustable TTO: short thick handle

1960
F
TTO/Tech
Toggle Adjustable produced. 

1961
G
TTO/Tech


1962
H
TTO/Tech

 Last year for the Thin Blade? (H2)
1963
I
TTO/Tech
Lady Gillette TTO.
Men's Adjustable gets long thin handle.
Stainless Steel Blade. 
1964
J
TTO/Tech
Tech notched guard ends

1965
K
TTO/Tech/Techmatic
"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
TTO black handles (long and short),
"Super Adjustable"

1970
P
TTO/Knack/Tech

 Platinum-Plus DE Blade. Last year for Blue Blade?
1971
R
TTO/Knack/Tech/TracII
 "TracII" introduced
 TracII slide-on Cartridge
1972
S
 TTO/DE/Tech/TracII
 Knack becomes "Double Edge" (DE)?

1973
T
TTO/DE/Tech/TracII
TracII introduced as "GII" outside North America. Tech prod'n ends in US.
 "Twinjector" twinned injector blades.
1974
U
TTO/DE/TracII


1975
V
DE/TracII/Dispo
"Daisy" disposible for Ladies

1976
 W
DE/TracII/Dispo
"Good News" disposible for men.

1977
 X
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo
"Atra" introduced
Atra clip-on pivoting cartridge
1978
 Y
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo
Atra for Women

1979
 Z
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo


1980's
 A-J
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo
 "Swivel" disposible in 1980

1983
D
TTO/DE
Super-Speed TTO production ends? D2

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
1989
J
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo


1990's
K-U
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor
 "Sensor" for Men introduced in 1990
 Sensor pivoting cartridge, with flexible twin blades.
1992
M
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor
"Sensor" for Women

1993
N
DE/TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor
Sensor Excel
Sensor cartridge with aloe strip
1998
T
TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor/
Mach3
"Mach3" for Men introduced. DE production ends. 
Mach3 triple blade cartridge. 
2000's
V-E
TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor/
Mach3

DE Blades still available.
2001
W
TracII/Atra/Dispo/Sensor/
Mach3
Venus for Women, Mach3 style razor.
Mach3 "Cool Blue"
Venus for Women triple blade cartridge.

9 comments:

  1. Well I still shave with my H code. Who knew I was shaving my old face with an antique, then again, the face ain't so new either. Got that razor from a friend in 1967 when I started shaving. Collected razors at one time, still have them all. Rolls, Valet, Gillette, Ator and some I don't remember.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting. I am going to have to update this page I think. I am still collecting. I try to give all my razors some face time throughout the year.

      Delete
  2. I have 1949 fat bot e1 razor in origional case with blade case with used n unused razors. Also in case is a blade with lines cut in it. All is in excellent shape. If interested or want pics text me @ 9372430579

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jim
    I been have another sleepless night. was looking for a Gillette Date code list (Google Search) and found your Date Code Chart. Thanks it's great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you are sleeping better now, Patrick.

      Delete
  4. Hello,

    I just purchase a Techmatic labeled "U1".
    According your chart, no techmatic where produced when the letter was U.

    May it be that my techmatic was produced in 1974 ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe it was introduced in 1965. I actually tried one when they came out. I did not like them.

      Delete