30's Aristocrat vs. Senator/Sheraton Head Profile: A Photo Comparison

[c0ry]

Hello all,

I thought this would be worth documenting because I've seen the question asked many times with no definitive answer given.

I'm posting this to note the difference in the head profile of the 1930's Open Comb American Aristocrat and the 1938 Senator and Sheraton. Judging by the evidence, you should see that the Senator and Sheraton have a more "domed" head, whereas the 30's Aristocrat has a flatter profile. I do feel this affects the shave in that the blade's curvature and angle are affected here.

[lungho]

Excuse my n00b-ness, so which type is more aggressive? The flatter or the more curved ones?

Oh, and thanks for the post.

[texbilly]

Cory - nice pics. I only have a Senator remaining of these three so perhaps others with all three will be along to provide shaving impressions and any correlation with your head geometry observations.

This also might serve as good input to Craig's (Seraphim) thread on aggressiveness found here. Any chance you can take close-up blade gap/exposure photos of the three?

[c0ry]

Cory - nice pics. I only have a Senator remaining of these three so perhaps others with all three will be along to provide shaving impressions and any correlation with your head geometry observations.

This also might serve as good input to Craig's (Seraphim) thread on aggressiveness found here. Any chance you can take close-up blade gap/exposure photos of the three?

Unfortunately this camera struggles to take close-ups, and the extreme detail required to take adequate photos of blade gap/exposure wouldn't work.

In terms of aggressiveness, I'm no expert on judging, but I can tell you that the Aristocrat can give me a bit of a "bite" sometimes, whereas the Senator and Sheraton don't. Both give me great shaves, though.

[bythbook]

hmmm.... thanks for this -

I used a Senator today; (if I remember) I'll use a '30s Aristocrat tomorrow.

...and I'll try to 1. pay attention to the details, and 2. remember the details from today's shave.

Or... I could use 'em both - new blades, same soap, same brush....


If I remember.

[texbilly]

Unfortunately this camera struggles to take close-ups, and the extreme detail required to take adequate photos of blade gap/exposure wouldn't work.

In terms of aggressiveness, I'm no expert on judging, but I can tell you that the Aristocrat can give me a bit of a "bite" sometimes, whereas the Senator and Sheraton don't. Both give me great shaves, though.

That sounds consistent with my memory of the 1934 Aristocrat. Conventional wisdom states the flatter the blade sits relative to the blade guard/comb, the greater probability of it "scraping" instead of "slicing".

hmmm.... thanks for this -

I used a Senator today; (if I remember) I'll use a '30s Aristocrat tomorrow.

...and I'll try to 1. pay attention to the details, and 2. remember the details from today's shave.

Or... I could use 'em both - new blades, same soap, same brush....


If I remember.

Good show, Jon. Let us know how they compare. I now find myself thinking of other comparisons....

[Stubblefield]

Great pix, Cory.

[blantyre]

Nice study. I had a '34 Aristocrat for a while and it was moderately aggressive IMO. My current rotation includes a British #15 and a Senator - the #15 is noticeably more aggressive than the relatively mild Senator IMO. The Senator works well on a couple of days of beard growth - seems to plow through but is not quite as clean cutting as the Aristocrat.

[c0ry]

Nice study. I had a '34 Aristocrat for a while and it was moderately aggressive IMO. My current rotation includes a British #15 and a Senator - the #15 is noticeably more aggressive than the relatively mild Senator IMO. The Senator works well on a couple of days of beard growth - seems to plow through but is not quite as clean cutting as the Aristocrat.

My #15 is coming in the mail Tuesday, as far as I know. I wanted to include it when I did this comparison, but I decided to just do it without it. Maybe I'll add another picture or two after the #15 comes just to see how it compares.

[pal]

Nice idea! I really like the side by side comparison.

[Blue-EyedSon]

Thanks for the pictures, Cory. That is very helpful. I think I'll have to start looking for a Senator now.

[c0ry]

Thanks for the pictures, Cory. That is very helpful. I think I'll have to start looking for a Senator now.

Haha! I should have put a disclaimer.

