I was comparing my NOS Aristocrat to my other non-NOS Aristocrats, and it is interesting to note that the opening and closing function on the used ones has a more (for lack of a better term) "cushiony" feel than the unused one. I attribute this to the fact that I soak all of my vintage razors that have moving parts in mineral oil, which I believe coats the inner workings and smooths out their operation. Somebody at another site said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, that soaking razors in mineral oil provides no benefit. However, how many of us has had the good fortune to obtain a 60 year old NOS razor to make some comparisons? I own 5 Aristocrats, 4 of which have had the mineral oil treatment. Those 4 definitely feel smoother when opening and closing than the NOS model. Bottom line? Soaking vintage TTO razors in mineral oil as part of the restoration process is the way to go!
I have no NOS aristocrats but have owned about 5 used and never oiled any of them. They were all super smooth except for one because that one had the tto pull out a little when opened. When I think of those 40's-50's aristocrats, I think of smooth TTO. No lie.
It could just be the fact that they have been used and that will smooth the mechanism over time too. I never oil my razors and they're all smooth.
I can see the possibility that a little wear on a TTO might smooth off the rough edges of some of the working parts and, consequently, make it operate a little smoother. On the other hand, I suspect it wouldn't do any harm to use the oil on the working parts. If you didn't oil it, who knows, it might wear out in only another few decades whereas, if you keep it lubricated, it might last another century or so. Keep us posted on how many more generations your TTO's last before they give up the ghost. Regards, Tom
