Gillette Aristocrat Disassembly

[theunnamed]

Here is the photo of the crat disassembled. Sorry it isn't on my notorious "green" cloth...these ones were cruddy so all disassembly photos went to the paper towel background
View attachment 531580

how did you take it apart? Is it the screw inside the knob ?

 

[Captain Murphy]

how did you take it apart? Is it the screw inside the knob ?

Well, this one actually didn't have a retainer screw (I think it was missing) but the rest of the aristocrats I have taken apart have all featured the right handed four slot retainer screw. There are also flared ears on the underside of the T bar which prevent the head from coming out/traveling too far.

 

[theunnamed]

Well, this one actually didn't have a retainer screw (I think it was missing) but the rest of the aristocrats I have taken apart have all featured the right handed four slot retainer screw. There are also flared ears on the underside of the T bar which prevent the head from coming out/traveling too far.

Thank you for the info. So I need to take this screw off firstly. A good weekend project

 

[Captain Murphy]

That's affirmative, Sir. Find you an old 1/4" straight slot screwdriver and modify it so you can remove the screw[emoji106]

 

[theunnamed]

That's affirmative, Sir. Find you an old 1/4" straight slot screwdriver and modify it so you can remove the screw[emoji106]

Do you think this was disassembled before ?

 

[Captain Murphy]

Do you think this was disassembled before ?

View attachment 545437

My guess is no on this one, simply because a lot of Gillette TTO models suffered from a worn out TTO mech. and the knob simply drops. The razor still functions but the knob does not remain stationary during function, as designed. I could be wrong however. It is difficult to tell if the razor head assembly was ever removed as I cannot see if the flared ears have been pressed together. At any rate, these dropped knobs are very easy to repair, given the know how and resources

 

[theunnamed]

The ears were original under the plate, i just took them apart and now looking for the know how resource right now

 

[Captain Murphy]

The ears were original under the plate, i just took them apart and now looking for the know how resource right now

Cool! Do you have a photo of the insides of that razor? Feel free to post as many as you'd like, we love to see em!

I'll get you a link real quick...

 

[theunnamed]

Sure thank you for the link. Here are the parts

 

[Captain Murphy]

Sure thank you for the link. Here are the parts

View attachment 545500

Not too bad! Great job on removing the head assembly I couldn't find the link to how I tighten the TTO knobs on Gillette TTO models (and it's even in my own thread!) so I found an old photo on my phone which shows how I do it.

Here you see a small piece of wrapped copper wire around the groove where the TTO knob goes into the razor. I just use a piece of wire that fits into this groove. You can actually use a piece of bare copper wire when doing this but you have to be careful so as to not mar anything. I just use the coated wire as a barrier between the wire and the plating

After you have loosely bent the wire around the groove, carefully place the razor into your vise (the vise in the picture is not the one I use, mine has teflon pads for this fix) and carefully tighten it down until the jaws clamp on the wire only. Make sure you watch the jaws to make sure they aren't going to touch the handle of the razor (also make sure you aren't going to crush anything

Once the jaws are snug, take your left hand and grab the head of the razor and while applying moderate tightening pressure with the vise handle, spin the razor. Think of it like you are tightening every position on a clock so tighten at one o clock, back off with the vise, turn the razor to two o clock and tighten and so on. I hope this makes sense...I need to make a video huh guys!?

Let us know how it works out and there is always another way to do it, I am not an expert

 

[theunnamed]

Not too bad! Great job on removing the head assembly I couldn't find the link to how I tighten the TTO knobs on Gillette TTO models (and it's even in my own thread!) so I found an old photo on my phone which shows how I do it.

Here you see a small piece of wrapped copper wire around the groove where the TTO knob goes into the razor. I just use a piece of wire that fits into this groove. You can actually use a piece of bare copper wire when doing this but you have to be careful so as to not mar anything. I just use the coated wire as a barrier between the wire and the plating

After you have loosely bent the wire around the groove, carefully place the razor into your vise (the vise in the picture is not the one I use, mine has teflon pads for this fix) and carefully tighten it down until the jaws clamp on the wire only. Make sure you watch the jaws to make sure they aren't going to touch the handle of the razor (also make sure you aren't going to crush anything

Thank you for this valuable information Captain! I need to send you a PM for another matter in detail

 

[imatabor]

Capt, not to step on your thread. If you don't have a vise a hose clamp works:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/317100-Dropped-Knob-syndrome-on-a-Sheraton

 

[Captain Murphy]

Capt, not to step on your thread. If you don't have a vise a hose clamp works:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/317100-Dropped-Knob-syndrome-on-a-Sheraton

John, feel free to step where you'd like this place is a wealth of information, thanks for the link brother!

 

[theunnamed]

A little bit of buffing.

I think its ready for plating..

 

[Captain Murphy]

A little bit of buffing.

I think its ready for plating..

View attachment 545759
View attachment 545760

Looking good! If it will bother you, take a green scotch brite pad or a stainless steel brush and clean that door rod well before plating

 

[theunnamed]

Looking good! If it will bother you, take a green scotch brite pad or a stainless steel brush and clean that door rod well before plating

Well noted!

 

[MacDaddy]

I believe it's a '46-'47 model without end caps. They applied gold plating over a nickel layer, for extra durability. Earlier models of this razor don't have that nickel layer that's why I say it's a '46-'47 Aristocrat.

Yours says PAT NOS ON PACKAGE, and so does the '41 Aristocrat, but those don't have the nickel layer under the gold.

I would not be so sure of that, Edgar. Here's a '41 Aristocrat that I got a while back that is decidedly silver-toned in the places, like the knob, where the gold has started to wear through.

 

[nuclearblast]

I would not be so sure of that, Edgar. Here's a '41 Aristocrat that I got a while back that is decidedly silver-toned in the places, like the knob, where the gold has started to wear through.

Oh yeah ... I actually forgot about that '41 example you have.

Obviously as your razor confirms, some pre war razors were indeed plated with gold over nickel. So it could be a '41, and since it doesn't have end caps, probably that's what it is.

 

[theunnamed]

Well.. It has some flaws but I can say that it is 95% successful

 

[Captain Murphy]

Well.. It has some flaws but I can say that it is 95% successful

View attachment 546858

Marked improvement, Sir! Well done[emoji106]