How do you know if a razor is made out of pot metal? Does it matter?

[EternalBachelor]

Howdy, fellow wet shavers. I have a question. How do you know if a razor is made out of pot metal? I ask because I know pot metal isn't the most durable substance for a DE razor to be made of. I have a Merkur 23C, and don't get me wrong, I love the razor. However, I am now aware that Merkur razors are made of pot metal, and if I were to get a second razor, I would probably like to get something a little more durable, even if I have to spend more. Does it matter to you if a razor is made out of pot metal? I understand that a lot of these razors are relatively inexpensive, but having a razor that could potentially last a lifetime really appeals to me.

I mainly ask because I would like a more aggressive razor at some point, and I was eyeing the Muhle R41, but the item descriptions never seem to provide much information in regards to what metals were used to make the razors.

 

[DaltonGang]

Your best bet is to go stainless steel, for a modern razor. But, they are pricey.
I prefer vintage razors anyway. When I first started DE shaving, I used a 23C. I found a Slim Adjustable and Fat Boy Gillette offered more pleasurable shaves, hands down.

 

[binoy]

Your best bet is to go stainless steel, for a modern razor. But, they are pricey.
I prefer vintage razors anyway. When I first started DE shaving, I used a 23C. I found a Slim Adjustable and Fat Boy Gillette offered more pleasurable shaves, hands down.

+1, vintage is my preference, as well.

 

[BSAGuy]

All the moderns are pot metal except for the pricey stainless ones. Just go vintage and you will not be disappointed.

 

[PLANofMAN]

The best giveaway is that pot metal (aka Zamak) razors tend to be chrome plated. They also tend to have substantial base plates and caps. Anytime you see stamped metal on a razor, it won't be made from pot metal. Pot metal is cast, not stamped.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Any time the plating is breached on a pot metal razor, pitting will start to occur. That's not to say that a well cared for razor won't last a lifetime, but some of those old razors look positively motheaten. I purchased an old Hoffritz Slant on eBay once that had some fairly bad pitting. I now avoid pot metal razors whenever possible. There's too many quality vintage razors out there to settle for *cough* low quality.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

I have a pot metal German OC razor that must be 80 or 90 years old and it still looks pretty good, and shaves well, but plenty of people have had more modern pot metal razors break after a year or two — I guess it depends on the original quality of manufacture, what alloy was used and maybe blind luck. For a very durable and aggressive razor, I would go for a modern ATT or a Gillette Old type.

 

[Old_Hiker]

I agree with previous posters who recommended a vintage adjustable. All of mine show signs of use but are made well and will outlive me and my children. And an adjustable razor allows you to explore a range of aggression rather than being fixed to a single blade gap like the R41.

 

[srhardy]

Just discovered that my dream of replating my Parker 26C wont happen to rosegold head as its POT metal ;-(

Its about the only downside, cant replate (at all or easily) alas, but great shaver the 24C/26C OC (about the best shaver i use)

 

[Joe_Karp]

Of the razors that will last your lifetime, vintage models like Gillettes' offerings are the ticket. On the other hand, some of the new models like the Merkur 34C, yes made from Zamak, can last for many years as well, they're just a matter of preference.

 

[takeshi]

Does it matter to you if a razor is made out of pot metal?

In a sense yes. In a sense no. I still have my DE89, always had excellent shaves with it and never had problems with it due to it being made of Zamak. That, however, didn't stop me from get the stainless AS-D2.

That said, you have to decide based on whether or not it matters to you.

I mainly ask because I would like a more aggressive razor at some point, and I was eyeing the Muhle R41, but the item descriptions never seem to provide much information in regards to what metals were used to make the razors.

Generally speaking, stainless will be clearly indicated as it is a selling point. Quite often it's the Zamak razors that don't clearly indicate what they're made of. However, that's just a generalization. I'd suggest checking to see if there have been prior discussions -- don't overlook them as a resource. If any site's search function isn't working out for you then try a site restricted Google search. Here's a relevant example:
https://www.google.com/search?q=muh...i57.343j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

Of the razors that will last your lifetime, vintage models like Gillettes' offerings are the ticket.

Vintage is one option. Like any option on this site, one size does not fit all. There are lot of vintage fans but not everyone is.

 

[tankerjohn]

I guess I'll be the voice of dissent. It would be more correct to say that the head of Merkur razors (and EJ/Meuhle) are zamak (aka "pot metal), however the handles are brass. Actually, Merkur has a couple models with stainless steel handles, but most are brass.

