Bought a Slim a few weeks ago as NOS. It looks brand new but I started wondering if it really is or was it re-plated.
Is there any way to tell if it was re-plated?
Is there any way to tell if it was re-plated?
Clues To Re-plating
- Thread starter bhrn
- Start date
If it's NOS then it should have all the original container and packaging, as if it had just sat in a shop unsold for 50 years. Even curling or marks on the instruction leaflet would relegate it from NOS to mint. As for telling if it's been re-plated, that would be tough. I've got a few re-plated razors, done by forum member onotoman, and I'd be hard put to tell them from ones in mint condition if I found them in the wild. If anything, the finish on the gold ones is probably better than when they left the factory, since Gillette applied a thin wash of gold to many of their razors, whereas onotoman does a proper re-plate job.
I think it is almost impossible to detect a replate.
Although a poorer re-plate job, or one done on a well used razor, can result in a loss of detail. The grip area on the handle of such a razor won't be as crisp as on an original in good condition, or a well done re-plate, because it will have been worn down by use or excessive polishing during the prep for the re-plate.
Another indicator may be color. It can be tricky to match plating color to original. You may need to do a side-by-side comparison to tell the difference, but it's something.
There are a fair amount of minty Slims out there, so it does not necessarily follow that a Slim in excellent condition is a replate. The nickel plating actually is quite robust, as is the paint. I have a Slim that was all crudded up when I got it--obviously used. Once cleaned up, it was downright dazzling.
Another common tell on a replate is the cost. A Slim in excellent, original condition really isn't going to go for a heck of a lot more than a user grade one (unless you have case, papers, or something else of interest to a collector). However, a seller often asks a heck of a lot more for a replate in order to make back their money on the replate job.
There are a fair amount of minty Slims out there, so it does not necessarily follow that a Slim in excellent condition is a replate. The nickel plating actually is quite robust, as is the paint. I have a Slim that was all crudded up when I got it--obviously used. Once cleaned up, it was downright dazzling.
Another common tell on a replate is the cost. A Slim in excellent, original condition really isn't going to go for a heck of a lot more than a user grade one (unless you have case, papers, or something else of interest to a collector). However, a seller often asks a heck of a lot more for a replate in order to make back their money on the replate job.
- Thread starter
- #7
Many thanks guys, I just hope it shaves well. I shall try out this evening. Cheers
Over buffing is one of the reasons I started restoring my own razors. I sent some razors to a commercial plating shop and they buffed the detail out of every razor.
I tend to strip the old plating using a chemical process and just a light polish of detail areas. Silo doors and smooth areas can be highly polished to remove blemishes before plating though.
As others have already said, if a razor is pitted, worn or scratched in areas where detail is present, it's almost impossible to remove these. Plating won't cover these - similar to painting a wall without finish plastering or sanding first.
I tend to strip the old plating using a chemical process and just a light polish of detail areas. Silo doors and smooth areas can be highly polished to remove blemishes before plating though.
As others have already said, if a razor is pitted, worn or scratched in areas where detail is present, it's almost impossible to remove these. Plating won't cover these - similar to painting a wall without finish plastering or sanding first.
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