Help me tame a wild Aristoctrat

Hi all.

I inherited my grandfather's 1947 gold US Aristocrat, and its a lovely razor, and I am stoked by the idea of using the old guy's razor...

BUT.... it is SOOO agressive. I shaved with it for the first three weeks of DE shaving, with a feather and my face was red and sore - I thought I was reacting to soaps or the Nivea Balm I use.

I decided to switch to a Derby blade in my other razor - a Superspeed. BINGO! no irritation.

i went back to the Aristocrat this AM with a Dorco blade and it was SO rough! I switched back to the SS halfway through. With the feather the razor was smoother, but my face paid the price....

I think where I am going with this thread is I would like suggestions for blade combinations with the Aristocrat to tame it down. Can anyone help?

I read a thread last week that discussed the geometry being a bit 'off' with the pre-1950 Aristicrats. Maybe this razor will end up being a keepsake, or will sit on the shelf until my technique is better....

Barry

You're going through the same thing many of us have. Keep at it, and you should get some great shaves with your Aristocrat. I have one of them, and usually use a Derby. You could be using a bit too much pressure, or trying to do too much at once, as one does when using a cartridge razor.

Norm

From your descriptions aboive it sound like you got a good shave from Derby plus "other razor".

It doesn't sound like you tried the Derby in the Aristocrat. That might be your next option.

And as Norm says, just take your time, watch pressure and blade angle and all this will sort itself out.

If not, it sounds like you do have some combinations that are already working for you and that's not a bad place to be!

Try a Derby in the Aristocrat or try a Gillette Swedish blade.

I have a '47 Aristocrat and get great shaves from it with the Gillette Swedish blades. It is a very heavy razor, so be sure you are applying absolutely no pressure.

I can't use a Feather in my Aristocrat either, but get great shaves with Derby and Israeli blades. Save the feathers for Adjustable and Tech razors.

I use Crystal blades with my Aristocrat after trying several blades. I think it's my best combination, no irritation or burn.

thnaks gentlemen

Make sure the razor is not damaged with bent safety bars. The pre-47 razors do seem more agressive than the later models, but not painfully so.

When i was using a DE my best shaves with an Aristocrat had to be when I was using my Wilkinsons they are my go to DE blade . I always had great shaves when I would combine the 2 .

Of course YMMV and all that crap but that is what I found to be best match with my Aristocrat . Keep trying different combinations of blades until you find the sweet spot .





Nick

Barry,

Congrats on the razor!

I use a late forties Aristocrat, after '47, though.

I generally use Crystal (IP) blades in my razor. Since you like Derbys in your SuperSpeed, why not try them in your Aristocrat? You may have to try several different blades in this razor to find the one that works best for you.

The Aristocrat is a both bit more aggressive and heavier than a SuperSpeed. I would suggest paying particular attention to the blade angle and using no pressure, letting the razor's weight do the work.

Having hacked up my face with unfortunate combinations myself, I would also suggest you take it easy for a while and not attempt BBS for a few days to give your face time to recover.

safety bars? are those the grooved , notched things under the bat wings?

I'll look at them tonight - grandpa had the old case etc and it was in good shape when i got it...but I'll dust off my micrometer and take a look....

Barry

bman40 said:

safety bars? are those the grooved , notched things under the bat wings?

I'll look at them tonight - grandpa had the old case etc and it was in good shape when i got it...but I'll dust off my micrometer and take a look....

Barry

Click to expand...

Yes the ribbed bars below where the blade would rest. Take a straight edge and see if everything lines up, a very tiny bend in the safety bar can draw a whole lot of blood. Generally they are bent down slightly in each corner from being dropped.

UPDATE

The safety bars are straight...

Slipped in a Derby today...was much more careful and...

THIS BABY IS TAMED!!!

thanks for the tips dudes.

Barry

bman40 said:

UPDATE

The safety bars are straight...

Slipped in a Derby today...was much more careful and...

THIS BABY IS TAMED!!!

thanks for the tips dudes.

Barry

Click to expand...

Congratulations!

Dorco's tend to be the first blade I try in a new razor. Derby's are the second. Both are mild and are very useful and taming a new razor.

I just got done taming a slim adjustable. If I set that thing on 9, it gives the Vision a run for its money. Good times!!