King C Gillette Razor Review – Mild Easy Shaving Tool
King C. Gillette Safety Razor
Along came a surprise from Gillette in 2020, a safety razor for traditional wet shaving –the mild King C. Gillette Razor. While the head is ideal for a mild shave, the handle might not suit all gents.
Pros
The mildness is ideal for those starting out wet shaving with safety razors
Nice attractive chrome plated design
If you like longer slim handles, then this razor might be a good option
Mild shave efficient for those that shave daily
It comes with a pack of 5 double edge blades to get you started
Some guys are going to enjoy the weightiness
Cons
Long and slim handle may not suit everyone
Less grip than a knurled-designed handle and may slip
The King C. Gillette is a safety razor I would not have considered buying and reviewing.
The Gillettes of today are all cartridge razors, and safety razors like the old Gillette Fatboy, Slim, Adjustable, and others are very far away from each other, not only in terms of time (you may have noticed traditional wet shaving purists are not fond of Gillettes cartridge razors).
However –I had to pick up a King C. Gillette as enough people were pleased with using it, and reviewing it for ShavingAdvisor readers made sense.
The razor shaved and performed slightly better than I expected, and it’s mild. It’s an option for those new to wet shaving with safety razors; however, it has yet to make it onto our best beginners safety razors roundup page. As always, there is more to the story which I cover in this review.
Gillette markets this razor as a tool for edging sideburns and lining up beards. The razor belongs to a line of King C. Gillette products, including a cartridge razor that they market for neck shaving (it’s a Gillette SkinGuard with a different handle).
I’m not sure where Gillette is going with this marketing, but I have been using and will be reviewing the King C. Gillette Razor for normal shaving while considering its possible benefit for edging, etc.
King C. Gillette Razor Description & Features
Gillette provides a pack of five King C. Gillette blades to get users started with shaving straight away.
- Materials and Finish – Gillette does not state what the razor head and handle are made of, but it’s likely to be brass. It’s chrome plated.
- Double-edged – This razor allows you to utilize both sides of the blade head interchangeably during shaving. The inserted blade is equipped with dual edges.
- Closed-comb – The Gillette King C is a closed comb, indicating the presence of a safety bar on the lower part of its head. The lower bar features a scalloped pattern that guides the hair’s interaction with the blade.
- Three-parts – When the handle is unscrewed, the razor disassembles, allowing the removal of the head. The head consists of two separate pieces that can accommodate the placement of a blade in between.
- Blade replacement – Using a blade in a two-part or butterfly razor is easier than inserting a blade between the top cap and the safety bar. However, it is not particularly challenging!
- Handle – The long round handle has engraved deep lines along the top half section to provide grip while shaving.
- Aggressiveness – The razor leans to the mild side of the scale and ever so slightly toward medium in aggressiveness.
- Size – Gillette does not provide any dimensions. The overall length after measuring is 4in (101mm), and the width (circumference) is 1.5in (38mm).
- Blade Gap – Approx. 0.45mm (0.018″)
King Camp Gillette founded Gillette (Founded 1901). This is where the King C. Gillette range of Gillette products gets its name which came on the market in 2020.
How Does The King C. Gillette Razor Perform And Shave?
I have spent quite some time testing and reviewing electric and cartridge razors while also focusing on head shaving and body grooming stuff, so I was really pleased to pick up and test out a new safety razor and report back to you guys. I do love the traditional shaving routines!
I used the razor over three weeks with some heavy 3-day and 2 days of growth.
Each shave took 2 passes and my usual clearing-up patches. I do not do the usual 2 or 3 pass routine, as I shave with the multi-directional growth I have. To keep it simple, I say I do two passes and clearing up.
How did the razor shave with 3+ days of growth?
When shaving with four days of growth, I could easily notice the mildness of the King C. Gillette. I still got the job done, but if I were shaving with 3+ regularly –which I do, I would prefer something more aggressive.
How did the razor shave daily or every 2 days?
Two days was a nice sweet spot for my skin and this razor. Again I could notice the mildness, but I still got a good close finish.
The razor likes this level of stubble.
