A vintage shave with a 1977 Gillette Atra Razor & original Hai Karate aftershave 

That’s the same razor I remember my dad always using when I grew up, by the time I started shaving it was the Mach 3, but I’ve always wanted an Atra, and I finally ordered one on EBay 👌🏻

The Gillette Atra was my first razor in 1982. I purchased one at the small PX adjacent to the training area at Disney Barracks, Ft. Knox. I was a baby-faced noob, and didn’t see the point… the Drill Sergeant had other ideas. I currently have an X4 NIB, along with a NIB pack of Atra blades displayed in a shadow box… just for the memories.

The lube strip was by far the coolest feature. Along with the pivot head.

I love safety razors, but I gotta say the atra is a great cartridge razor. I like the size of the cartridge, and the geometry of the handle. Just a fun, easy shave

I was only 8 yrs old when that razor came out love the video's and the chat from a fellow Geordie whoo whoo we going up ⚽

Wow! That cartridge was my daily go to for years! All thru college. And beyond! Pretty good shaves but nothing like my current DE shaving experience! DE & SE for me now! No looking back!!!

Man, that Atra cartridge razor looks awesome; really has that 70's feel to it (in terms of design.) Great vids Ken! 👍

Hai Karate aftershave-that takes me back. It was the first aftershave I ever bought when I was 14yo. Put it on before going to the school dance haha. Used to have good ads on TV for Hai Karate back in the day.

How did I miss this back in May? Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was an awesome movie, and yes, the sound track was amazing. 20 year olds in my office jam the sound track all day long...LOL That razor is a beauty. I use my Muhle R89 for my head shaves.

Great video again Ken! I was a little fearful for you when you said that you were using a original blade, but it worked out.

I actually bought one of these on Ebay the other day (the black plastic handle ones) so I can take it with me on trips so I don't have to lug around my blades and saftey razor with me. Much easier to get through TSA without razors on me.

Great video Ken ! The Gillette Atra was in Europe under the name " Contour" . I have two of them . One of them was my first ever razor and it was a gift from my father . The other was one of my father's razors (he had and 2 vintage Gillette ) . Nice to see someone using them !

My first. Bought when I was 16 in 1977. It finally fell apart about 10 years ago (2009). I use a safety razor now. Much slower to use, but a great shave,

Happy Cinco de Mayo Ken! I had my obligatory plate of Pollo a la Creme, basket of chips, salsa, and a huge lime Margarita on the rocks. I remember my first razor...Navy basic training...I was given a choice (sort of) between a Gillette Super Adjustable or Trac II...my Company Commander grabbed the Trac II and said "You will thank me later". Since we were given about 10 minute to crap, shower, and shave...I was thankful. Every shave had to be BBS. I used that particular Trac II for 27 years...then I couldn't find the blades...so stupidly; I chucked it (crying). Thank you for the memories...hehe. May the 4th be with you!

Tosh Twandle! You do not come remotely close to talking too much. Keep it Up! I enjoyed it all: the trivia, the shave, the razor and the general commentary..;-)

I just found one of those Atra handles. It's exactly the same but it has "Atra" stamped on the flat section above the black button.

Gilette Contour Plus was my first razor,first shave with Nivea cream and no name cheap brush.Great time.I think this is the same razor.

Nothing wrong with using an old vintage cartridge razor once in a while. 😉I own a vintage Gillette Atra (black handle) with Atra Plus blades that I was using for the past year prior to switching to wet shaving back in March. Thanks for the video and hope the movie was good. I plan on seeing it soon.

Great retro shave Ken.I love that brush,very classy.And a full bottle of hai karate.My uncle gave me a green bottle of that stuff,but it's been mislaid somewhere,oh well !

