Im sure this has been said a thousand times before but this is the first time I have bought vintage razors and I need to clean them up. So what is the best way to make them shave ready?
how to clean vintage razors
- Thread starter dynomike87
- Start date
Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner.
I stick mine in a glass jar and give them a good squirt. Let them sit for 3-5 minutes than give them another squirt and use a toothbrush to go over them.
the scrubbing bubbles is an antibacterial cleaner so that is really all you need to use.
If you want to get them to really shine you can use any NON abrasive metal polish like MAAS, SemiChrome, Flitz, or Wenol polish and a soft cloth after the scrubbing bubbles
I stick mine in a glass jar and give them a good squirt. Let them sit for 3-5 minutes than give them another squirt and use a toothbrush to go over them.
the scrubbing bubbles is an antibacterial cleaner so that is really all you need to use.
If you want to get them to really shine you can use any NON abrasive metal polish like MAAS, SemiChrome, Flitz, or Wenol polish and a soft cloth after the scrubbing bubbles
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks I appreciate the help!
Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner.
I stick mine in a glass jar and give them a good squirt. Let them sit for 3-5 minutes than give them another squirt and use a toothbrush to go over them.
the scrubbing bubbles is an antibacterial cleaner so that is really all you need to use.
If you want to get them to really shine you can use any NON abrasive metal polish like MAAS, SemiChrome, Flitz, or Wenol polish and a soft cloth after the scrubbing bubbles
.......exactly the way Turtle described is how I clean my vintage razors. Maas metal polish is what I use to bring out the shine and boy, does it do a good job of making vintage razors shine like new!
Shave wiki. Look for razor maintenance.
Can SB be used on Gold plated things?
I've not had any issues but as with all things rare or valuable you should use caution.
My rule is to always start with the mildest cleaner and only move to something stronger if the milder one does not do the job.
If you can get your gold razor clean with dish soap and a tooth brush this would be better than something stronger.
I was trying to find another thread that I was reading previously about cleaning a vintage gold-plated DE razor but I cannot seem to find it right now. Anyway the other thread recommended that I start off slow with a soak in some washing-up liquid and then scrubbing with just some washing-up liquid and a hard toothbrush. I tried that and I must admit I'm underwhelmed by the results. Perhaps the gold-plate is just worn-away. This is what it looks like right now:
you can see where there is a dark spot on the handle and a fair bit of discolouration on the head. I'd love to get those clean but after scrubbing it for a while it didn't seem to make a lick of difference. If I saw any sort of improvement I'd be prepared to keep at it but it looked the same after the scrubbing as it did before. So I'm prepared to get a bit tougher with this but it is difficult to know how to proceed. Most of the posters on here seem to be posting from the US and Canada. Everybody mentions "scrubbing bubbles" and they surely do make it sound like it would solve all my problems. But we don't have Scrubbing Bubbles in Ireland and I don't know what product I might buy that would be similar (and you surely would think that if we don't have Scrubbing Bubbles then surely somebody sells a similar product). Obviously I don't want to get it wrong and hose up my gold plate so I'd love to get some advice on that. An earlier poster in this thread mentions Maas metal polish. Does anybody on here know if that is akin to Brasso or Silvo or if its a different thing entirely?
you can see where there is a dark spot on the handle and a fair bit of discolouration on the head. I'd love to get those clean but after scrubbing it for a while it didn't seem to make a lick of difference. If I saw any sort of improvement I'd be prepared to keep at it but it looked the same after the scrubbing as it did before. So I'm prepared to get a bit tougher with this but it is difficult to know how to proceed. Most of the posters on here seem to be posting from the US and Canada. Everybody mentions "scrubbing bubbles" and they surely do make it sound like it would solve all my problems. But we don't have Scrubbing Bubbles in Ireland and I don't know what product I might buy that would be similar (and you surely would think that if we don't have Scrubbing Bubbles then surely somebody sells a similar product). Obviously I don't want to get it wrong and hose up my gold plate so I'd love to get some advice on that. An earlier poster in this thread mentions Maas metal polish. Does anybody on here know if that is akin to Brasso or Silvo or if its a different thing entirely?
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Don't use Brasso.
That silver polish leaves a film. Do you want that on your face?
SHAVE WIKI has the answers you seek.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Safety_razor_maintenance
Less is more.
That silver polish leaves a film. Do you want that on your face?
SHAVE WIKI has the answers you seek.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Safety_razor_maintenance
Less is more.
+1. Brasso also has micro abrasives that will knock out gold plating and ruin nickel plating (long term use), it's great for raw brass or copper though.
Any bathroom mousse will be similar to Scrubbing Bubbles. I use Morrison's own brand, but since there aren't any Morrison's in Ireland (as far as I remember) then the higher cost CIF bathroom mousse should do it.
Tesco will have their own brand too.
Can I just add that I don't leave the gold razors soaking in the bubbles - I give it maybe ten minutes max, but that's me being paranoid really.
