How do you keep your vintage razor fresh?

[Rothman]

I just scored a gorgeous gillette slim and was wondering, How do I prevent it from going down hill without worrying about the plating?

Lots of these older razors have plating issues, I want to keep this one as nice as possible and still use it frequently.

What do you do?

 

[VolpeVerde]

I keep mine clean and dry, that's all. I have several Fatboys and a pair of mint early Superspeeds and after they are used, I give 'em a spray of Scrubbing Bubbles, let 'em soak for just a few seconds then go over them with a small soft paint brush (used just for my razors) to loosen any soap scum. I then rinse throughly with warm water, shake 'em gently to get out as much water as possible then wipe them dry with soft tissue. Then they get hung on a stand to air dry. I know it sounds like alot, but they represent a small but valuable investment to me. I enjoy them, they're a bit of history and they look as good as the day I got them and should last for many years to come.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

+1 on Vol's comment. I'd also recommend polishing it with Maas monthly to keep the shine. Keeping it dry after use and using Scrubbing Bubbles to remove the soap scum is the best preventative measure.

 

[BrentS]

Just use the heck out of the thing and if it gets tatty looking, send it to our friend ^^^^ above in Crestline.

 

[RaiserLiebe]

Barkeepers Friend works too.

 

[gus1942]

I just scored a gorgeous gillette slim and was wondering, How do I prevent it from going down hill without worrying about the plating?

Lots of these older razors have plating issues, I want to keep this one as nice as possible and still use it frequently.

What do you do?

You can worry about that in 50 years.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

From handling dozens and dozens of DE's in the wild, you can tell which ones were taken care of. Once in a while I find Super Speeds and adjustables that were well used (you can tell by the minute superficial scratches on the head) but the plating is intact and you see minor spots of scum in the hard to reach areas, probably a sign that they were rinsed well after their use. On the other hand, I see the frequent razor that isn't too old (60's, 70's models) with a blade in them from the time and are encrusted in soap/cream scum. It leaves a film that needs to be polished off. Most of the time they clean up and polish well but it also dulls the plating a bit. So even though you don't have to worry another 50 years, it's also wise to keep these razors in their best state so they can look the way they do now in 50 years.

 

[Haiku]

Just remember that there isn't a polish out there that doesn't use some sort of abrasive. The more you use metal polish the more you'll be wearing down the plating. I wipe mine with a face towel after each use. That's pretty much all. For the hard to reach places, a toothbrush with some dishwashing liquid once a week will do the trick. Dishwashing liquid is a detergent and it will generally dissolve soap scum very easily as well as most hard water stains.

I pretty much never polish my razors and the plating looks just fine.

 

[Viseguy]

Just remember that there isn't a polish out there that doesn't use some sort of abrasive. The more you use metal polish the more you'll be wearing down the plating. I wipe mine with a face towel after each use. That's pretty much all. For the hard to reach places, a toothbrush with some dishwashing liquid once a week will do the trick. Dishwashing liquid is a detergent and it will generally dissolve soap scum very easily as well as most hard water stains.

I pretty much never polish my razors and the plating looks just fine.

+1 on all points.

 

[americanarmsdealer]

Mint?

 

[mistercitizen]

Just remember that there isn't a polish out there that doesn't use some sort of abrasive. The more you use metal polish the more you'll be wearing down the plating. I wipe mine with a face towel after each use. That's pretty much all. For the hard to reach places, a toothbrush with some dishwashing liquid once a week will do the trick. Dishwashing liquid is a detergent and it will generally dissolve soap scum very easily as well as most hard water stains.

I pretty much never polish my razors and the plating looks just fine.

+2 I scrub mine with a toothbrush and toothpaste every so often in addition to the above. That's it.

Ben

 

[ItsAllGravy]

i spray my razors with dettol power and pure spray and give them a quick scrub with a toothbrush, when i change the blades if they have a lot of soap scum on them, then a warm rinse and let them dry.

 

[Joker]

Flitz will make your razor shine and it is totally non-abrasive and it will help protect the metal. Really it makes it easy to keep the razor clean. I have used it for many years on all sorts of things.

"Flitz offers a range of non-abrasive polishes to meet every need - from stainless steel to silver, chrome to copper, you'll get the classic Flitz shine with each top-notch Flitz polishing product."

 

[Graybeard57]

Toothbrush and gentle scrubbing. I do it when I change blades, and it takes about 2-3 minutes max. Dry it off, let it finish air drying before putting a new blade in.

 

[Bill R]

After a shave it's just a quick rinse and dry off with a towel. I only really clean it after every blade change, and that just involves a gentle scrub with an old tooth brush and soap. Then a good rinse off and dry off with a soft towel. I never use polish or any abrasives at all. Works for me.

 

[lwt210]

I have found that a weekly shot of Scrubbing Bubbles and gentle brushing with a toothbrush keeps my vintage Gillette razors looking new.

I have a 59 Fatboy that I use just about daily and it is as shiny as the day I got it. Like the above posters mentioned, I also rinse mine and wipe it with a soft towel and hang it up to dry. Works like a charm.

I have used Flitz on some other razors with no issues whatsoever but only with a soft cloth. I have brought several back to life this way.

Regards.

 

[n2hql]

i use a jewelery ultrasonic cleaner whenever i get scum buildup. usually a quick drying after a good rinse is enough,

 

[henrythehab]

I dry brush mine every Sunday with an old toothbrush prior to replacing the blade. That gets rid of the light, caked on gunk. It is still going strong.

If you want super protection, then keep the DE submerged in a cup or glass of mineral oil after each use. I tried that for a few weeks when I was testing the effects of oil on blades, and it kept the DE looking beautiful.

 

[franz]

All I really use to keep my razors clean (vintage or modern) is dish soap, with a soft toothbrush. If there's soap scum built up in the nooks and crannies I might give it a squirt of something like Scrubbing Bubbles.

Haven't felt the need to use metal polish. I was under the impression that polishing by definition removes a surface layer of metal.

 

[Jordy]

My routine to keep them fresh and clean s an ultrasonic cleaner with warm dish soap on the Rhodium, and Nickel plated ones. For the Gold plated ones I just use regular dish soap and warm water once a month. With all my razors I do a once a month bath in Barbacide and then dip them in rubbing alcohol. The alcohol rinses them nice and clean and helps them dry quicker.