Does replating change the shaving characteristics?

[WThomas0814]

Plating thickness is 30u” nominal (.000030”)… 3/100,000th the thickness of a typical sheet of paper. Metal objects are polished prior to plating, which will reduce the existing plating thickness by a portion of that number.

I think the plating thickness impact is nil.

What CAN make an impact is if you send it to a generic plater who doesn’t know razors. Things can be bent, twisted, warped, burned, etc. in the wrong hands. Back Roads Gold and, in my estimation, Razor Emporium are the places to go. They will also tune/repair your kit.

 

[WThomas0814]

Plating thickness is 30u” nominal (.000030”)… 3/100,000th the thickness of a typical sheet of paper. Metal objects are polished prior to plating, which will reduce the existing plating thickness by a portion of that number.

I think the plating thickness impact is nil.

What CAN make an impact is if you send it to a generic plater who doesn’t know razors. Things can be bent, twisted, warped, burned, etc. in the wrong hands. Back Roads Gold and, in my estimation, Razor Emporium are the places to go. They will also tune/repair your kit.

I went nuts with zeroes.

It is one-one hundredth the thickness of a sheet of paper.

 

[Joezamboni]

What CAN make an impact is if you send it to a generic plater who doesn’t know razors. Things can be bent, twisted, warped, burned, etc. in the wrong hands. Back Roads Gold and, in my estimation, Razor Emporium are the places to go. They will also tune/repair your kit.

I’ve tried nearly every replater. Razor emporium is the only one I don’t feel comfortable spending my money with and never tried. Many threads about them from the past and a lot of what I see involves the lines being softened too much and taking away from details or what appears to be a lack of reconditioning for the price paid (lots of user eBay ads with them for sale ).

Backroadsgold and the other Chris at Razorplate.com provide good services. There’s very particular situations where I think one is better than the other but wouldn’t hesitate recommending either.

 

[Captainjonny]

I have not noticed a difference, when the original plating was in relatively good condition...versus...a re-plating (BRG) which included a finish removal prior to re-plating. There is a huge difference in glide, when the original finish is spotty and pitted...versus...a nearly perfect finish smoothness after re-plating. IMHO, it depends on the grade of original finish and the quality of the re-plating job. My re-plated razors from BRG are essentially in "brand new" condition, and shave like a dream.

 

[eulangasse]

I have not noticed a difference, when the original plating was in relatively good condition...versus...a re-plating (BRG) which included a finish removal prior to re-plating. There is a huge difference in glide, when the original finish is spotty and pitted...versus...a nearly perfect finish smoothness after re-plating. IMHO, it depends on the grade of original finish and the quality of the re-plating job. My re-plated razors from BRG are essentially in "brand new" condition, and shave like a dream.

I too had some *magical* glide and dream shave experiences with BRG! A couple times this was expecially pronounced, after like a dozen razors that passed through BRG's hands.

One was my first vintage razor I tried after a journey with moderns. It was a US NEW LC replated by Chris in gold. Darn thing was like a little jewel to look at and hold. And, I don't know if its just nostalgia, but I had sold it when I got out of the hobby for a couple years and just recently I picked up a pretty clean original plating example. The shave and experience was not as dreamy and smooth as I remembered it.

The second time this happened was also recently with a Gillette NI. A recent BRG replated NI shaved better than any other ones I had in the past and also better than another one I had recently that I shaved with back-to-back and confirmed my impression. The white platinum of course was mesmerizing but the feel of the shave was a dream too. Coincidence or cause and effect, can never be sure!

A couple different experiences from a replate:

1. For some razors I already loved before the replate, like an English FB and an English 2-piece RFB, the post-replating was as dreamy as before the replating ... and I almost yearned for the original plating that was already in pretty good shape.

2. For a razor that I was not able to dial in, no matter how great the BRG treatment was, I still was not able to dial it in haha. This case was an Old Type. I had tried a user grade a while back and did not have luck getitng a smooth shave. A year or so after that, I thought, heck why not try a BRG replate for a second try with an OT. But, nope, no matter how crisp it was, still no dice and I passed it on to a new home.

 

[Joezamboni]

Same.

But more importantly, if the factory plating is still good, why re-plate? Why fix what isn’t broken? Seems to be just looking for problems.

While very true there are a few situations where it seems most people justify it.

First off is the mirror finish. Yes, not original, but the first time you handle one it is something to behold. Fixing little flaws just makes it more appealing.

Second is the quality of the gold Gillette finishes. Either being a gold wash or having a lacquer top coat that easily comes off with regular use then wearing the thin gold underneath. It’s ugly.

It is pretty hard to beat the hidden diamond in the rough that an ultrasonic can bring out. A great looking factory finish is hard to find.

The dirt