Is the "Milord" just a blinged-out Super Speed?

Well, yeah, but they still rock.

I just received a near-mint '48/49 Milord in the mail. It had a few light green spots on the handle that the seller thought were due to it stored being in the case for a long time. Could be, I don't know, but I bought it anyway.

First thing I do with any razor I buy is give it a good soaking in a bowl of hot water and Dawn dishwashing liquid, then scrub it down with an old toothbrush. It didn't take much effort to totally remove all traces of green, and I soon had it looking like a brand new razor. Very faint marks (I wouldn't even describe them as scratches) on the doors, no dings in the knurling, opens & closes flawlessly. Very slight sign of wear on the case, and the lining was very clean. I would almost venture to say...unused. But, I digress...

The first Milord was introduced in 1940 (or 1941, depending on the source of info) as the "Gillette One-piece Tech Razor, Milord Model". (Note: Gillette also had a shortened handle "Milady" women's razor that same year.) 

 1940 (or is it '41?) Milord

The nickel-plated Ranger Tech was brought out the next year; both razors are otherwise identical. World War II interrupted civilian production until 1946, when the Ranger Tech returned (with the addition of end caps covering the door links). As before, the gold-plated Milord was offered, being a fancy version of its nickel-plated brother.

1947 saw the first Super Speeds, and of course, a gold-plated Milord was offered. The changes from year to year were the same as the nickel models (i.e. creased base plate in '47, notched center bar in '48, "Package" inside base plate changed to "PKG" in 1950, and date codes introduced in '51). The only other difference was the case: Milords came in a fancy clamshell while the Super Speeds were stuck in plastic blue or red bottom/clear top cases.The last Milord was the 1953 model.

So, making a short story long, yes. A Milord is a Super Speed in a fancy dinner jacket.