Accidentally stripped my razors!

[Hanlon's Razor]

Aaarrggh!
I had a few razors lying around that looked pretty good, but still had a little bit of soap residue and what not. I picked up some Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner to see if it might improve them. Well, I soaked the razors in a pan full of the stuff,rather than spraying it on (if some is good, more is better, right?) I also heated the pan a little, though not to boiling.

Two hours later I pulled out the razors and was shocked to see the pretty pink-brass look on all of them. Two flare-tip Superspeeds, an older Superspeed (it was pretty nice, before...) and a short handle black Adjustable. All mostly or completely stripped of plating. I'm seriously bummed about this!

Looks like I'll be putting them in the Shaving Mall as cheap intro razors for Newbies!
I'll try and post some pics later. Right now I need a beer.

 

[Hanlon's Razor]

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The Merkur was included in the photo to show what the nickel plate should look like!

 

[michiganlover]

Well hey, it's not a total loss, as it looks like some newbies will benefit from your misfortune.

You might consider packing the razors as complete newbie kits with brush/soap/cream/blades, as a sort of one stop shopping for newbies.

I have put together at least 6 such kits since starting here at B and B.

I usually include a Burma Shave brush, a puck of VDH Deluxe, a puck of Williams, and a decent size sample of shaving cream. I have also been including Wal-Mart Personna's, and a pack of Derby's as well.

 

[Oldguy]

I hope that any one reading this will not try using it to strip plating by heating it. This stuff, like most cleaning solvents, is toxic. It should not be heated. There are warnings against using it near heat on the cans.

Len

 

[mmack66]

I hope that any one reading this will not try using it to strip plating by heating it. This stuff, like most cleaning solvents, is toxic. It should not be heated. There are warnings against using it near heat on the cans.

Len

That's there to warn about the possibility of the can exploding from being overheated. OP, did you try to polish any of those razors to see what that does?

 

[Oldguy]

I can't believe you guys would risk your health to clean a razor. Call the manufacturer and see what they say about heating the liquid out of the can.

Enough said.

 

[Hanlon's Razor]

I hope that any one reading this will not try using it to strip plating by heating it. This stuff, like most cleaning solvents, is toxic. It should not be heated. There are warnings against using it near heat on the cans.

Len

The Scrubbing Bubbles came in a spray bottle, and there are no warnings regarding heating the product. It certainly didn't smell toxic. Hell, I'd think it would be a great way to strip plating!
There is, however, some fine print mentioning that it's "not recommended for use on brass" Go figure.

 

[mmack66]

I can't believe you guys would risk your health to clean a razor. Call the manufacturer and see what they say about heating the liquid out of the can.

Enough said.

Well, I use Scrubbing Bubbles to clean my razors, but I don't let them sit in a Scrubbing Bubbles bath, and I would never introduce heat into the process. I foam up a razor, let it sit for a bit, then scrub with a toothbrush. Then I rinse it and see if it might need another go with Scrubbing Bubbles and the brush.

 

[tgarza]

bummer dude.

 

[AsylumGuido]

Well, I use Scrubbing Bubbles to clean my razors, but I don't let them sit in a Scrubbing Bubbles bath, and I would never introduce heat into the process. I foam up a razor, let it sit for a bit, then scrub with a toothbrush. Then I rinse it and see if it might need another go with Scrubbing Bubbles and the brush.

Agree. Anything longer than ten minutes in Scrubbing Bubbles is overkill. Heating is totally unnecessary.

 

[koso]

As was mentioned, if you want to take the trouble this will polish off.

Barkeeper's Friend paste with a toothbrush, then after rinsing and drying some Silvo, has worked for me.

On the good side, the 40's SS I had with large areas of plating gone (looked like acid had spilled on it or something, never have seen another razor like it) now has bright coppery patches where that nasty brass was showing through.

SWMBO has adopted it as a leg-shaving razor. A Blue Star is in her near future, methinks.

(My mishap came from soaking in a solution of Bissell brand soap scum remover that has anti-lime scale properties. Like CLR, it attacked some copper that was showing somewhere. I was soaking a few razors at once, never again.)

 

[polod]

I think I'm going to soak my razors in a mixture of Bleach and Ammonia. LOL!!!!

 

[FLTiger]

My condolences on your loss, and my gratitude for sharing so that others may avoid this fate.

 

[Deltaboy]

Boil 5 minutes in water with salt and vinigar.

 

[gaseousclay]

sorry to hear it

 

[luvmysuper]

We keep seeing these posts repeated again and again.
The scrubbing bubbles or the comet liquid bathroom cleaner work great when used properly, but the addition of heat or boiling is just plain over kill.
It is not necessary and is often detrimental to your objective, which is to make the razor look BETTER.
If you have a headache, take one or two aspirin, you will not feel better if you take 37.
The addition of modern chemical cleaners to our arsenal makes it again so important to remember that just because the razor is an antique, doesn't mean we need to use antique methods to clean them, like boiling them.

 

[jakespoppy]

Look at the bright side. These beautiful pink razors might be just what some ladies are looking for!

 

[moonshine44]

The value's pretty much shot, but I think they look kind of cool...

 

[Hanlon's Razor]

The value's pretty much shot, but I think they look kind of cool...

Ya know they've kinda grown on me too. I like the look of the brass.
A B&B member expressed interest in the black handle adjustable, so I'll mail that one off, and I think I'll remove any remaining plating on the other razors then coat them in clear lacquer and see how that turns out. These aren't pricey razors anyway, and who knows? I might be on to something. I'll post my results if they're successful!

 

[Kratos]

Well, I soaked the razors in a pan full of the stuff,rather than spraying it on (if some is good, more is better, right?) I also heated the pan a little, though not to boiling.

That was your first problem. The Scrubbing Bubbles says not to use near heat OR open flame. The first part tells me I shouldn't heat it up. Just how dirty were these things, man? Sorry about the razors, though. But hey, it could have been worse. A reminder to carefully read labels if nothing else. And about moderation.