Zamak gets a bad rap around here because everybody seems to think that their grandkids will obsess over their razors like they obsess over their grandpas' razors, therefore anything less than "heirloom" quality is substandard. Okay, fine. To each his own. But it seems to me a lot of wetshavers bad mouth zamak, but don't really understand why so many razor heads are made out of zamak. Brass is extremely expensive and difficult to cast. As a practical matter, it can only be rolled or stamped. Hence, it works fine for making TTOs and simple shapes like you find on old Techs and many OCs. Complex rounded shapes, however, must be cast. Zamak, on the other hand, is easy to cast and allows for the complex shapes that you find on Merkur and Meuhle heads. Simply put, the Merkur 34c, EJ 89, and Meuhle R41 and other popular modern razors that many people rave about cannot be made in brass, at least not economically. Of course there's stainless steel, but as everyone knows, that is much more expensive than brass or zamak.

Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with vintage razors. However, there are valid reasons to prefer modern razors. Vintage Gillettes can be hard to come by, especially if you don't have lots of freetime to scour estate sales and antique shops. Also, for many men, the vintage razors don't shave as well as more modern designs. As noted above, many vintage non-Gillette razors are, in fact, made from zamak. Merkur has been using zamak since before WWII and is very good with that material. Zamak is susceptible to break if you drop or otherwise abuse the razor. But a well cared-for zamak razor should last a long time.

If you want a R41, than get an R41. Don't worry about the zamak (the handle is brass anyway, as stated above). Try not to drop it. If you do accidently break it, the heads are cheap and easy to replace. You'll be fine. I promise it won't spontaneously disintegrate on you. If you absolutely insist on a brass razor, try a Fatip, which is solid brass and shaves similarly to the R41.

 

[gwsmallwood]

Would most people prefer a razor that is guaranteed to last? Sure. Is it worth it to buy a Zamak Razor? I think it depends. If you get an awesome shave at a reasonable price point from a razor that is Zamak, than I don't think there's anything wrong with taking the gamble. I think the R41 is in that boat because it is so unique. The 37c might be as well, since it's the one affordable and readily available slant option. I haven't made up my mind about the Progress yet. I'm not sure yet whether the shaves are significantly better than my Fatboy. The other one I'm considering is the Futur. Pretty much everything else that has a standard head doesn't interest me. I'll go vintage instead.

 

[Michael Spotts]

One must remember that at the end of the day it's a razor. Yes many are seen as works of art by many of us, Not all care. If your okay with pot-metal and a new razor that's not going to cost $$$ than go for it.

 

[Ad Astra]

I wonder just how breakable/frangible/durable modern zamac actually is.

Has anyone torture-tested a Merkur? Drop test, etc?

I admit I'm not using my 34c since the vintage razors hit the shave shelf. But I don't believe dropping it once would make it shatter like ice.


AA

 

[franz]

I've never really worried about the fact that some of my razors are brass, Zamak, etc. Actually, the only modern production razor whose finish I ever had a problem with was made of stainless steel. Go figure.

 

[EternalBachelor]

Thanks for the responses. It's not that I necessarily want a razor that I can pass on to my grandchildren, because I don't even know that I'll ever have kids. I'm mainly just thinking that if I get a brass or stainless steel razor, then it'll last the rest of my lifetime. Whereas if I use Merkur or Muhle razors, then I'll have to replace them every few years. If you go on Amazon and look at reviews for these razors with Zamak heads, lots of people have had issues with the build quality.

 

[bosseb]

I wonder just how breakable/frangible/durable modern zamac actually is.

Has anyone torture-tested a Merkur? Drop test, etc?

I admit I'm not using my 34c since the vintage razors hit the shave shelf. But I don't believe dropping it once would make it shatter like ice.


AA

The cat knocked my Edvin Jagger over from the stand to the sink and it looked exactly like this one:

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Two of my Merkurs ended up looking like this:

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Admittedly this all happened many years ago but it won't happen again because this is now my rotation:

​

 

[kingfisher]

Not all Zamak is created equal. It's an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper. Depending on the percentage of each metal, the properties can vary. Maybe the Zamak they used in the 1930s was hardier than what they're using now.

Even so, if you care for your razor and keep it from getting damaged, it can last a long time. Water is the principal causer of corrosion, which happens when water gets beneath the chrome plating. So the trick is to keep the chrome intact.

It is not true that all modern razors are Zamak unless they are specifically stated to be stainless steel. Several of the iKon razors currently in production are made of aluminum, as is the Standard razor. The Fatip, as mentioned earlier, is brass. iKon also made an LE razor earlier this year that was all brass, and Wolfman is also offering a brass razor.

 

[Funkhauser]

I love the aftsmanship and look of vintage razors and collect them, but do not shave with them. I just can't get a smooth irritation-free shave from the vintage Gillettes. I get great shaves from my Merkur Progress long handle and other modern razors. If something happens to one of them, I will buy another. Maggard Razors has three-piece razors with stainless steel handles and chrome plated zinc alloy heads that are reasonable. I have the MR1 and find the shave pretty close to the Merkur 34C. Anyway, I have Zamak razors that are 5-6 years old and show absolutely no sign of rust or wear.

 

[oldjoe]

I can't imagine a Merkur Progress lasting less than 2 lifetimes with some care & proper cleaning? Would 2 lifetimes be enough?