I have an old personna atra style razor that belonged to.my grandfather. I have a few memories of him shaving with it in the morning before he really got sick

Great shave Ken!!! I'm a 1977... an X3. Thanks for keeping up the great vids. My very first razor was a Sensor back in the 90s... Long time ago. Maybe I'll make a video with one. I still have that first handle.... The carts can give a decent shave if used right, its just the cost of the replacements that put me off. Besides... DE shaving is so much more fun :D And you don't talk too much 😉👍 Hope to see you on Caps live shave here in a few minutes.

keep on keep ;n' on ! KEN your a good man !

Nice video Ken, perhaps you should try a modern Feather cartridge razor? As for the talking, carry on! Love hearing your stories. Have a great weekend.

You've inspired me to take up the hobby of shaving. Just started my collection with a selection of after shaves. Love Aqua Velva smell. That was my grandfathers choice. I'd like to suggest John Varvatos Vintage aftershave and Nivea Mens Sensitive Post Shave Balm. They have no alcohol but are excellent, soothing skin lotions. I just bought an Old Spice mug with two vintage pucks on eBay. Can't wait to use 'em. Also, I'm a big Roger Moore fan, too. And I'm only 26.

I still use the Gillette contour plus blades for my shaves each morning, and I do order the actual Gillette contour plus handle on Amazon what only cost me £4 because in the UK , you can't buy them from your regular drug store or supermarket.😀 in the UK the superdrug store actually reproduce the original Gillette contour plus one time what got me started using theses blades. I still use the super badgers brushes with my soaps and creams when I use my Gillette contour. 😀 I haven't had a bad shave yet i.e razor cuts , burns or dumps with the contour.👍 Love watching your videos.

Hey Ken, this ATRA is the same that my CONTOUR VINTAGE, probably my second razor...now i use sometimes this razor and for me is very good yet. Ciao

Great vid ken

LOL 😂😂😂. I laughed when you said "imagine using a Muhle R41 to shave your head with" . . . That's exactly what I used when I shaved my head 😂😂😂 . . . Not a bad shave 👊👍

Nice shave Ken, thanks for sharing. Many people are fans of carts, I think quite a few wet shavers take bics and stuff for travel. Haha, a relative said 'May the fourth be with you' to me the other day. Thanks for the trivia. That part about the R41 made me wince lol.. have a good day Ken.

Great video Ken. I'll be retiring in December so I'm on the countdown! Oh, and here's a razor for you to try...the brass Colonial General. I have both the aluminum and the brass versions and while I like both, the weight and feel of the brass version is great.

I recently bought an Atra razor with the metal handle from ebay for $35. The vendor even included the extra cartridges which are the original ones with no lubrication strip. Also, the price for the metal Atras have gone up between $50 to about $200.

GOOD FOR YOU KEN.

I have a Contour-UK version of Atra. Use it when I need a quick shave.

Hi Ken. Try shaving with a Gillette Tecmatic next time. Apparently astronauts used to use them in space!

Nice one Ken, good to see that old razor. I use a DE on my head, I just couldn't face buying another modern cartridge razor. I don't think it's as easy at first doing your head as your face with a DE but it really doesn't take long to learn. I much prefer a shavette for my face. Have a good night out!

Hey Ken. Nice shave with the old tools… Hope you enjoyed GG2? Gonna see it this week. Really has me appetizing for Avengers Infinity War! Welcome Thanos!

Trivia=Google...the new brain

Nice video, I had missed this one somehow. Baba Booey!

In Poland they still sell similar thing called Contour Plus (aloe strip and strange button to clean it between blades) and the blades are lot cheaper than Mach3 or Fusion ones.

You keep on talking ken, the vids you put out are great.

Yep Ken, I use the Personna twin blades in a Headblade.

Nice shave. Especially aftershave mekes me wonder. Cartridge looks good but DE are best for shaving :) Have a nice day :)

Ken, I use a SE Ever Ready to do my head shaves , not as bad as you would think.

