The most useful shaving gadget Bond ever picks up is a plain razor. On Goldfinger’s plane, Connery’s Bond shaves with a slim Gillette, then unscrews the handle to take out a hidden tracking device and hides it in his shoe heel. The Gillette Slim Adjustable is a plain object that did more work than it looked.
In the books
In Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service a Gillette razor is listed among Bond’s few weapons. In the film Goldfinger, Connery’s Bond uses a Gillette slim handle adjustable razor on the flight to America, and the handle holds the tracker. See the films for the full scene.
The details of the Gillette Slim Adjustable
Nine settings. The dial has nine positions, with 1 the least aggressive and 9 the most. Owners on shaving forums describe the razor as very mild at lower settings.
The slim handle. It opens with a twist. A US newspaper advertisement from June 1962 introduced the Slim as trimmer, slimmer, longer and lighter than the older Fatboy, and 45 cents cheaper. The first model dates to 1961 and the last to 1968, according to a collector’s record.
The blades. Early Slims took Super Blue blades, then stainless steel from about 1962, and Super Stainless from 1965. Date codes stamped on the razor tell you the year.
Owning it now
The Slim is out of production and found second-hand. Vintage examples in chrome with a textured handle turn up on eBay; one collector listing a 1962 razor is typical of what to expect. One forum post puts a clean razor at about US$25 to US$35, but condition varies, so check that the dial clicks and the door closes. Replacement clicker springs for adjustable Gillettes are sold separately. We would buy a mid-1960s razor in good order and treat it as a user, not a display piece. For the rest of the shave, Geo. F. Trumper Eucris Hard Shaving Soap suits the period, though it is a different object and not an item from the film.
Specifications
| Maker | Gillette |
|---|---|
| Model | Slim Adjustable, dial 1 to 9 |
| Production | 1961 to 1968 (collector record); introduced to the US press in 1962 |
| Finish | Chrome with textured handle |
| Blade types | Super Blue, Stainless Steel, Super Stainless (by year) |
| Status | Out of production; found second-hand |
Date codes and variants are catalogued on gilletteadjustable.com.
Questions
Is this the razor in Goldfinger?
Yes, as a model. Our catalogue records Bond using a Gillette slim handle adjustable razor in the film, and the early-1960s Slim is the match.
How many settings does the Slim Adjustable have?
Nine. The dial runs from 1, the mildest, to 9, the most aggressive.
Is the Gillette Slim Adjustable still made?
No. The last Slim dates to 1968, so razors are found second-hand.
Does the handle really hide anything?
In the film it does: the handle unscrews to reveal a tracking device. That is a prop trick, not a feature of the razor you will buy.
More Bond grooming is in our grooming guide.
