Why I wanted a L 1 Aristocrat... (or ...an excuse for MORE pics)

**Mark1966** · 01-02-2012, 04:17 AM

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed or not but my signature for a while indicated 'WTT or WTB - NOS 1966 L1 Aristocrat'. This has been updated as it is no longer relevant but let me tell you a story regarding why I was after this razor.

You can probably guess from my user name that I was born in 1966, March in fact so I'm a L1. A little after I started with DE and became converted I was reading a thread here about teaching our kids to shave properly given that many of us were NOT taught by our fathers. I have a son also born in March but a little more recently - 2001 to be exact. I vowed to myself that I would make sure that I taught him properly.

I'm also a little into creating family history and traditions. On the day my son was born my father (his grandfather) and I went out an purchased an expensive but very high quality hammer. Every bloke needs a hammer I reckon and when my son turns 21 and get the memory box we created for him included within will be a hammer that his father and grandfather brought him on the day he was born.

So obviously with DE shaving becoming a hobby and my prediliction for creating history I was always going to get him a special razor for his 18th (becoming an adult) birthday (yes, we tend to do both here in OZ, 18th and 21st birthdays are celebrated as special events). The obvious choice of course for a special DE shaving gift.....

That is right - a L1 Gillette Aristocrat (with a Simpson Berkeley thrown in as well).

Both are cased with their cardboard in pretty nice condition....

While the blades are not sealed they are L1 dated and come with the instructions (I don't expect the blades to actually be used)

As you can see this baby glistens!

Whether this becomes his daily shaver (he will of course be already taught how to shave properly before his 18th!) or something that he stores away this will (like the hammer) be forever HIS Gillette.

Hope you liked the pics! If you need MORE pics check out the recent thread on my collection here.

**BBrad** · 01-02-2012, 05:14 AM

Very nice!! What a wonderful thing to do for your son!!

**LiveOak** · 01-02-2012, 06:23 AM

Beautiful set! I love that we are all thinking about leaving these things behind for our children. So many of us would love to have a razor from our father or grandfather but do not.

I have a set substantially like yours. The razor itself is pristine, but the adjustments don't seem to work properly. It clicks nice and everything, but I can't perceive movement in the adjuster plates, so it is a nice looker.

**huck1680** · 01-02-2012, 07:19 AM

Very nicely done

**malargent** · 01-02-2012, 07:33 AM

Please adopt me.

**BigFoot** · 01-02-2012, 07:40 AM

That is so cool Mark. So is your collection. The land down under must have a better supply for sale than we do.

**Mark1966** · 01-02-2012, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by LiveOak

Beautiful set! I love that we are all thinking about leaving these things behind for our children. So many of us would love to have a razor from our father or grandfather but do not.

It is part of the history side of things that I like so much about this hobby (see here for example). We have 'memory boxes' for each of our kids. Ordinary stuff that we asked friends and family to collect the day they were born (bus tickets, newspapers etc) through to mementos of significant moments. Another REALLY cool idea I only heard of after our kids were too old to start is an annual photo on the birth date of the child's hand in each of the parents' hands. Over time obviously each changes but you build up a set that shows the growth and ageing of both!

Originally Posted by LiveOak

I have a set substantially like yours. The razor itself is pristine, but the adjustments don't seem to work properly. It clicks nice and everything, but I can't perceive movement in the adjuster plates, so it is a nice looker.

I find you can tell best if it is working with a blade in - maybe you could get it fixed?

Originally Posted by HDStreetGlide

That is so cool Mark. So is your collection. The land down under must have a better supply for sale than we do.

LOL! If only. For pretty much every item you see add $US13.95 postage (or similar from the UK). Do the maths - it is scary!

**Sledgehammer39** · 01-02-2012, 05:57 PM

Sweet Looking Razor!!

**Bearsfan** · 01-02-2012, 11:29 PM

I have been setting up my kids with kits for the past couple months. Each one of them has a 1912 SE in excellent to mint condition, a '40's style SS in excellent condition, a vintage straight and a vintage restored brush.

We are working on restoring the straights and brushes starting this week. I have picked up a nice Ever Ready brush handle from the antique store and several straights. Were looking at scale patterns and materials to use to make them now. I picked up a coping saw and some sandpaper yesterday. The kids will not only have a nice kit coming to them, they helped restore them to shave ready condition themselves.

We still have time. One of my boys is ten and the other is five. The older one is having fun in the process of restoring things, the younger one just likes to use the stuff. He asks for the "barber treatment" when I cut his hair. This week we used his own 40's SS to clean up his neck and sideburns. We just loves the lather. I let him pick out his own soap/cream and AS if he wants to put a little on. (just for fun)

**Mark1966** · 01-03-2012, 03:23 AM

Originally Posted by Bearsfan

I have been setting up my kids with kits for the past couple months. Each one of them has a 1912 SE in excellent to mint condition, a '40's style SS in excellent condition, a vintage straight and a vintage restored brush.

We are working on restoring the straights and brushes starting this week. I have picked up a nice Ever Ready brush handle from the antique store and several straights. Were looking at scale patterns and materials to use to make them now. I picked up a coping saw and some sandpaper yesterday. The kids will not only have a nice kit coming to them, they helped restore them to shave ready condition themselves.

We still have time. One of my boys is ten and the other is five. The older one is having fun in the process of restoring things, the younger one just likes to use the stuff. He asks for the "barber treatment" when I cut his hair. This week we used his own 40's SS to clean up his neck and sideburns. We just loves the lather. I let him pick out his own soap/cream and AS if he wants to put a little on. (just for fun)

Very, very cool! Some special memories being created there!

**ERVARGASNY** · 01-03-2012, 11:13 AM

Nice Mark, Your a Great Dad, Just like your Dad ;o)

**Chester** · 01-04-2012, 11:52 AM

Well, that's a really nice brush and razor set. An excellent choice if items, and a lovely sentiment. Those blades are pretty darn good, though. You may want to keep your eyes peeled for a couple dispensers of spoilers, if only to provide him a way to sample the Super Stainless blades without sampling the specific ones that come with the set.
Nice work,
-- Chet

**Mark1966** · 01-04-2012, 01:29 PM

Thanks guys!

**nosedog** · 01-07-2012, 04:00 AM

I like the bit about the hammer, too. When my dad passed away he didn't leave an awful lot of material goods but I was keen to keep his toolboxes, notably containing a very old hammer that is well scuffed with use but works as well as the day it was purchased. I used it on whatever projects we did around the house and now it's mine to keep. When I took it to a friend's house for a job I was helping him with we had to laugh as we compared it to the cheapie he had just bought from Bunnings. Man, his hammer was blushing!

So how did you come to possess this gorgeous razor?

**Mark1966** · 01-07-2012, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by nosedog

I like the bit about the hammer, too. When my dad passed away he didn't leave an awful lot of material goods but I was keen to keep his toolboxes, notably containing a very old hammer that is well scuffed with use but works as well as the day it was purchased. I used it on whatever projects we did around the house and now it's mine to keep. When I took it to a friend's house for a job I was helping him with we had to laugh as we compared it to the cheapie he had just bought from Bunnings. Man, his hammer was blushing!

Hey, that is way cool. I think that there is something very special about something you work with your hands with, it doesn't have to be 'special' just the ordinary is fine - it is the connection that is important.

So how did you come to possess this gorgeous razor?

A LOT of time on eBay hunting for over a year. I got a L 3 pretty quickly but hanging out for the L 1 took a lot longer.