A slightly less old Gillette advertisement

A slightly newer advertisement than I’ve brought up lately, Gillette released this at about the same I was born. There is a couple of interesting points to make when it comes to the ad and what it shows.

Gillette Trac II commercial, early 1970’s

First off, let me disagree that the Trac II was the best new idea in safety razors for half a century.

Secondly, the short film gives an interesting look into how the Trac II cartridge was assembled, with a metal shim between the blades. Just tiny little slits for letting water and lather pass through, so small wonder carts like it clogs something fierce.

And thirdly, it is interesting because the Trac II is one of the first -if not the first – reasonable successful attempts to get shavers to put their traditional safety razors on the shelf and enter a new walled garden – something Gillette keeps doing..

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