I normally begin by scrubbing it with a toothbrush and some fairy, then I boil it for ten minutes with a bit of vinegar although I don't know if that's safe with a gold razor... I've never had one. Then if it looked particularly dirty when I bought it, I leave it in a 50/50 dilution of wilko's cheap disinfectant over night just for piece of mind. Then I polish it with jewellers rouge and a buffing machine, then a few minutes in an ultra sound to lift the wax left behind from the rouge... obviously you might not have the last few things but I'm sure you will find some mild metal polish and still achieve a nice shine with a bit of elbow grease 
Thank you oh wise and venerable masters - partiucarly Mulligano - because while there is debate about many aspects of razor-cleaning nearly everybody seems to think that Scrubbing Bubbles are the one thing you really need to have in your toolkit so I really want to give that a go. If that doesn't make some kind of impression I think it may be that the finish is just rubbed-off with age (what can you do eh?)
I have just acquired a fairly minty 1940s fat handled Tech, which from its slightly goldish tinge, I believe is nickel plated. There are some very feint scratches on the end cap (which look like they are from the razor rattling about in its box for much of the last 70 years!) & some very light tarnish spots on the edges of the end cap. I would like to rectify these issues, but don't want to mess up such a lovely razor. What, if any, products could I use to achieve my aim? Bear in mind, I am based in the UK, so I would prefer suggestions of products that are available here. I see a few US based posters mentioning a product called "Maas", which isn't available in the UK (even on Ebay, it would need to be ordered from the US).
In this thread, I see that people have discouraged the use of Brasso (though it says on the tin it is for chrome, amongst other things) & Silvo (due to a residue it leaves behind, but surely as this is used to clean silver knives & forks, it can't be too harmful?). I have used Brasso to polish out slight scratches on the end cap of my Tradere & it didn't do any damage. I believe that chrome plate is more scratch resistent than stainless steel, but I am not sure about nickel plate.
Any advice appreciated.
In this thread, I see that people have discouraged the use of Brasso (though it says on the tin it is for chrome, amongst other things) & Silvo (due to a residue it leaves behind, but surely as this is used to clean silver knives & forks, it can't be too harmful?). I have used Brasso to polish out slight scratches on the end cap of my Tradere & it didn't do any damage. I believe that chrome plate is more scratch resistent than stainless steel, but I am not sure about nickel plate.
Any advice appreciated.
If it works for you then I can't really say much, but I wouldn't recommend boiling any razor - but especially gold razors. To sterilise these things you don't need to be actively boiling them.
With normal nickel or chrome plated razors I will boil the kettle and then pour some of the boiled water into an old butter container with fairy liquid. I then let it cool a wee bit (2-5 min) and then add my nickel/chrome razor and allow it to soak until it's cool.
To be honest, and I am by no means whatsoever an expert, your razor looks more "dirty" than worn. Try using cotton earbuds, a soft toothbrush and even toothpicks to soften and remove those areas of black. I'd imagine if it was worn it would be more brown/silver than black.
Chrome is much more resistant than nickel, but personally I still wouldn't use Brasso on chrome razors. For my nickel/chrome/rhodium razors (not that Rhodium really needs much work) I use Goddard's Silver Polish that I got in Morrison's for a couple of quid. I'd imagine Silvo would do a similar job, but haven't used it. I apply a generous layer of polish and leave it for 30-60 minutes until it dries and becomes "lighter". Then I buff the hell out of it with a microfibre cloth and a toothbrush.
If your scratches are too deep then I can't really help, other than to suggest a replate. But don't go that route until:
- you've used the razor for a while and decide you love it
- you think the scratches detract enough from your enjoyment that you want to drop a bit of cash on a replate
- You've found a reputable replater (I can recommend one in particular if you go this route).
I hope this clears a few things up about my own routine.
PS: As a wee extra, I often use a toothbrush and some toothpaste after the "Scrubbing bubbles" to really clean the razor before polishing - the toothpaste is a mild abrasive that can do it's own share of "buffing".
No MAAS? (with apologies to Roberto Duran)
Simichrome is an excellent metal polish. Made in Germany. Should be available in Europe and UK.
Simichrome is an excellent metal polish. Made in Germany. Should be available in Europe and UK.
I'm actually just about to pop out at lunch and get that Cif bathroom mousse and give that a go. And I'll give the toothpaste a go also. I've seen many people reccommend against boiling so I won't be trying that. I'll report back with any progress ;-)
I just use Scrubbing bubbles and a toothbrush.
Then I go to work at it with my Flitz and a microfiber rag, and for tight spots Q-tips & Flitz.
I then final polish with a clean dry microfiber rag to get the remaining tarnish and polishing compound off.
Then I hit it again with scurbbing bubbles and water to remove any possible polishing compound remnants.
The razors come out sparkling everytime!
Then I go to work at it with my Flitz and a microfiber rag, and for tight spots Q-tips & Flitz.
I then final polish with a clean dry microfiber rag to get the remaining tarnish and polishing compound off.
Then I hit it again with scurbbing bubbles and water to remove any possible polishing compound remnants.
The razors come out sparkling everytime!
Well I used Cif (cleaning bubbles) and toothpaste and a hard toothbrush and after much scrubbing got that spot on the handle out. I am pretty pleased about that. The surfaces that are in-contact with the blade itself are much-improved but less-than-sparkling but I'm not-as-pushed about them anyway. Here's the final result
