Does brass = longevity

[Pattorashu]

Aluminum and SS is no where near as incompatible as brass and SS, although they are still somewhat incompatible. If you must mix aluminum with another metal, monel metal is much better.

You've got that backwards.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Yes, brass does equal longevity. I have a 1907 Gillette Single Ring to testify to that.

 

[BigJ]

Oh boy, you are opening up a real can of worms here.

I will attempt to explain in layman's terms. My background is machining/welding, and I read material certification reports as part of my job. I will try and leave the technical terms out.

Brass is more resistant to corrosion than Zamak, that is a fact.
Zamac must be plated, as once any corrosion starts, that is the beginning of the end. The corosion cannot be stopped.

Brass will develop a patina that will prevent corrosion, so plating is not necessary.

There are a great many inexpensive razors made from Zamak that are decades old. A Gillette Tech from the 1960's is a perfect example of a vintage razor with a cap made from Zamak.

Another benefit of Brass is the ability to withstand a fall without irreparable damage. Zamak breaks much easier.

A great example of an all Brass razor compared to a Zamak razor would be the Fatip Piccolo which is all Brass, and a Razorock SLOC which is Zamak and both razors cost around $20.00
I have both, and my experience is the Piccolo shaves smoother than the SLOC. Is it because one is Brass, and the other is Zamak, I cannot say.

Great explanation!!

The first point IMO is to find a razor that works well for you! If the razor does not provide good shaves, then what it is made of makes NO difference.

Once you find what works, then you can decide if materials and workmanship are worth going for. Those are secondary considerations IMHO.

 

[Leverspro]

I bought an EJ razor in my first year of shaving. Dropped it in the shower and it broke in half. Next razor was a solid brass Karve. I'll never buy zamack again.

 

[SuperMax_fan]

I once dropped a Merkur 43c (which is a very heavy razor) that has a stainless steel handle and a chromed zamak head and... nothing happened. Guess I should consider myself lucky.

 

[Atlantic59]

I bought an EJ razor in my first year of shaving. Dropped it in the shower and it broke in half. Next razor was a solid brass Karve. I'll never buy zamack again.

You might like to know, EJ will often replace caps that broke at the screw as a goodwill gesture. EJ and Muhle have updated their design so that the screw part is a separate piece made of brass. This avoids the most common type of zamak failure.

Muhl/EJ Brass Thread Replacement Top Cap

Even though my rotation increased since the purchase of my first DE, the Edwin Jagger, I have missed shaving with it since my threads corroded. Not my best razor, but it is smooth and always enjoyed the shave. I have read quite a bit about the new Muhl caps having brass threads, but don’t know...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[stuartshaver]

When brass (a copper/zinc alloy) is in contact with stainless steel (a steel alloy containing chromium) the chromium (cathode) reacts electrolytically (electrolysis) with the zinc (the anode) and converts the brass into "pouress" copper with almost no strength. This is exasperated in the presence of an electrolyte such as water.

One way around this little problem is to only use plain steel blades.

It looks like many zamak razors are plated with chromium. On one I have it looks like there is a layer of copper underneath the chromium. I had thought that maybe this was because chromium adheres to copper better than to the zamak, but perhaps it's actually to keep the chromium away from the zinc in the zamak and avoid this electrolysis?

 

[Luis99]

And what about the specific resistance of the brass threads, are they durable?

 

[Alum Ladd]

And what about the specific resistance of the brass threads, are they durable?

Holy Brass Longevity Thread revival Batman!