THE GILLETTE ARISTOCRAT

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by brit, Aug 15, 2018.

  1. brit

    brit in a box

    Hello fello shavers, some of my favorite gillettes are aristocrats.i like them all.while i don t know a lot about their history , i love there looks and shaves.
    if you have a favorite " crat " , aristocrat jr,executive, adjustable, please post it here, thank you ,gary


    20180815_032710.jpg
    left to right-brit flat plate #15,brit #22 ,46-7 us, 48-51 us, brit #58 crat jr ,canadian/brit flat plate crat jr
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2018
  2. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    This was actually my first vintage acquisition when I returned to wet shaving. I had no idea at the time that it was a 46-47 Aristocrat. I just knew it was an old razor. It is my birth era razor (1947).
    47Aristocrat006.JPG

    Last year, I sent it off to Sport Shaving and had it replated with gold. IMG_4734.JPG
    IMG_4730.JPG
    IMGP7161.JPG
     
  3. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Very nice collection! :innocent:signs021:
     
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  4. Zed117

    Zed117 Well-Known Member

    Most of my rotation are Aristocrats. Besides the three adjustables and RFB NEW

    I find them to be Gillettes best shavers, especially the 46-47 and 1934 (too aggressive for me to keep). The flat baseplate British ones are the cream of the crop:

    Aristocrat #16 (missing due to being replated) IMO Gillettes best razor.

    British Popular: Same head as #15 OC, slimmer handle.

    Aristocrat Jr #48: Same head as #21, slimmer handle

    1946-1947 gold American Aristocrat
    20180815_110050.jpg

    What I mean by flat baseplate:
    FB_IMG_1534398945357.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2018
  5. Dansco

    Dansco Well-Known Member

    20180804_091133_1533648457207-1623x1217.jpg

    I only own this one - #15 I believe due to its case.

    I do love the Aristocrat line and would probably buy more, down the line, but I am becoming more reserved with my purchases recently.

    After all, the one I've got works great.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2018
  6. brit

    brit in a box

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  7. brit

    brit in a box

    very nice . mine is a late #15 which has the same razor as a #16 set. cool.
     
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  8. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    How do people here define or consider a razor an Aristocrat or not. Do you go strictly by Gillette's product name or by razor design. For example do you consider a gold plated slim an Aristocrat or just a gold plated slim adjustable? Another example is the Diplomat, do you consider it non Aristocrat because the product name or an Aristocrat because it looks exactly like earlier model Aristocrats sans the double knurled rings?
     
  9. Dansco

    Dansco Well-Known Member

    Great question!! In my head...

    I would consider the Diplomat to be an Aristocrat, as it is the same as another official Aristocrat model more or less. As the gold plated slim is the same as another model which is not an Aristocrat, I would.consider that a member of the Slim Adjustable family and not the Aristocrat family.

    But my reasons are fairly dubious
     
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  10. Dansco

    Dansco Well-Known Member

    Ooh yes it's the open comb one. That was what I was looking for initially. Very good!
     
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  11. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Here is my take at least on the slim model. If they had styled it slightly differently like the gold plated Executive vs a standard fat boy I would consider it an Aristocrat. It is too easy to take any old slim, replate it then call in an Aristocrat and try to get a premium on a razor with no way of proving it's provenance other than it is a slim. Case doesn't prove provenance of a razor only the provenance of the case. The Diplomat I can accept as non Aristocrat because the provenance can be proved without a case and the likelihood of them being counterfeited from other Aristocrats is fairly low since there isn't a premium to be made on the sale.

    The issue with the slim is the same issue as Regent Tech. I would never pay what people ask for those when they come up for sale since you can't authenticate the razor. Trust me doesn't cut it using blades to date and the case itself is not worth anywhere over the price of the razor if it was sold as an Aristocrat.

    Back on topic I own the following Aristocrats.

