I am in the middle of a trade with @Red Rider in Canadia. I have just completed the Jayaruh #42 for him. I will be sending his brush out on Wednesday after the silicone has a little time to set. Yesterday, he surprised me when the #51 Aristocrat Jr. Rocket razor arrived unexpectedly. I took a few pictures of it with the JR#42. I interrupted my regularly scheduled shave to try out the Rocket. It is a fine shaving machine. Weighing in at 70 g. it feels really great in the hand. It also provides a bit of feedback with the Astra SP blade. It was a near BBS with only two passes. The Rocket is made in England for the Canadian market. It is unusual in that it has a flat bottom and is heavier that Rockets of the same era. Here's my initial shave with the Rocket. GFT Pre Shave Oil Proraso Green Shaving Soap Jayaruh #36 Horse #51 Aristocrat Jr. Rocket (first shave) Astra SP CWR, Asma Alum Block Thayers Cucumber WH Dove Men+ Post Shave My #51 Aristocrat Jr. Rocket arrived yesterday, and I just had to interrupt my scheduled shave and use it. I got the razor in a trade with @Red Rider in Canadia. It is made in England for the Canadian market. The Proraso Green Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #36 horse hair brush. Two passes with my new Rocket razor and an Astra SP blade gave me a close, comfortable, near BBS shave. The razor weighs in at 70 g. and feels great in the hand. It also provides a bit of feedback that I am not accustomed to in a Gillette. After a cold water rinse and alum block, I finished off with Thayers Cucumber WH and then Dove Men+ Post Shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...
I've previously owned two Aristocrat Jr. and found them both to be on the upper scale to efficiency in the TTO world. The razor feels different than many similar TTO's of the same era due to it's heavier weight sporting slightly thicker flaps and sealed turn knob vs opened ended as found on many Rocket and Super Speed variants. It's not a razor for a new shaver. In the experienced hand it's efficient machined tool requiring only a light touch and proper contact angle. Brush looks fantastic, the custom handle is great and hides the fact that the knot shown is a 24mm knot.
I have one as well and I too think it is the most efficient Gillette Non-Adjustable I own (haven't shaved with my new Red Tip yet though). For my taste the handle could be a bit thicker, but other than that - fantastic razor. Got it in a non-matching case: Here it is next to my Rocket Parat - you can see that the Parat's handle is a bit thicker:
The razor on the right side is not a Parat. It´s a Rocket HD. Here you can see 9 different types of the Rocket HD The Parat looks like the british Rocket (63g), but the knob has the same diameter like the handle and the Parat weights only 61g. The Rocket HD weights around 70g.
Nice photos Martin. Curious, is the Rocket on the right made in Germany or England ? There is little doubt as to it being a Rocket HD now that @mr-razor (Achim) has identified it. That being said a Rocket HD is a wonderful find. Congrats !!
Jim a.k.a. @Jayaruh made that brush handle and a lot more which can be found here >>> Jayaruh Shaving Blog. Razor finds are someone else's specialty.
I have the @Jayaruh #12 curious to know what your impressions are. Will you post up on it when you've had a chance to try it?
The Jayaruh #42 coming is similar to the #5 handle and will be my second brush from Jim. I've been using the Jayaruh #17a for a few weeks now and use it often. Funny you mention the #12 as that was also a favorite of mine. Not sure of what my next knot will be with regards to knot type or size. The incoming #42 will be my first decent synthetic at 24mm. I'm still trying to get a feel for what I prefer best with regards to brush type, knot size and loft. I even posted a questionnaire regarding brush knot size in order to get a feel from more experienced brush users.
Great - that's what happens if you rely on someone who does not know what he's talking about I always thought that my razor was a Rocket HD until someone pointed out to me that the knob on mine has the same diameter as the handle and therefore it must be a Parat. Now I see that the british Rocket and the Parat have different handles altogether. Thanks for clearing that up. BTW - my razor came in pretty much the same case (different blades though) you show on your website - so I guess it is the 1956 French set as well
Marverel you said: "I have one as well and I too think it is the most efficient Gillette Non-Adjustable I own (haven't shaved with my new Red Tip yet though)." I am looking for an Aristocrat Jr. I currently use a Rocket HD and I love it. I also love my Red Tip, and will be curious to hear how you like yours. (It's neck an neck between the two, and they are decidedly different shaves.) Does the flat blade tray in the Aristocrat Jr change the dynamics or the shave? Curious minds want to know...
The relative balance of the Rocket HD vs Aristocrat Jr that makes the difference, for many shavers (unless you have the aluminum model). The weight is pretty similar. The Aristocrat Junior is less aggressive than, say, a Red Tip. The Aristocrat Junior is utterly smooth, and nicks and cuts aren't possible.