Daily Shaving
I don’t shave daily because my skin will flare up. However, as the King C. Gillette is mild, it’s the ideal razor for guys who shave daily and have normal skin.
Was it easy to use shaving under the nose and chin area?
There were no issues shaving under the nose area. A couple of quick sideways strokes, and it was cleared up.
Because the handle is long, I found it’s not the best at shaving around the chin area. It’s no big challenge –it’s just easier with a smaller handle.
Which blades are best suited?
I used the King C. Gillette Russion made platinum coated blades first, as they are supplied with the razor. They were mild –as expected and a decent blade.
I then used a Gillette Perma Sharp blade, with which I could not see any difference. I wanted to try a sharper Feather as I like a Feather blade in mild razors; however, I am out of the country and have no supply.
If users are happy with the King C. Gillette blades, then the Astra or Derby and others are similar, but they’re much cheaper to buy than the King C. blades. The King C. blades are overpriced at $6.99 for 10 (Astra Platinum x 100 – $7.99).
What was the overall shaving experience like?
It was a good mild shaving experience, much like many of the other mild safety razors I have used. Because of the mildness, I had to clear up many patches.
Despite picking up the razor at a great price and cheap, it outperformed the similarly priced cheapo ones I tried a few years ago that never found their way to this website.
My only niggle was the handle. A bit wider and more grip suits me best.
Handle and Grip 6.5/10
The slim and long handle design will suit some guys, while others prefer something fatter and shorter. 4in (101mm) is longer than the average or standard. If you are new to shaving with safety razors, the longer length and slimness could be right up your street if you have been using a cartridge razor.
The lined grip at the top section is not the best for grip compared to fully engraved or knurled. It’s best to avoid soapy hands when using it and keep rinsing.
Weight and Balance – 7/10
The King C. Gillette is very weighty, but I have yet to be able to weigh it. I like weighty razors like this, and the balance is very good; however, we’re not all fans of this type of weight.
Look & Design – 8/10
This is a great modern-looking chrome razor, and the half-engraved grip and shiny plain other half add to the attractiveness. The chrome plating is perfect, without any blemishes.
Chrome plating will wear after time and discolor and possibly chip, so we cannot expect it to look pristine for a lifetime.
The head is very much the same as the Edwin Jagger DE89 and Muhle R89. Both these razors are good quality mild DE (double-edge) razors.
The blade overhangs quite a lot, but this does not affect the shave.
Value for Money – 9/10
The price is about right and a good deal for a decent razor. I cannot buy many decent razors for what I paid for the King C. Gillette.
- Cost (+5 blades): $23 USD, £20 GBP and €22.00 EU*
*Prices might vary at different stores. Mine was a bargain and cost £13.33 in the UK from Amazon –cheaper than some cartridge razors.
Any Common Consumer Issues, Complaints, or Positive Reports?
There are a lot of reviews and customer comments, and most of it is very positive. It looks like Gillette has achieved attracting not only the older but also some of the younger crowd to traditional safety razors.
Consistent positive comments were made along these lines –quality chrome finish, good solid razor, and a good razor for those starting out using safety razors and those that require a mild shaving tool.
The reviews on the Gillette site were hard to trust because many received a free product.
The only common negative comment pattern is that the handle can be slippy –it does not have good grip. I can agree with this, as mentioned above.
Final Thoughts – Who is the King C. Gillette Razor Best Suited For?
This a great starter razor and one that newbies to traditional wet shaving with safety razors might want to compare within the best beginner’s safety razors roundup. The cost is on the much lower scale of razor costs, and a beginner can most definitely find out if safety razors are going to be right for them long term without spending a fortune.
The head, as mentioned, is identical to the Edwin Jagger DE89 and Muhle R89. But I prefer the shorter, wider handles of the DE89 and R89.
Gillette markets this as a tool for edging and lining beards. Of course, it can do that very well –most safety razors can. If you need an edging and lining tool, consider a Shavette Razor (See 10 Best Shavette Razors), which does that job even better.
It’s great to see Gillette producing a safety razor, and I hope they produce more. I don’t see the old vintage models returning anytime soon, but they could bring something interesting to the wet shaving market.
See you at the next lathering up and shave down!
