Bought a Red Tip Off Ebay.

[Ender78]

Hi all,
I just got the Red Tip in the mail. Seesh the thing was dirty. It looked like someone used it and put it way with the soap or cream still on it after each time. Then it must have sat in an attic, basment, or garage for a long time from the rust that ate some of the chrome finish. At first it was sorta difficult to turn the knob to get the razor bay to open but I soaked the razor in hot water (Not boiling) then I attacked it with a old tooth brush cleaning the moving parts as best as I could. After all that the knob turned a lot easier and the bay doors moved better. I am not going to use it yet til I get some Hydrocide to clean the germs off of it. I was shocked to see that someone would not keep something essential to facial hygiene clean. I wondered if the dolt using it ever had blood poisoning problems. My first razor was a Gillette Flare tip I bought of a B&B member. I keep it clean because I do not want to take the chance that I will accidentally put microbes or gunk into my bloodstream. From other posts I've read it is common for people to receive their razors from sellers on Ebay in similar fashions. YIKES... I will still try out some vintage razors but now that I know what kind of condition I can get them, I will be ready for the horror I will see.

 

[Mick]

 

[CGW409]

View attachment 361304

+1 to this
We demand razor porn!!

Ender
Consider this though.
I have both my Grandfather's as well as my Great Grandfather's razors and up to the advent of the cheapo plastic carts items such as razors were held onto as mementos of a passed loved one.
In my case Grandpa switched to an electric sometime in the early 70's so his black handle Super Speed was given a simple cleaning and placed in his personal effects just in case it was needed again(lived through the depression so you never threw anything away) Great Grandfather passed 3 years before my birth but given the condition of his Big Fellow my guess is his passing was either sudden or events required an unplanned hospital stay from which he never came home as his razor was thick with cream/soap residue, stubble and the gooey remnants of what was once a Gillette Blue Blade.
What you're seeing there is most likely someone being left grandpa's old razor and thinking maybe this groady ol razor is worth some bucks or one of those antique dealers that think that the vintage soap/cream residue along with that rusty old blade are intrinsic to the razors value.

 

[Ender78]

Sadly, I forgot about taking pictures after I unwrapped it. But you can see the gunkiness sorta from the Ebay Pictures that are above. The horsehair brush was included.. Will give it a try tmw but with my flare tip instead.

 

[Ender78]

This is what it looked like after I cleaned it. I turned down the exposure setting on my phone so you can see the gunkiness that is still there even after being soaked in hot water and brushed with an old toothbrush. I think the flash and the over exposure in the Ebay Pictures made the razor look cleaner than it was. It was 10x worse when I first unwrapped it. Looks like a job for metalwax and hydroxcide. BTW it is a Vtg Gillette Red Tip Double Edge Safety Razor 1957 C2.

 

[CGW409]

That one is certainly user grade but I've also seen worse.
BTW it still looks to have a considerable load of gunk in the nooks and crannies so I'd advise a few more dish soap and near boiling water soaks as well as a few sessions with Scrubbing Bubbles(does wonders on the 50+ year old cream residue and the green gunk) and the toothbrush.

 

[Maxime D.]

In comparison of what I've seen, this one is a beauty. A bit of cleaning and metal polish and it will be FABULOUS

 

[Woodekb]

I kinda got the impression soap gunk kinda protects the finish of some of these "user" condition razors. Most polish up pretty good. Rust on the other hand..........

 

[JazzyJ]

I kinda got the impression soap gunk kinda protects the finish of some of these "user" condition razors. Most polish up pretty good. Rust on the other hand..........

Actually, most rust you see on razors is surface rust from a blade being left in, and it usually cleans right off.

 

[chuckman]

+1

Scrubbing bubbles and Maas polish will do wonders......I would work on it some more.

The boar brush is made by Marvy and sells at Sally Beauty Suppy and barber shops for a couple of dollars. I did use one as a travel brush for a while. Just couldn't throw it away.
Walgreens and CVS stores sell a better starter brush for under $10. Just FYI.....

Good luck

 

[Ender78]

I just got the Metaxwax and Hyrdocide in the mail so tmw around 3 I will clean and polish it. I will take pictures as I do this of course! If I wanted to repaint the red onto the tip how should I go about doing that?