Any ideas on a dual tone Aristocrat?

[johnmrson]

I just picked this up on eBay

It's got a gold head and nickel handle. I've never seen one. I assume it's something that someone has made up. I really don't have much idea but it looked unique so I thought I'd have a go at it.

 

[amishmotorboat]

I recall some Milords with this issue. Perhaps from around the same year?

 

[Radar O\'Reilly]

There was a run on gold that year?

 

[hypo_style]

Is it the case that gold-plated Gillettes sometimes had a Nickel under-plating?
I know this seems to be the case with gold-plated Merkurs of roughly the same vintage (Chrome under-plating instead of Nickel).
At least, that's what I assumed when I first saw this auction last night.
Let us know when you get it! Maybe there'll still be some spots of gold plating on the handle?

 

[Radar O\'Reilly]

I just picked this up on eBay...

Didn't you say you weren't going to post "finds" until you had them in hand?

 

[amishmotorboat]

Didn't you say you weren't going to post "finds" until you had them in hand?

Heh. He's got the leverage of it being an eBay transaction with this one, plus the seller knew what he had (at least enough to get people's attention) and got what the market would bear.

 

[siouxsie]

I'm guessing the gold plate just wore off the handle. I think Gillette went with nickel under the gold and over the brass. Otherwise when the gold wore off, your worn gold razors would be brass colored...which some of the older style may have been, but I'm not too knowledgeable on those.

 

[Copierguy]

I'm not sure what was going on in 1941, but I also have an Aristocrat with a two tone handle. At first I thought this was wear but then noted the handle is nickel from band to band exactly. Also with a loop, it can be seen that no gold is down in the knurling.

 

[johnmrson]

Didn't you say you weren't going to post "finds" until you had them in hand?

I figured that it was a genuine eBay transaction so I'd take the chance and I was very intrigued about the razor so I just wanted to ask a qestion about it. I didn't post it as a score but as a query.

I'm not sure what was going on in 1941, but I also have an Aristocrat with a two tone handle. At first I thought this was wear but then noted the handle is nickel from band to band exactly. Also with a loop, it can be seen that no gold is down in the knurling.

Good to see someone else has one. I guess it was a limited edition / release for something.

 

[luvmysuper]

Good to see someone else has one. I guess it was a limited edition / release for something.

His handle barrel is silver, but the TTO knob is gold, whereas your entire handle is silver.

I have to wonder if Gillette did some specialty releases for specific people or events.

That would explain a lot of the "one off's" that we see, like the recent gold TV Special, and these.

 

[onotoman]

Aristocrats of this vintage were indeed gold plated over nickel and on many the gold plating is pretty thin, so has possibly worn through on the handle due to rubbing whilst in use. That would be my guess.