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Keeping a Brass Razor Shiny

I have a brass Karve Christopher Bradley razor, and I think it's great. I have the G safety bar plate, and I always get comfortable, irritation free BBS shaves. The only problem is that I don't like patina, water spots, etc.; I like to keep it shiny. So periodically I clean it with Bar Keeper's Friend and then polish it with Flitz. It doesn't take all that long, but it gets tiresome after a while. Is there an easier way to keep it shiny? Or should I just send it out and have it plated? (I've just donated my only gold razor to the Saint Sue Auction, so I could gold plate the Karve. It's nice to have one gold razor for variety.)
 
Steve,

I think you are treating it the best way without being too abrasive. I have used lemon juice to clean a brass NEW which worked pretty well, but it was a gamble to be honest.

Elbow grease is the best way next to replating I am afraid. Elbow grease alone is not enough. My Flatboy is shiny but shiny patina.

Guido
 
I just got my hands on an Overlander and the first thing I did was sending it for a replate. For me, bare brass razors feel kinda odd.
 
Look for a product called Nevr-Dull. It looks like a bunch of cotton wadding in a can. The cotton has been soaked in some mild solvent with a gentle abrasive. You pull off a piece and run it over your brass a few times. Tarnish, dirt and spots come off. They have used a similar product in the Navy to clean brass fittings on ships for many years.
 
Look for a product called Nevr-Dull. It looks like a bunch of cotton wadding in a can. The cotton has been soaked in some mild solvent with a gentle abrasive. You pull off a piece and run it over your brass a few times. Tarnish, dirt and spots come off. They have used a similar product in the Navy to clean brass fittings on ships for many years.
I used Nevr-Dull many years ago. Unless it has changed, it has a strong, unpleasant naptha smell. The Bar Keeper's Friend works very well without that problem. It removes any stains any discoloration within a few minutes, but it then needs to be shined up using a polish like Flitz.
 
Look for a product called Nevr-Dull. It looks like a bunch of cotton wadding in a can. The cotton has been soaked in some mild solvent with a gentle abrasive. You pull off a piece and run it over your brass a few times. Tarnish, dirt and spots come off. They have used a similar product in the Navy to clean brass fittings on ships for many years.
This. It's easy to use and works fast.
 
So periodically I clean it with Bar Keeper's Friend and then polish it with Flitz. It doesn't take all that long, but it gets tiresome after a while. Is there an easier way to keep it shiny? Or should I just send it out and have it plated?
I think Flitz and Bar Keeper's Friend is the way to go and you do say it does not take long bringing the brass finish up to a shine. You could also try Autosol which is a metal polish but also leaves a wax finish which may extend the period between treatments.
Gold plating may not last all that long on a razor in daily use and could be even shorter if you have to deal with hard water. Not sure what the water quality is like in your area but it is another consideration.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Ok, you all caught my interest - I have a Karve OC that has "patina" that is getting too much for me .. how do/does the BKF & Flitz or Nevr-Dull work on the teeth of an Open Comb?
 
Keeping brass shiny is too much trouble for me. I recently had an Old Type that was down to brass. Looked cool when clean and shiny. After about a week of that, I sent it to Back Roads Gold and had it gold plated. Much better.
 
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garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Ok I hate gold razors, and replating a Karve in a decent material like nickel or rhodium seems to be like perfuming a pig ..
 
Thanks for the interesting topic.

I polish my matte-finished brass razors with what we call kitchen cleanser (a little coarse liquid compound) in Japan and a used toothbrush, just lightly on the outside to remove rust.

And now that I have a new polished brush razor, I was thinking about how to take care of it when it arrives.
Can't I just use a jewelry or silver polish cloth?

Images are for reference only.

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Ok, you all caught my interest - I have a Karve OC that has "patina" that is getting too much for me .. how do/does the BKF & Flitz or Nevr-Dull work on the teeth of an Open Comb?
I have the powder BKF, so I sprinkle a bit on a paper towel and then pick some up on a wet toothbrush. That allows me to spread it into every crevice. Then I let it sit for a minute or so before brushing off any remaining marks or spots. After that I rinse it and polish with Flitz. There is a liquid BKF which might be easier to get into the gaps between the OC teeth.
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I used Nevr-Dull many years ago. Unless it has changed, it has a strong, unpleasant naptha smell. The Bar Keeper's Friend works very well without that problem. It removes any stains any discoloration within a few minutes, but it then needs to be shined up using a polish like Flitz.
The smell is not all that strong. The big advantage is this works very quickly. You can just work at the stove top under the range hood if the fumes bother you. You don't need much follow up except buffing with a soft cloth.

