Has anyone had cross-threading problems with the DE89?

[ateace]

The other day, I was trying to disassemble my DE89 to change the blade
and it the threads became crossed and the whole thing jammed up.
I was unable to separate the head from the handle and trying to put
the head back fully onto the handle was futile as well.

Have any of you experienced this?
I'm wondering if this may be a defective razor or just clumsiness on my part.

 

[MacDaddy]

I've definitely noticed it being a bit fiddly when initially screwing the handle onto the head, and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to get it threaded properly. I've never had a problem the other way, though, and I'm not sure how that would even be possible unless you'd already cross-threaded it to begin with or you already had some thread damage that would have allowed it to "jump the track" as it were.

 

[vferdman]

I've had an EJ DE89 Barley Chrome for almost a year and no problems with threads at all. You need to figure out if the problem is on the handle or the head. Then replace the offending part. If you replace the handle with a solid stainless bulldog handle (Weber, Ikon, etc.) it will be like buying a new razor. Really transforms these heads, which are wonderful. If the head is bad, keep an eye on BST. These come up regularly for very reasonable cost.

Best of luck.

 

[ateace]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[MaxP]

You may be able to fix matters by buying a tap and turning it into the handle.
The size is M5 v .8 IIRC.

Take the handle to an autoparts store. They should have a tap and in most cases will be happy to assit you.

If the threads on the head are crossed, you're out of luck and would best be served buying a new head or a complete razor.

 

[aihpcfl]

I've definitely noticed it being a bit fiddly when initially screwing the handle onto the head, and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to get it threaded properly. I've never had a problem the other way, though, and I'm not sure how that would even be possible unless you'd already cross-threaded it to begin with or you already had some thread damage that would have allowed it to "jump the track" as it were.

Same here. I have a new one. Just changed the blade and I had to be careful. I didn't notice it when I put the blade in to begin with, maybe the way I was holding the head assembly made it easier that time.

 

[Invicta]

The other day, I was trying to disassemble my DE89 to change the blade
and it the threads became crossed and the whole thing jammed up.
I was unable to separate the head from the handle and trying to put
the head back fully onto the handle was futile as well.

Have any of you experienced this?
I'm wondering if this may be a defective razor or just clumsiness on my part.

I have never had a problem screwing the DE89 together but I am usually very careful about these things. I am paranoid of cross threading things.
I would have thought you would have noticed you were cross threading it when assembling the razor. They screw very easily together. I usually lubricate the threads once a week with light machine oil.
Have you managed to disassemble the razor yet?

 

[jamiecm]

I had the exact situation as you described occur after three years of use as my only razor. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the head off of the handle and had to throw away the razor. It soured me on the EJ's to the point that I don't want to buy another one. I always took care when assembling the razor and don't feel that I did anything wrong.

 

[oldbluelight]

I've definitely noticed it being a bit fiddly when initially screwing the handle onto the head, and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to get it threaded properly. I've never had a problem the other way, though, and I'm not sure how that would even be possible unless you'd already cross-threaded it to begin with or you already had some thread damage that would have allowed it to "jump the track" as it were.

Mine also resists a square start but a little 'backtracking' until the threads 'seat' seems to work. During a blade change I place the cap and plate on a folded wash cloth on the counter. The combination of a curved cap and a soft surface makes it difficult to start the threads without turning the handle counter clockwise until the threads click into place and will start square. I always keep a grip on the handle very close to the head to avoid having leverage that could start a crossthread. For the final tightening I place the comb on the counter and turn the handle to avoid having a finger close to the blade.

 

[Early Morning]

You might also want to try spraying the threads with some Inox, letting it sit for a day or two, then gently try to unscrew the handle. Something other than the threading might have caused the parts to seize up if you over-tightened the handle.

Agreeing with some of the above comments ...

I cannot offer any other advice when it comes to issues with cross threading. If any of the original threading has pulled away from either the tap hole or the screw cap threading, you stage up to a larger diameter tap hole and a larger diameter screw.

 

[BotSpanx]

I've not had any trouble with my barley DE89. I'm pretty careful about it, but I'll try to "break" it in the next few days to see if it's more prone to cross-threading than others.

 

[WhippingPost]

While its easy to start something cross-threaded, you would notice the additional effort required to turn the threaded fastener in question. If it went together correctly and without any additional effort (the threads on most of these razors are pretty "sloppy" tolerance-wise), my bet is that something other than cross-threading is at play here. Perhaps some lose plating has jammed the threads? Until the razor is apart there is no way to know for sure. Most cases of thread damage come from over-tightening rather than cross-threading.

Squirt some sort of lubricant on the mating/thread area and let it soak for a while. To clear the jam, turn it in the opposite direction of the way you were turning it when it jammed using a ratcheting (back and forth) motion. Much like those nights at the drive-in in the back of your dad's Chevette, you want to convince the handle to turn, not force it. When you re-tighten this or any other razor just remember: "tight is tight, and no more!" Snug is everything just touching, and tight is just past that.

 

[ateace]

I may have to chalk this one up to clumsiness, then.
Although, something tells me that this would never happen with a Tech unless I really tried.

My wife and I are moving on Friday and we're way too busy for me to devote time to this at the moment.

Thanks again for all of your helpful responses.

Once we're unpacked at the other end, I'll try your suggestions.

If there is no success, I'll have an exc-...errr..uhh...reason to buy another razor!

 

[WhippingPost]

No worries, my wet-shaving brother! Not everything has fault or blame attached (fecal matter tends to occur), but it is your duty as a man to either repair it or break it further and then replace it with a "non-defective" version!

 

[Aschecte]

I have a hypothesis as to what may have happened. you more than likely did everything correctly when you put the last blade in but, what I have noticed with the E89 is that it tends to loosen itself while shaving and after a few times the head becomes somewhat wobbly. What this would do is put pressure against the threads and potentially warp the thread on either the head or barrell. After a few times of this happening and screwing and unscrewing to change blades those effected threads would either shear off or become so warped that either taking it apart or putting it together would be like it is stripped out. Just my .02

 

[Early Morning]

After thinking this over, I believe that the mating between thread screw and tap hole on EJ razors is a little too perfect because there is no wiggle room. It feels impressive when the razor is new because everything is so precise, but that means one will have to be extra careful to screw the handle in while it is perfectly level and perpendicular to the bottom of the safety plate. In other words, it's going to cause problems over time as those threads get worn.

 

[~Spyne~]

Had my DE89L for over a year and never had an issue with the threading, except when I allowed it to get too much soap scum/calcium build-up accumulate, but that was just my laziness in not cleaning it weekly.

 

[Sencha]

Contact EJ and its highly likely they will send you a new one.

 

[packet]

I second the 'backtracking' comment above. Turn it counter-clockwise until you hear it click into the thread, then do it up clockwise. It's good to do this whenever you're putting a screw into a threaded hole, not just razors.