Lucky score on the bay

[thekinge]

This British Gillette 58 coronation set was sitting pretty in ebay UK for 1 full day with a nice BIN price of 60 GBP / 96 USD before I hit the "BIN" button faster than the words "WOW" can come out of my mouth:

Exterior of the case, in decent condition:


Interior of the case, with some water / rust spots on the fabric liner but otherwise in good condition. The razor itself is in very good condition:

View attachment 292822

Razor head, in very good condition:




I have seen just the 58 razor go for 70 - 90 USD in BST so I hope this is a good score for a 58 coronation set, even though the interiors of the case is less than pristine!

I now have the 66 coronation set and the 58 coronation set. Hopefully soon I will also have the 45 coronation set so that my coronation trio will be complete

 

[mr-razor]

congratulations! I´m missing the #58 coronation set in my collection. Is the handle aluminum made?

 

[thekinge]

congratulations! I´m missing the #58 in my collection. Is the handle aluminum made?

Thank you Achim! From the seller's description, it appears to be aluminum but I will weigh it on my kitchen scale after I receive the razor to confirm if it is aluminum. As a side note, my #66 coronation razor is with aluminum handle.

 

[rxonmymind]

Yes it is. I just bought one from a member though it doesn't have that crown on it. It's made of aluminum too. Congrats! I'm looking to finish my trio...hmm....

 

[thekinge]

Yes it is. I just bought one from a member though it doesn't have that crown on it. It's made of aluminum too. Congrats! I'm looking to finish my trio...hmm....

Thanks! Question: If the crown is not printed on the case, is it still considered a coronation set?

 

[rxonmymind]

Good question. I'd say no and would call one without the seal an Aristocrat #58. Why they made both variants is a mystery.

 

[mr-razor]

Thank you Achim! From the seller's description, it appears to be aluminum but I will weigh it on my kitchen scale after I receive the razor to confirm if it is aluminum. As a side note, my #66 coronation razor is with aluminum handle.

Thanks. That´s what I thought: all Coronation razors are aluminum made. The #45 coronation Tech is aluminum made too - the "normal" #45 Tech is nickelplated. I believe my #66 Coronation is a mismatch.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Nice catch and good eye.

 

[thekinge]

Good question. I'd say no and would call one without the seal an Aristocrat #58. Why they made both variants is a mystery.

I think the ones with the crown were made as "coronation exclusive" and probably a limited edition run and the ones without may have been produced in larger numbers. Similar to the "anniversary limited edition" cars that we see from high end manufacturers every once in a while. This is just my theory - Achim, Porter and other experts here can throw more insight into it!

Thanks. That´s what I thought: all Coronation razors are aluminum made. The #45 coronation Tech is aluminum made too - the "normal" #45 Tech is nickelplated. I believe my #66 Coronation is a mismatch.

You're welcome Achim. That's an interesting observation. I think there was an earlier discussion about aluminum and solid brass #66 razors and the consensus seemed to be that the #66 coronation razor may have been made in both metals. However, it seems that most of the #66 coronation razors owned by B&B'ers seems to be aluminum handled

Nice catch and good eye.

Thank you Vargas. It was a matter of luck that a set such as this at this price stayed on for one day without being snapped up!

 

[IronHammer]

Nice snag, Kinge. I like it!

Does anybody know what the term "Coronation" means?

Edit: I should say, "What did Gillette mean by the term"?

 

[thekinge]

Nice snag, Kinge. I like it!

Does anybody know what the term "Coronation" means?

Edit: I should say, "What did Gillette mean by the term"?

Thanks Todd! Gillette manufactured three special razor sets to commemorate the coronation ceremony of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the year 1953 and they were known as Coronation sets. These are the Gillette Aristocrat #66 (the most elegant of them all), the Gillette #58 set and the #45 Tech set. These sets were marketed for the high, medium & low end of the razor market respectively and were imprinted with the "Royal Crown" logo on the case to differentiate them from other sets. As far as I know, they were made only for one year, that is 1953. A combination of all these factors make them very rare and very collectible!

 

[alex2363]

Thanks! Question: If the crown is not printed on the case, is it still considered a coronation set?

I think the one without the crown is a Presentation Set.

 

[rxonmymind]

I think the one without the crown is a Presentation Set.

Let me also throw this in there. After polisihng it & handling it I'm of the suspicion that mine is not aluminum. It feels heavy like a Fatboy or just a tad less. Dang it I need a scale as I hate guessing.

 

[thekinge]

Let me also throw this in there. After polisihng it & handling it I'm of the suspicion that mine is not aluminum. It feels heavy like a Fatboy or just a tad less. Dang it I need a scale as I hate guessing.

If your case does not have the crown and if the razor is heavy, then I'm inclined to think that this is the normal British Gillette 58 set and not the coronation set. You do need to weigh the razor on a scale to know its accurate weight and confirm if it is aluminum or not!

 

[Mojo88]

I have an Aluminum # 58 it weighs 34g, and you can tell the difference between a regular 58 just by the feel. Also the base plate is Aluminum and you can easily see it the difference. The doors look like Rhodium but you can tell the rest of the razor is Aluminum. Great razor!!

 

[rxonmymind]

Mine is so dang shiny you need shades! It's REALLY shiny which could lead one to believe it's Rhodium but it's not as it doesn't have that "white" tint to it. It's nickel alright.
Edit: Just ordered a scale. Will revisit this thread & post it's weight when I get the scale.

I have an Aluminum # 58 it weighs 34g, and you can tell the difference between a regular 58 just by the feel. Also the base plate is Aluminum and you can easily see it the difference. The doors look like Rhodium but you can tell the rest of the razor is Aluminum. Great razor!!

 

[rxonmymind]

My NON coronation set weighs in at 68 grams.

 

[MacDaddy]

Thanks Todd! Gillette manufactured three special razor sets to commemorate the coronation ceremony of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the year 1953 and they were known as Coronation sets. These are the Gillette Aristocrat #66 (the most elegant of them all), the Gillette #58 set and the #45 Tech set. These sets were marketed for the high, medium & low end of the razor market respectively and were imprinted with the "Royal Crown" logo on the case to differentiate them from other sets. As far as I know, they were made only for one year, that is 1953. A combination of all these factors make them very rare and very collectible!

Yes, they were a commemorative thing just for the Queen's coronation in '53. It's also worth noting that this switch-over to aluminum parts in this and the Rocket LD was occurring in England at the same time that the Boston plant was having to do the steel and aluminum-handled Black Tips. It seems a reasonable assumption that England was feeling the same Korean War brass shortage that the US was.

 

[thekinge]

My NON coronation set weighs in at 68 grams.

Thank you rxonmymind. I will have the coronation set delivered to me in few days and will post the weight of the 58 coronation razor.

Yes, they were a commemorative thing just for the Queen's coronation in '53. It's also worth noting that this switch-over to aluminum parts in this and the Rocket LD was occurring in England at the same time that the Boston plant was having to do the steel and aluminum-handled Black Tips. It seems a reasonable assumption that England was feeling the same Korean War brass shortage that the US was.

Thanks for the information Porter.

 

[rxonmymind]

Yes, they were a commemorative thing just for the Queen's coronation in '53. It's also worth noting that this switch-over to aluminum parts in this and the Rocket LD was occurring in England at the same time that the Boston plant was having to do the steel and aluminum-handled Black Tips. It seems a reasonable assumption that England was feeling the same Korean War brass shortage that the US was.

So it's safe to say my 53 which is heavier than the coronation set was made at beginning of 53?