    US made 34 - 35 open comb TTO
    US made 46 - 47 no notch NDC
    US made 47 - 50 notched NDC
     
  12. jimjo1031

    jimjo1031 never bloomed myself

    These are my three Aristocrats:
    -'48-'50
    -I1 Adjustable. I know, just a gold plated Slim
    -C3 Mono Bloc (Brazil), also known as the Brazilian Aristocrat

    The '48-'50 is a great shaver. To me, it replicates shaves on my Fatboy on setting #6 - #7. It gives me consistent BBS shaves in two passes with just a hint of touch up. The Adjustable, yeah it shaves like a Slim, really good on #6 or #7. The Mono Bloc/Aristocrat also shaves great, maybe slightly more aggressive than an early Super Speed.

    unspecified (18).jpg
     
  13. brit

    brit in a box

    gold plated slims are aristocrats as far as i know .diplomats and presidents , executives are the same top end type razors. fatboys in england were called executives i think . could be wrong .
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2018
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  14. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Gold plated slims were sold as Aristocrats yes but are they really Aristocrats? Same rational as gold plated Super Speeds and Ranger Techs were sold as Milords but are they really Milords?

    The Fat Boys and Executives have different knobs besides the plating differences. That has nothing to do with a sales territory distinction like the Rocket and Parat knobs since the fat boys and executives were both sold in the same sales territories. When you are selling to upper crust types they want a social status, hierarchy, or ego aka mine's bigger than yours status symbol that is easily understood aka the knob styling distinction the actual performance is irrelevant when you are marketing the product unless something that breaks that illusion threatens sales. The the TTO Aristocrats didn't have that problem since they really were a better shaver than a Super Speed or Milord but the Executive and Fat Boy did. Same problem with a gold vs nickel plated slim.

    The President is technically either rhodium plated Aristocrat or Diplomat depending the year produced since they made it in both the Diplomat double ring knurling style and the Aristocrat 47 and up notched single ring knurling style.

    The President is another razor I refuse to pay a premium for like the gold plated slim unless risk is priced in aka If I resell it later on for about market value with a replate priced into the cost.

    So what does the brand name Aristocrat provoke in your mind and does my original question and examples meet those expectations?

    My take is it has to walk the walk and talk the talk like a 47 and up Aristocrat or else it is the case of the Emperor's new clothes like the gold slim.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2018
  15. brit

    brit in a box

    i agree with you.there is nothing out there that betters the british aristocrats ;their namesake anyways ,based on the ones i have at least. they have there own feel compared to other brit gillettes. i can t speak of ones i don t own. i am sure many will disagree, ymmv and such. i do use a nicer brush/ soap etc when i use them ; a special treat ... i don t own and use them to feel superior, however.,.i almost feel like robin hood..lol
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2018
  16. brit

    brit in a box

    awesome pic and razor. one i would like to own someday
     
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  17. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Seen a couple razors called #15's in this thread. If it's not an open comb, it's a #21, FYI.

    If it's a silver plated #15, it technically doesn't have a number. It was called the "Gillette One-Piece Aristocrat Razor." In the years following 1936, they gave it the #15, and rhodium plated it.
     
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  18. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I go strictly by Gillette's product name. Can't speak for other people.

    I don't bend over backwards to call a gold plated adjustable an Aristocrat, though. By that time, anything that made an Aristocrat superior to other Gillette razors was long gone.
     
  19. brit

    brit in a box

    this is what i am basing my #15 on . mine has identical case with flat plate 430030 razor same as a #16 1948 Aristocrat No16.JPG thank you mr razor.
     
  20. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Now that is a real head scratcher...

    I learned something new today. The #15 did come in a bar guard version. The same razor was sold in a different case as the #21, which is why most people call the closed comb version the #21, and the open comb the #15.

    However, the solid knob on the TTO in the picture above would seem to indicate that particular razor should be a #16, not a #15.

    Edit: an Australian catalog from 1948 shows what they call a #15 set. I'm fairly certain that particular razor set was also sold in England as a #16 set, and was not sold in the U.K. as a #15 with the solid knob at that late date.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2018

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