Shave review 1948-50 Gillette Aristocrat

For those interested, did my first shave with her this morning. A 4 pass shave with a new feather blade installed and a light touch. What a nice close comfortable irritation free shave, no complaints whatsoever. Easy to find and keep the right angle with this one. Physically it balances well for me. The handle is grippy. To me it feels like it has the right amount of aggression to shave easily and close without keeping you on your toes like a Muhle R41 or Gillette Fat Boy @ 9 with a feather blade. It might not shave quite as close by a tad as those other two but it is more of a pleasure to use. I think it would be an excellent daily driver. I would not hesitate to pick one up if you can find one at a good price. They are not hard on the eyes either.


Bob

Bob,

Right you are about the Aristocrat; it is a sweet shaver. I have two Aristocrats from the same period, in superb shape, and am saving both for my grandsons. The Aristocrat is not only a looker, but it is well made, with the perfect balance and grip in the hand. I use it with Super Iridium or Feather blades. Indeed, pure pleasure. Thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks Obie, always nice to know I am not the only one with that impression of the Aristocrat. Now the hunt is on for a British Aristocrat to see how the two stack up.

Bob

I've had both the british and the US and I found the build on the british to be a little better and more polished. Both shaved equally well and nearly the same.

Bob,
Both the American and the British versions of the Aristocrat are remarkable razors. Good stuff.

I fully agree, I just received my 46-47 Crat this week and have pressed it into service. What a great shave and a quite stunning Razor to boot. Glad to hear how they work out for others.

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Thanks for the review Bob. They live up to their name, Aristocrats. I have two from the post WWII era. One with the hook to pull the blade from the dispenser, and the other the earlier model without the hook. I also have an open comb 1930s Aristocrat which IIRC was their first TTO. All of them are just delightful shavers.

Ah yes, I can see where collecting Gillette Aristocrats could become addicting. The OC Aristocrat sounds inviting too.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

Ah yes, I can see where collecting Gillette Aristocrats could become addicting. The OC Aristocrat sounds inviting too.

Bob

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It is a mild shaver AFAIC. Nice though. I had a mint copy and a beat up one. I sold the mint one, because I couldn't bring myself to get it wet, and kept the beat up one. It still has charm, and it works. :)

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Originally Posted by Boaz

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That's a nice example you have there.