The British fascination with aluminium.

[MTgrayling]

Does anyone have an explanation for the multitudes of aluminum razors that Gillette made in England? We have a few here in the states, mostly Tech's, but the British took the concept to a whole new level. Why aluminum and why so many models? In addition if anyone has any information about the 2pc. NEW I'd appreciate it.

Here are a few non Tech aluminum razors I've come across.

3pc. NEW with an aluminum handle, 2pc. NEW with aluminum handle and comb, aluminum Rocket known as a Paperclip, aluminum handled Blue Tip.

[SepticTank]

<Suit of pedantry on>

It's aluminium here

[AsylumGuido]

My guess it would have something to do with the post WWI shortage of steel and copper/brass in England. Aluminum was much more readily available if I remember right. The U.S. as a more industrialized country at this point wasn't as hampered by shortages.

Once again, just a guess.

[SepticTank]

My guess it would have something to do with the post WWI shortage of steel and copper/brass in England. Aluminum was much more readily available if I remember right. The U.S. as a more industrialized country at this point wasn't as hampered by shortages.

Once again, just a guess.

You're probably on the money with the shortage (at least for civilian purposes) there was still a huge ammunition programme and shipbuilding programme as a result of WWI - those would suck in the brass and steel respectively.

As for industrialisation - I suspect the UK would be more industrialised per capita than the US at the time - just that the industrial capacity would be geared much more towards defence & armaments.

[spinyeel]

There was also a massive surplus of aluminium from aircraft manufacturers after WW2. That's the reason Leyland decided to use it for constructing the body panels on the Land Rover.

[cooncatbob]

While brass is easy to machine, it needs to be plated.
Aluminum turns like butter, doesn't rust or need to be plated.

[Aevum]

actually, it rusts, very quickly, and its self plating,

theres a concept in chimestry called "packing", its the science of how atoms are arrange togather in a material, apparently aluminium and aluminium rust stick togather quite well, the aluminium rust sticks to the aluminium metal and provides a protective barrier,

also, the main source of aluminium ore is australia, which was a british colony and a close ally of the UK, meaning that aluminium was probobly cheaper to obtain then steel for some applications,

[NorthALABeeKeep]

actually, it rusts, very quickly, and its self plating,

theres a concept in chimestry called "packing", its the science of how atoms are arrange togather in a material, apparently aluminium and aluminium rust stick togather quite well, the aluminium rust sticks to the aluminium metal and provides a protective barrier,

also, the main source of aluminium ore is australia, which was a british colony and a close ally of the UK, meaning that aluminium was probobly cheaper to obtain then steel for some applications,

The aluminium oxidizes when in contact with oxygen and this appears as a slightly lighter dust film on the metal versus steel where this oxidization causes what we normally call rust and this looks like a darker organge/red mixture of colors, depending on what type of iron/steel it is. Both are the result of oxidization of the metal.

[gunner6477]

Because saying "Aluminium" sounds cooler than just "Aluminum."