Bought my "grail" razor, not in expected condition. What now?

[albsat]

After some years of thinking about it, finally I could source my "grail" razor. A Wardonia razor that accepts standard blade format. I will not go on explaining this razor, as you can find a lot of posts about it in the forum, but I can say that it is a razor that doesn't have blade support, a large gap and it is a fantastic shaver.

However when I got it from the bay, I find out that the cap has two points of rust. The were very few pictures by the seller and I was carried away and bought it without asking more details about the cap. This tiny spots do not affect how it shaves I guess.

What would you suggest? I hate to keep it like this but I really love the fact that I got one finally. Perplexed.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

If it was described in the text as in mint or perfect condition then I would request a return or partial refund - EBay will always favour you as the buyer. If the text said something along the lines of 'age related marks' or 'wear commensurate with age' then it seems fair although better images would have been nice. It sounds to me like you will never be happy with it so I would return it and get a refund which you can claim for any reason you want, valid or not. Depending on the sale price you may get a refund and be told to keep the razor anyway. That is why selling on EBay is less and less attractive these days.

 

[packtray]

0000 steel wool and patience will also sort that out. I think there are still places that will re-plate the metal for you, as well.

 

[Flintstone65]

The question I would ask myself is: if I had seen those spots prior to purchase, would I have passed on the razor even though it is difficult to come by? If the answer is "yes", then I may go through the trouble of pursuing it further with the seller. That said, I have been in your shoes before, and my default setting tends to be Caveat Emptor.

 

[albsat]

Great tip. Living in Europe I don't know if I can find it here.

0000 steel wool and patience will also sort that out. I think there are still places that will re-plate the metal for you, as well.

 

[albsat]

The question I would ask myself is: if I had seen those spots prior to purchase, would I have passed on the razor even though it is difficult to come by? If the answer is "yes", then I may go through the trouble of pursuing it further with the seller. That said, I have been in your shoes before, and my default setting tends to be Caveat Emptor.

My answer is yes, I asked for a partial price refund to the seller but he is not answering. Is there a next step?

Yes, lesson learned.

 

[airmech]

Great tip. Living in Europe I don't know if I can find it here.

Any hobby or home improvement store should carry it.

Tom

 

[EclipseRedRing]

My answer is yes, I asked for a partial price refund to the seller but he is not answering. Is there a next step?

Yes, lesson learned.

If the seller does not respond then you can start a Returns Procedure from your EBay account. State the reason for the return, provide images, and then the seller has three days to respond. The seller will then either refund your money including postage, or EBay will refund you. If you are asked to return the item you should be provided with a prepaid returns postage label. In some cases the seller does not ask for the item to be returned and simply accepts the loss of the item plus fees and postage etc. With EBay, if you are a buyer then you are in a very strong position which, together with the fees, is why more and more private sellers are turning away from EBay.

 

[brucered]

The sale is over....post the ebay link so we can see what was listed

 

[Bondage007]

Hello,

Congratulations on finding one that takes regular blades. I have a few Wardonias and they are great shavers. If you don't get what you want from seller you could strip/polish down to brass. Some came either plated or brass. Maybe clear coat when done.
Replating would be first choice but if hard to do in UK might want to consider.

Cheers
John

 

[Major Overkill]

After some years of thinking about it, finally I could source my "grail" razor. A Wardonia razor that accepts standard blade format. I will not go on explaining this razor, as you can find a lot of posts about it in the forum, but I can say that it is a razor that doesn't have blade support, a large gap and it is a fantastic shaver.

However when I got it from the bay, I find out that the cap has two points of rust. The were very few pictures by the seller and I was carried away and bought it without asking more details about the cap. This tiny spots do not affect how it shaves I guess.

What would you suggest? I hate to keep it like this but I really love the fact that I got one finally. Perplexed.

I use the cleaning method below, and it has resulted in startlingly good results, even for razors 100+ years old.

1) Disassemble the razor.
2) Boil all parts for ~5 minutes to disinfect. You may see that much of the crap vanishes at this point.
3) Find an old toothbrush or one you don't mind ruining. I use an old head on an electric razor for the best results.
4) Apply toothpaste- yes, toothpaste- to said toothbrush and brush all parts of the razor. It should start to look a lot better at this point. Rinse all parts well when finished.
5) Apply dish detergent to the toothbrush and repeat the scrub. Rinse well.

Only if, at the end of this, the razor still looks grungy, do you take it a step further to use something MUCH more abrasive like steel wool.

YMMVW,
-Z

 

[musicman1951]

If I found my grail razor and it shaved as wonderfully as expected I would seriously consider getting it refinished. I would still try and get some money back, but I would avoid cutting off my nose to spite my face. But keep in mind that I don't know this razor or how difficult it might be to find another.

 

[desrgrl]

As to EBay,
Crappy pics are often the sign of a shaddy dealer, or just an inexperienced/careless one. ALWAYS ask for more pictures, most will send them, and if they don't that is a red flag itself. Many people, especially if they don't specialize in an area, just don't realize how much pictures matter to a collector.

As to getting rid of,
As those who have mentioned, clean it first, then decide if it isn't good enough if you want to replate, then determine whether to keep it.

As to cleaning,
What @azion1995 said. Also, there is a product I use for just about everything... Universal Stone, sounds harsh maybe, but it isn't. Very fine clay in a vegetable oil base. Soft solid. You lather some up (you don't need much) with a sponge. I've used it to take rust off of small metal items, but I've also used it to clean sterling silver. Others can weigh in, but besides very fine steel wool, is there any kind of sandpaper that is so fine that it would work?

Best of luck, give your best shot at cleaning it, and maybe consider the flaws historic war wounds to be accepted.

 

[romsitsa]

For the cap, it's zamak, can't really do anything with it. Keep it dry between shaves, it will last a few decades.
Next step look out for a Wardonia Declic.

 

[albsat]

For the cap, it's zamak, can't really do anything with it. Keep it dry between shaves, it will last a few decades.
Next step look out for a Wardonia Declic.

I saw one only on ebay but it was over 300 euros. Too much.

 

[romsitsa]

I saw one only on ebay but it was over 300 euros. Too much.

Patience

 

[nemo]

2) Boil all parts for ~5 minutes to disinfect. You may see that much of the crap vanishes at this point.

Please don't boil razors or suggest doing so, there's no need and some are damaged by it.

 

[romsitsa]

Please don't boil razors or suggest doing so, there's no need and some are damaged by it.

It's plastic, what could go wrong?

 

[nemo]

It's plastic, what could go wrong?

You're kidding, right Adam?

 

[albsat]

You're kidding, right Adam?

I think he is.