During a visit to a local antique market, I acquired a DE which I believed to be a Gillette Rocket made in England. However, while shipping another Gillette Rocket to a forum member recently, I noticed there were subtle differences between the Rocket I was shipping and my presumed Rocket. These I simply wrote off as an evolutionary process of the razor's design; however, while browsing the forums last night, I was surprised to discover that my razor is instead a Gillette Aristocrat Junior. (See pics below.)
Here are the differences I have noticed between these two DE's:
1. The Rocket utilizes the standard concalve base-plate in it's head design (like the SuperSpeed's). The Aritocrat Junior has a flat base-plate.
2. The Aristocrat Junior weighs about 10 grams more than the Rocket -- giving it a good heft.
3. The handle designs are almost identical; however, the Rocket has a flat end-cap on the TTO knob, while the Aristocrat Junior has a slightly rounded end-cap. The handle of the Aristocrat Junior also has a more substantial feeling to it (which probably accounts for the added weight of the razor).
4. The TTO function on the Aristocrat Junior is smooth as silk -- no bumping or rattling -- almost silent. (Difficult to describe, but you'd never forget the feeling if you tried it.) I have found the TTO function on the Rocket to be a little more "loose".
5. The Aristocrat Junior has a more aggressive shave than any Rocket / Superspeed I've used.
Despite these differences, it is easy to mistake the Aristocrat Junior for a Rocket -- especially if you're only looking at the tell-tale "gap" just before the TTO knob. When in doubt, look at the base-plate in the head. If it's flat -- it's not a Rocket.
So... ... ... Does anyone know which years the Aristocrat Junior was in production???
From the notched centre bar, I'm assuming this one was produced in 1948 or later.
Cheers,
- Ken -
Looks like a Rocket from this angle...
Here you can see the flat base-plate in the head and the slightly rounded end-cap on the TTO knob...
Closer view of base-plate...
Inside: Single-piece centre bar (like the Rocket), but shows the flat base-plate design...
.
.
Here are the differences I have noticed between these two DE's:
1. The Rocket utilizes the standard concalve base-plate in it's head design (like the SuperSpeed's). The Aritocrat Junior has a flat base-plate.
2. The Aristocrat Junior weighs about 10 grams more than the Rocket -- giving it a good heft.
3. The handle designs are almost identical; however, the Rocket has a flat end-cap on the TTO knob, while the Aristocrat Junior has a slightly rounded end-cap. The handle of the Aristocrat Junior also has a more substantial feeling to it (which probably accounts for the added weight of the razor).
4. The TTO function on the Aristocrat Junior is smooth as silk -- no bumping or rattling -- almost silent. (Difficult to describe, but you'd never forget the feeling if you tried it.) I have found the TTO function on the Rocket to be a little more "loose".
5. The Aristocrat Junior has a more aggressive shave than any Rocket / Superspeed I've used.
Despite these differences, it is easy to mistake the Aristocrat Junior for a Rocket -- especially if you're only looking at the tell-tale "gap" just before the TTO knob. When in doubt, look at the base-plate in the head. If it's flat -- it's not a Rocket.
So... ... ... Does anyone know which years the Aristocrat Junior was in production???
From the notched centre bar, I'm assuming this one was produced in 1948 or later.Cheers,
- Ken -
Looks like a Rocket from this angle...
Here you can see the flat base-plate in the head and the slightly rounded end-cap on the TTO knob...
Closer view of base-plate...
Inside: Single-piece centre bar (like the Rocket), but shows the flat base-plate design...
.
.