WARNING: For informative purposes only. Not intended to fuel RAD.

[johnmrson]

Nice pics c0ry. All three are very good shavers. I find that the Aristocrat feel the more aggressive of them. I'm not sure if it is or whether it's just that it is heavier so I think it's more aggressive.

[bythbook]

OK, gents. As promised (but a day late) I shaved with the Senator AND the '30s Aristocrat. I used a new IP Crystal in each razor; I used my tallowiscious-ist soap; I used my very favorite brush (as of today). Here's the SOTD:



I shaved the left side of my face with the Aristocrat, the right side with the Senator. Three passes & a little cleanup.

If you can live with this definition of aggressiveness: more blade, less razor (a perception of more blade on the face), then the Senator is substantially more aggressive. There's a different sound to the Senator's whisker-whacking; it feels as if there's more risk of a nick... perhaps a little more care should be taken, eh? I will say that the shaving itself was more comfortable with the Aristocrat. ("Comfortable?" - an easier, less risky shave. [OK, I know people who use NAKED BLADES might be reading this - give me a break, please. "Risky" is a relative and subjective term. We all know straight razor users are the REAL MEN among us; but please let us weak sisters have our fun - snigger discretely among yourselves, ok?])

This shave reminded me how absolutely wonderful the '30s Aristocrat is. Today it's my favorite razor!

Here are a few pics that demonstrate absolutely nothing, I'm afraid - I have no idea how one might "measure" aggressiveness objectively - but they do show the business sides of the two razors side-by-side. Perhaps together with Cory's pics you can make something of 'em:








but this was fun - I might try pairing up a variety of combinations.... I think this is the first time I consciously limited the number of variables in comparing razors.

[Blue-EyedSon]

Thanks for the review, Jon. It is very helpful. Even though I don't really care for yellow gold, I held onto my 30s Aristocrat because I like the way it shaves. It is a fine shaver, indeed. And what Simpson's brush is that? The handle looks a bit like an Emperor, but it looks squat-ier than the current Emperor design.

[bythbook]

Thanks for the review, Jon. It is very helpful. Even though I don't really care for yellow gold, I held onto my 30s Aristocrat because I like the way it shaves. It is a fine shaver, indeed. And what Simpson's brush is that? The handle looks a bit like an Emperor, but it looks squat-ier than the current Emperor design.

well - some review - ask for the time & get a lecture on making a watch. (Which is more aggressive: Senator. End of story.)

I have a ratty old Aristocrat I'm tempted to have replated (to the disgust of many members, I know) - maybe plate it in nickel so there'll never be any temptation to pass it off as original. (I'm trustworthy, but my heirs are really sketchy, y'know?) It has the TTO problems common to many of them, I'm afraid - gotta push the bottom of the handle to raise the doors. Still... a good shaver! (Using the Aristocrat this morning I'm thinking: this is such a beautiful razor... too nice to use.... I should get another one. ...This is a sickness!) I wonder how the '30s Aristo would look in nickel?

The brush is, as best as I can make out - a W7 (or maybe M7) - it seems to be a Tulip - Emperor hybrid. It has the most comfortable handle... really a great match for the TGN 24mm silvertip A-grade.

[Blue-EyedSon]

Whatever the Simpson's brush is, it looks great. An Emperor-Tulip hybrid sounds about right. And I think a 30s Aristocrat would look great in Nickel. Aren't there British models that are about the same thing?

[bythbook]

Whatever the Simpson's brush is, it looks great. An Emperor-Tulip hybrid sounds about right. And I think a 30s Aristocrat would look great in Nickel. Aren't there British models that are about the same thing?

the British Aristos have barberpole handles - and the rhodium is quite different from nickel (in my opinion)...

...CHROME! I'll have it CHROMED!

[antoine1]

Nah...get it replated in gold, bring it back to it's original beauty.

You'll be ahead of the curve, gold is making a comeback.

[c0ry]

For the sake of science, I took photos comparing my newly acquired British Aristocrat no. 15 to a 30's American Aristocrat and a Senator. It looks like the Senator is closer to the Brit than to the American, in terms of head profile.