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.
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.