A Gillette Aristocrat popped up on marketplace near me. I’ve only used my Merkur 34C and (now broken) 39C. No experience with vintage Gillettes.
Are they generally okay to use? I shave 1-2 times a week. That includes head shaving which was wondrous with the Sledgehammer, but the 34C is just average.
I wouldn’t need to get it replated would I? I can see it’s not rusty, and the pictures look fine just obviously old.
If I understand correctly, Gillette Aristocrat is not one razor, but a serious of different razors:
[Edit: @walden@sub.wetshaving.social beat me to the link](https://www.razorarchive.com/articles/gillette-aristocrat-history)
That being said, vintage Gillettes are good razors, and can be used for shaving every day. The 34C is a very mild razor, and whatever you may buy will likely be more efficient. I have a vintage Slim Adjustable, which is a great razor, and also a Black Beauty (which I like a bit less, but it was produced in my birthday quarter).
I can’t speak to head shaving, but if you can get a vintage Gillette for a good price, go for it!
Thanks for that. It obviously wasn’t an aristocrat since it didn’t have the barber pole handle. And SDF went down all day so I couldn’t get back on here.
So I kept looking around, and checking the Mr razor information, it’s almost definitely it’s a 1949 aristocrat jr.
Anyway, I bought it so I’ll see better it’s condition when I get it, but the pictures looked like it’s just old and worn.
I have a late 60’s Aristocrat Slim Adjustable, and have been using it for over 20 years. I have to say that it’s been the best razor I’ve ever had.
I’m a bit lazy when it comes to shaving though, I might only do a proper beard shaving once or twice a month between clipper trims, so blades tend to last me for years, as long as I’m quick to clean and dry everything right after I finish using it.
The plating on mine shows obvious wear from age, but it doesn’t seem the least bit prone to rusting, even after all these years, so I wouldn’t worry about the plating much, unless you just want it to look flashy again.
Pictures would be nice, to see what version/year range model you have…
It seems to be a 1949 aristocrat jr. Has a 430.030 patent. Hopefully it’s all good. The seller said it was “just a solid aristocrat”.
Oof. Upvote for the info post regardless, but it’s giving me a ‘Failed to load image’ here.
Jerboa for Lemmy, if that makes any difference.
I think it’s SDF, after I posted yesterday the instance went down until just now.
I’ve never used an aristocrat, but in general vintage Gillettes are good.
They vary widely from mild to aggressive, but I don’t know where the Aristocrat lands… If I had to guess, I’d guess it’s similar to other Gillette TTO’s which are sort of medium.
Do you have a picture of the one in question? Getting them replated is an option, but not a requirement because they’re typically made of brass which doesn’t rust. Getting it replated would simply make it look better.
My experience with vintage Gillette (and double edge razors in general) is that I prefer 3-piece (or 2 piece like your 34C) over twist-to-open.
https://www.razorarchive.com/articles/gillette-aristocrat-history
I’ve been just keeping an eye on vintage TTOs for a couple years, but never seen one for under about $90aud.
I decided to buy this one for 50. And it looks like a 1949 aristocrat jr based on the information I could find.
Won’t try to post a pic again as it looks like my instance is going through some issues.
