Aristocrat, Sheraton, & Senator: Gillette's TTO Open Comb Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by PLANofMAN, Mar 25, 2016.

  1. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Well at the time it was speculated that the Sheraton came with the same head as the flatter profile 34 us aristocrat. That we now know is not true because we know when they changed razor head over which is before they started producing Sheratons. That and to this day I've and no one else has seen an example and if any does if they can't show a defining picture then they are either mistaken or just plain old lying.
     
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  2. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1425834318.960826_zps7xghrcjp.jpg @Cearball , I'm guessing this is the photo you wanted to look at?

    @BBS , I haven't updated or done any follow up research since I posted this thread, but the flatter head theory may come from an optical illusion. The later model (the right) razor in the photo above appears to have a "fatter" head than the razor on the left. This looks like a difference in the length of the lifter assembly arms, not a higher head shape. The hinges just appear to sit lower.

    This isn't definitive, since the photo wasn't taken by me, and could just be the angle of the shot making it look that way.
    I was meaning the hinge assemblies. Original Sheraton, Riveted Sheraton, and the Senator Hinge Sheraton. Feel free to come up with other monikers for those. I'm just describing the difference between them.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2020
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  3. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    The left one is a flatter head Aristocrat, the rivets on the doors are also different. Upon further digging all the information now points to the flatter head Aristocrats being produced up until about or at the introduction of the Sheraton razor in 1937 not 35/36 as originally believed.
    https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/us-gillette-aristocrat-tto-timeline.61682/
     
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  4. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Here are some more ads.

    First instance of the Sheraton being sold in 1937.
    1937_ad.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    First instance of the US 1pc Aristocrat in 1934.
    1934_ad.jpg

    Tangentially of interest. First instance of the British 1pc Aristocrat in 1936.
    1936_ad.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    That's not the first ad for the '36 crat. From my own collection:
    IMG_1583470423241.JPEG
    They ran it as full page ads in magazines long before they advertised it in newspapers.
     
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  7. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    When I mean first instance that is in reference to the year not the actual first ad run. Usually with newspaper ads when dating the actual introduction down to the month you usually have to assume a +/- of a few months. Also I don't have a good source of British papers to go through, the Australian razors and sets imported from England usually mirrors what they sold in England at any given year.
     
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  8. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    While I don't use it as often as I should, the rhodium Senator I obtained from @Primotenore is always a reliably smooth and efficient shaver. Plus, it just looks great.

    Over the years I've had a dozen different opinions on this question but, with the right selection of blades, it could be my desert island razor. It can do all that I need done...serve as a daily shaver or laugh while mowing down a full beard...and do it well.
     
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  9. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    That's how I feel about all of Gillette's open comb twist to open razors. :)
     
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  10. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Depends if you have one that is in good functioning order. I found that out after flipping a few Sheraton and Senator razors that shaved super aggressive due to uneven doors, tto knobs that didn't work quite right cause blade chatter those sort of things. With that said I've owned all these razors and variants at one point and the 37 - 38 Sheraton and Senator once I got ones in good working order were the only 2 that have survived numerous den purges and still reside in my DE razor collection.
     
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