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Post by drumzalot on Apr 5, 2014 21:02:40 GMT -6
This is the Personna Floating Head Injector made by the American Safety Razor Company under its Personna brand released in 1972. Originally the Floating Head injector came packaged with 5 Personna 74 Tungsten steel injector blades. A later version of this razor was released in 1973 which came with a blue handle and was labeled as the Personna Injector II Floating Head razor. The Floating Head has a built in internal coil with preset tension. If you press in or just maneuver around the contours of your face the steel head adjusts by moving back and forward. It is this moving action of the razor's head that gives the injector it's name. Like many injectors the Floating Head's body is a composition of plastic and steel. The head is a bit bulky but maneuvering around tight spots is not difficult. The back of the razor's handle has ribbing for good grip. This has to be one of the best injectors I have ever used and that's no understatement. The blade gap is a tad wider then a Type G. It performs incredibly smooth and delivers a very close shave. I did not notice the head moving back and forward during the shave, then again I don't apply pressure when I shave. All 3 passes were smooth sailing and the Floating Head did an excellent job of giving me a close shave. This is an uncommon injector but IMO it's one of the best I have ever used equivalent to my Schick Golden 500.
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 5, 2014 21:12:52 GMT -6
My camera does not take good close up pictures so I decided to add a picture that I found of the back of the razor's case. By the picture you can see just how the injector's head moves back when pressure is applied. Here are the two Personna Floating Head incarnations that were released. Again, the black handle model was released first followed by the blue handle model that came with twin blades.
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norfolkdick
Master Shaver
Captain of the Razor Blades
Posts: 1,601
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Post by norfolkdick on Apr 6, 2014 0:09:36 GMT -6
Greetings That's really interesting I did not know there were two models made. You used the term 'Uncommon injector', I have been on the lookout for one for ages and I would call them 'as rare as rocking horse sh*t and now firmly believe only two were ever made and you have them both! I would happily pay two dollars twenty nine cents for one any day, especially if it came with a a magazine of Personna 74 blades! Regards Dick.
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Post by mjclark on Apr 6, 2014 0:22:31 GMT -6
Superb! That looks and sounds like an amazing razor. Why is it so rarely mentioned? Also is the floating head where Gillette got the idea of the Contour? Thanks for the report - we'll all be wanting one now
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Post by PJGH on Apr 6, 2014 2:42:18 GMT -6
Quite a catch, Joe.
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 6, 2014 13:01:46 GMT -6
Dick, I don't own the two Personna Floating Head razors that are pictured with the case. My Personna razor was bought without the case. I just took the picture of both cases from the net so that everyone could see the two variants. I would not consider the Floating Head to be rare nor impossible to get but an occasional one will show up once in a long while.
MJ, the Floating Head is a superb injector. My personal experience with this razor was excellent. The Contour was released in 1977 a few years after the Personna Floating Head injector. Could it have influenced the pivoting head of the Contour? I couldn't tell you but it might be a possibility.
PJ, I've been trying to hunt down non Schick injectors to see the difference between all of them. Next up is the impossible to find Feather injector I am certain I will never get one!
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 6, 2014 13:12:51 GMT -6
There seems to be a bit of a Schick blade cart incompatibility issue. I originally installed a modern Chick blade into the razor. The Schick's key would not enter easily it got stuck halfway through. After the first few attempts I decided to use a generic "Peoples" injector cartridge. The key design of the Peoples blade cart is similar to the Tungsten 74 steel blade cart. The Peoples cartridge key fit the razor easily without problem. I noticed that if I inject the Peoples cart key into the Personna first, then quickly inject the Schick's key into the razor, it will then work. When the Schick's key enters I still have to push it in further with a little bit of force in order for it to go completely in.
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exapno
Shave Master
Posts: 108
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Post by exapno on Apr 6, 2014 17:16:29 GMT -6
That's what I love about this site, just when you think you've seen it all one the members shows you a razor you never even new existed.
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 7, 2014 9:02:26 GMT -6
Exapno, that's part of the fun of these vintage razors looking for scarce models. So far out of the three non Schick injectors that I own the Floating Head is the best. The Pal Injectomatic comes in second followed by the Gillette Twinjector. Neither of the runner up injectors are average but above average in performance.
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Apr 7, 2014 11:24:39 GMT -6
That's what I love about this site, just when you think you've seen it all one the members shows you a razor you never even new existed. I'll go with that too. : )
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 7, 2014 15:31:51 GMT -6
Rocketdude, I would find it hard to believe that you don't own a Floating Head injector, you probably have every single razor known to mankind lol. I was finally able to take a decent picture of the razor's head moving back, this is how the head moves back when pressure is applied. With these two pictures everyone can see just how this mechanism works.
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Post by wchnu on Apr 8, 2014 21:08:53 GMT -6
Love the looks of that one. I just might have to go on the hunt for one.
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Apr 9, 2014 0:42:22 GMT -6
See! The fuzzy one doesn't know this one either!
This kind of thing is the reason for my signature line. : )
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 9, 2014 15:47:57 GMT -6
Love the looks of that one. I just might have to go on the hunt for one. I guarantee that when you find one you will not be disappointed by it.
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Post by michaeld on Apr 24, 2014 10:08:16 GMT -6
That might just be the injector I've been looking for! I have several different models but can not seem to get a good shave with them. Maybe this would be the one.
I'm going hunting!!
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