Ok, you all caught my interest - I have a Karve OC that has "patina" that is getting too much for me .. how do/does the BKF & Flitz or Nevr-Dull work on the teeth of an Open Comb?
You basically squeeze a wad of the Nevr-Dull with your fingers as you slide the part through. Imagine a big cotton ball. It works fine.

BTW, there is an Eagle One version of Nevr-Dull sold in some auto parts stores or online that is slightly cheaper but pretty much the same product. It can be used it to clean and polish chrome.
 
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I have the powder BKF, so I sprinkle a bit on a paper towel and then pick some up on a wet toothbrush. That allows me to spread it into every crevice. Then I let it sit for a minute or so before brushing off any remaining marks or spots. After that I rinse it and polish with Flitz. There is a liquid BKF which might be easier to get into the gaps between the OC teeth.View attachment 1528589View attachment 1528591
This finish is better than a Karve straight out of the box. So this is with Barkeepers Friend and Flitz you say? Maybe I can use the river site to bring that to the Netherlands.

And we have a very old brand of copper and brass polish here called Brasso - haven’t tried that. I believe it works in a similar fashion to Nevr Dull.

Guido
 
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This finish is better than a Karve straight out of the box. So this is with Barkeepers Friend and Flitz you say? Maybe I can use the river site to bring that to the Netherlands.

And we have a very old brand of copper and brass polish here called Brasso - haven’t tried that. I believe it works in a similar fashion to Nevr Dull.

Guido
I had a bottle of Brasso for years which I used on occasion to polish the brass bolsters of a couple of Buck folding knives. Don't see why it wouldn't work for brass razors as well.
 
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EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
As with every aspect of shaving, a real example of YMMV. I have never understood the desire to maintain a razor, brass or not, in a shiny condition, in fact I find it distinctly unattractive. A razor should be clean of course but it is the patina due to years of use which creates the character and interest of a razor, and to which you can add by using it. There is a tendency among many to acquire a lovely vintage razor, then polish it to hell and back before sending it out for a replate simply because someone used it 40 years ago; to me it ruins it. I suppose it is slightly different for new razors, but if I owned any new razors then I would let them develop a patina naturally. Different strokes for different folks I suppose 👍
 
This finish is better than a Karve straight out of the box. So this is with Barkeepers Friend and Flitz you say? Maybe I can use the river site to bring that to the Netherlands.

And we have a very old brand of copper and brass polish here called Brasso - haven’t tried that. I believe it works in a similar fashion to Nevr Dull.

Guido
Here's what I use:
cleaners.jpg


The only two things that I don't like is that it takes a bit of time (OK, it's only 5-10 minutes), and the Flitz will leave black marks on your fingers (OK, it washes off pretty easily). I'm going to try the liquid Bar Keepers Friend to see if that is more convenient, but there's really nothing wrong with the powder. Bar Keepers Friend contains oxalic acid, and I think that's what cleans the brass so effectively. Flitz adds the shine.
 
As with every aspect of shaving, a real example of YMMV. I have never understood the desire to maintain a razor, brass or not, in a shiny condition, in fact I find it distinctly unattractive. A razor should be clean of course but it is the patina due to years of use which creates the character and interest of a razor, and to which you can add by using it. There is a tendency among many to acquire a lovely vintage razor, then polish it to hell and back before sending it out for a replate simply because someone used it 40 years ago; to me it ruins it. I suppose it is slightly different for new razors, but if I owned any new razors then I would let them develop a patina naturally. Different strokes for different folks I suppose 👍
Just as you have never understood "the desire to maintain a razor ... in a shiny condition" I have never understood the desire to own something that looks old and worn. If I want to see something that looks authentically old, I simply look in the mirror. As you said, "with every aspect of shaving (there is an) example of YMMV."
 
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