Vintage Collection Knowledge / Vintage Grooming Knowledge
Vintage Grooming KnowledgeExplore product histories, packaging variations, identification notes, compatibility information and downloadable collector guides for razors and grooming systems long since pulled from shelves.
Every entry is assessed against Bernalo's seven-point verification standard, from identification through to references — so you're reading a documented judgement, not a guess.
The lineage that took Gillette from fixed twin blades to the spring-mounted Sensor — eight systems, their variants, and how to tell them apart.
The fixed twin-blade cartridge that followed Trac II. Covers handle styles, cartridge markings and how GII differs from the razor it replaced.
The lubricating-strip update to fixed-head GII. Covers the distinct mustard/purple livery, how it cross-references against base GII, and open questions on its unusual top-of-card code.
Gillette's first pivoting cartridge razor, launched in the US in 1977. Covers metal vs plastic handle generations, dating marks and how it relates to Contour.
The name Atra sold under outside the Americas. Covers regional naming, handle variants and where Contour cartridges diverge from their Atra twin.
The lubricating-strip update to Contour/Atra. Covers strip colour changes across production, packaging generations and how to spot Plus cartridges at a glance.
The Lubrastrip-branded packaging and cartridge run of Contour Plus. Covers naming across markets, print variants and where this line sits against the standard Plus release.
The first Gillette cartridge with individually spring-mounted blades, launched in 1990. Covers Sensor vs Sensor Excel, handle variants and packaging through its production run.
The Flexible Microfins update to base Sensor. Covers the shift to carton packaging, two pack-size variants, and the strongest on-pack compatibility claim seen on this hub so far.
Working across the whole cartridge-razor family rather than one product at a time — for dating a pack, matching blades to a handle, or telling two similar-looking generations apart.
How to read manufacturing codes, packaging typography and regional print variants to date a cartridge box or blister pack.
Read guideA visual reference for telling apart cartridge systems that look alike, so you can match blades to the correct handle with confidence.
Read guideHow handle materials, pivot mechanisms and branding changed across a product's run, and what each change tells you about age.
Read guide