Used my 1951 Gillette Aristocrat. And with my 3 day weekend beard, i had no issues getting a beautiful shave
Today(9-2-14) First pass was with my Gillette "NEW" OC shave head mated to a greistshaving "FAT" brass handle, w/PolSilver Super Iridium blade, finishing passes were with my Weber DLC w/BullDog handle, w/Vikings Sword blade...
One of my two 1946 Aristocrats with an Astra blade. This razor gives a very aggressive and close shave. It's one of my favorites.
Today I found a new in the box Van der Hagen in the hall closet re-gifting area. I opened the box and shaved with the $10.99 razor with an Astra SP blade. The cheap razor felt almost as good as any of my vintage Gillette's. Very satisfying for an inexpensive razor.