Another great video, good luck with the retirement. I'm 9 years older than you and seen a few friends retire only to go looking for a part time job because there bored out of there skulls with all that free time, plan carefully. Remember the grass is always greener over the septic tank

Great video, Ken. The Atra is currently marketed in Asia as the Vector. The handles are very lightweight (mostly plastic), but you can get one for about $3, so it would make a good travel razor. The Trac II is also available in Asia (as the 7 O'clock PII) and has almost the exact fit and finish as the original. I've used the Personna cartridges you mentioned, and not only are they good, but they're inexpensive and are compatible with both the Trac II and Atra. The only thing I don't like about them is the lube strips, but I just put a piece of Scotch tape over them.

My preferred is A Gillette Old Type Ball End but I do love Trac II and Atra and also use them. Dollar General has Trac II and Atra blades by Dorco for under $2 for five.

I enjoy your videos. Have you ever compared the Atra to the Trac II in a side by side? If not, that would be interesting. Also, an original Atra vs a "Humble Twin" cartridge from the Dollar Shave Club on an Atra handle.... Stay healthy.

Love your videos! I’m a DE razor user but travel a lot for work so can’t take it away unless I check my bag. What’s your go to disposable razor? I do have sensitive skin so been using Gillette skinguard but willing to try something different👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Ken. I hope you didn't have to defend yourself from mobs of women after using the Hai Karate. I'm old enough to remember the commercials for this exotic tonic!

$1.65 at local Dollar General (DG Body branded) for 6 carts (US Personna) Trac II/Atra compatible OR 12 carts and a generic Atra handle (China) for $5. First shave unbelievably smooth.

Don't ask..don't tell...Roger...lol

I just love your videos. Always informative, fun, and different from the rest. Can you do a shave with a Baili Victory? It is a beautiful, super inexpensive (like $8) well-made razor, that I believe should be in everyone's shave den. I also think that it is a fantastic razor to start out with. What do you think? Could the Bail Victory be the best razor under $10 ever made? I would like to hear your opinion.

I’ve got one just like that except it’s from 1995 or somewhere around there. I think it’s missing the little thing that exchanges razors because it’s just a little metal piece on the back so I think it broke off or something.

God..I looked at those online.. You are better off getting one of those made from scratch models lol. they even make the sensors now. :P

Hi ken, very similar to a Gillette sensor. I can get a good shave with a cartridge, but they don't really last and can irritate on neck area if not carful, not to mention the price. Happy with the faithful 34c lol. Owen 💈🇳🇿👍

& of course it wouldn’t be right if u didn’t flash the James Bond Omega Seamaster haha well done!!

Guardians of the Galaxy!!

Good video sir

Hi Ken! you and I are about the same age, if 1977 is vintage, what are we? 😜I use a cartridge for my head shaves. nice shave!!

I've been using the same Atra handle for over 40 years without an issue. Some of the generic cartridges are half the price of Gillette and just as good. When something works this well for this long, why change? P.S. Still using Old Spice too.

Another good evening shave. By the way, a beautiful watch. I think it's Omega?) I have a friend who shaves face with a DE razor, and his head with an electric shaver. I saw how shave the head with R41, with shavette and a with straight razor. This is a real extreme. Maybe these people have thick skin.) If in a couple of years I have to shave my head, I will use a safety razor. A couple of times I tried, I think I'll get used to it. Before Gillette made the blades better.) Thanks!

I used to cut myself way more with a cartridge, Since I started DE I never cut myself any more I would never go back.

Best razor in history, ... so far. This was the last Gillette unit that retained the high class metal handle from the DE tradition of the early-mid-20th Century, made as a work of design art combined with precision engineering. Afterwards Gillette abandoned high spec handle design & began manufacturing cheaper, quite ugly units looking like something out of Star Wars, made from plastic. It's a technological miracle how unused blade cartridges can retain their sharpness for decades like this.

Do you prefer the Atra or the Trac II? The oldest razor I have used is the Sensor and am looking into purchasing one of the older models. For the Atra, is the Gillette Vector an ok razor? I know it is plastic instead of metal, but it is a heck of a lot cheaper and I know Atra metal razors are pretty high on eBay.

send me that atra razor ken! nice shave!

Would you Use Your Gillette Vector Plus on a Shave Video of Yours Plus I Have a Gillette Vector Plus Red Handle

How bought you review the Slim Twin cartridge razor system?

You should do a video with all barbasol made products.

I don't get this " you talk too much "stuff. I enjoy your videos and your commentary. Keep on keep' n on👍👍

Hai Karate! Does your good wife know you wear that out, when she's having a girls night? Nice shave, Ken. Thanks very much.

I saw a pack of 10 Gillette Atra blades costing $30.00 at a local Walgreens one time, but it's near impossible to find any without the aloe strip. By the way you don't talk as much as Sinatra Lennon does!!

Atra is a good razor, but the sensor excel works better for me

Woo good videoos greeting from serbija

How did you like Guardians2? Great music!

Do you Still Have That Old Gillette Atra 😊😊😊

What was that preshave that you applied?

James Bond watch. Who would have guessed?

Queens silver jubilee brilliant summer

Tge begging of putting end to gillete legendary saftey razors

Retiring at 55 good for you!

Lol hilarious

As I've mentioned before, I purchased that model way back when and still use it for back and shoulder shaving (I'm the one you mention @ 3:02) . Mine isn't in mint condition as yours is. The plastic part of the blade eject button broke a long time ago. Little did we know at the time that Gillette would even cheapen their cartridge razors and go all plastic. i just took a look at my Atra and realized we've spent more than 40 years together! Gillette probably still owned their metal manufacturing facilities back then and it was most likely the same facilities where the great DE razors were made. I'm not sure if you had the original packaging with that plastic box, but I'd be interested to know if it said "made in USA". I started with Trac II, went to Atra's, (the Atra Plus blades with the strip came out a year or two later), headed into the Sensor series followed by the Mach 3's and the Fusion, and finally back to the future with the DE's 2 years ago.. The problem with all cartridges is that if you have a tough beard (as I do after 2 days), the cartridges get clogged up and you need toothpicks and cuticle scissors to clean between the blades. The cost of a cartridge (especially a Fusion) was so high that I would push them for 40 shaves or more resulting in plenty of razor bumps due to too many pressurized strokes on the neck to reach DFS level. I still use the single edge "precision trimmer" side of the Fusion for shaving under the nostrils on occasion. Great video and enjoyable commentary throughout!

great shave man....sorry i havent been on much, but i decided to stop making videos and posting shave of the day posts...too much drama for me....i rather enjoy my shaves and my gear on my time, rather than post it and have idiots talk negative stuff about it...again , great video

Is an Atra better than a Trac II?

Hi Ken! Did you end up winning the Floid Blue auction?

Does it pull and tug?

You don't talk as much as Sinatra Lennon does!!😁😁 Also that British guy who does Friendship Shaving talks so dang slow that his videos go on for 20 to 30 minutes or more that he puts me to sleep!!🇬🇧🇬🇧😴😴😴😴

Damn in the UK the blades are far cheaper

Fun fact: Kurt Cobain Used a Gillette Atra

Cinco Dr Mayo? Shouldn't you be using a 5 blade cartridge? ;-)

first view ken

Isn't it dangerous to shave with a 40 year old blade? No rust?

I cant put the blade on the razor---cut my finger

retire mate .... get out ! - i think that's probably the way your go in the end .... follow your heart , not the head .... mrs thatcher ? how about mrs may ? pinnacles in english history ( not forgetting mr farage ... he should be recognised for his efforts . ) .... cheers mate - how about gillette slim adjustable on setting 7 with a perma sharp ? - there... totally outta the box for me :O) take care buddy .

Nope can't go there.....DE or nothing.....so shave your head...lol...Take some kids to the movies..good flick..under a microscope..you can see the metal fatigue of old blades..trust me