Mom found Dad's Razor!

[Shantytownbrown]

Deep in the back closet of their bathroom, Dad swoare he tossed it...

Its a Slim Adjustable K-1 (1965)..

I would say its user grade, the doors seat nicely and the adjust mechanism is fine, but the TTO is a little tight, and there is some spotting, scratching and brassing...only one number has its paint

In addition there is "black spots" in the knurl, i cant seem to scrub these out and silver polish or the aluminum/bakingsoda/salt trick doesnt work, nor scrubbing bubbles....(ideas??)

Still this is the prize, its my Dad's, and was the one I first "pretended" to shave with as a young child...was always fascinated with the TTO and adjuster knob as I remember (back 38+ years ago)

soaking it again in Dawn and hot water, will add some mineral oil...and will give it a try on the face later this week...

then it will line up with my Black SA and fatboy in my adjustables section of the den drawer...

 

[Mick]

Great that you came across your dad's razor.

Use it and enjoy it!

 

[Mike H]

Congratulations, that is an awesome find. The slim is nickel plated, the baking soda / foil trick works only on silver, but it may help loosengunk inside the tto. The scrubbing bubbles and polish it the best route. It may be the nickle platting has worn off. Regardless, many here (including me) would love to have their father's razor!

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

Great that you found your dad's razor. Part of what I love about DE shaving is the connection to what I remember seeing as a child. I was fascinated as well by the TTO mechanism as a little one. I hope you get it to where you want it. Regardless, you have a bit of family history to use. Good work!

 

[Graybeard57]

That's terrific. Wish I had my father's Gillette TTO adjustable. It was the one I first attempted to shave with when I was 15.

 

[NeverOne99]

Things like these are priceless. Below is my great, great grandfather's safety razor:

 

[life2short1971]

You can replate rather reasonably these days if thats an option for you. Congrats on a nice razor and great family heirloom to pass on.

 

[Shantytownbrown]

You can replate rather reasonably these days if thats an option for you. Congrats on a nice razor and great family heirloom to pass on.

where would you go to have it replated, and can it be done in Nickel?

 

[life2short1971]

I am sure others can reccomend better than I as I am straight razor user but i have seen some threads with very nice replates and pretty sure nickel is an option yes.

 

[chiefum]

Awesome find.

 

[The Kiwi]

My kids grew up while I was shaving every day with Gillette Adjustable DEs; both boys chose to shave with disposables when they had to shave every day. The matter of shaving never came up between myself and my daughter (after splitting with her mother, I only got to visit with her every other weekend, then we both moved to different places, quite distant.

The one thing I know that my oldest kid chose to emulate is the particular shave gel product variation I'd used after he was already thirty years old, and I was in "quick shave" mode . .

I had three Gillettes in regular use from the time he was two until he was thirty, and still have them all; were he to want to start shaving traditionally, I'd be happy to give him either one of my Slim Gillettes.

 

[Shantytownbrown]

My kids grew up while I was shaving every day with Gillette Adjustable DEs; both boys chose to shave with disposables when they had to shave every day. The matter of shaving never came up between myself and my daughter (after splitting with her mother, I only got to visit with her every other weekend, then we both moved to different places, quite distant.

The one thing I know that my oldest kid chose to emulate is the particular shave gel product variation I'd used after he was already thirty years old, and I was in "quick shave" mode . .

I had three Gillettes in regular use from the time he was two until he was thirty, and still have them all; were he to want to start shaving traditionally, I'd be happy to give him either one of my Slim Gillettes.

might make a great holiday/xmas gift, packaged with a brush and blades....???

 

[schmidtmj]

might make a great holiday/xmas gift, packaged with a brush and blades....???

I agree completely with this. I grew up without my dad around and he's since passed away. I'm around the same age as your oldest and I would LOVE to have my father's razor. Even if he doesn't appreciate it now, he will at some point.

 

[mdevine]

Congratulations. Even more than the fact that the old Gillettes are great razors, the history of who may have used them is what draws me to them. The fact that you know the provenance makes it that much more special.

Mike

 

[The Kiwi]

I agree completely with this. I grew up without my dad around and he's since passed away. I'm around the same age as your oldest and I would LOVE to have my father's razor. Even if he doesn't appreciate it now, he will at some point.

I really was thinking about doing that for his last birthday. He was 49 last July. But I got him a Canon Elph pocket camera instead. His brother was killed in 2000, so he'll get them all eventually. I doubt that Sherri would want one (she can only have the one child, my granddaughter, Faith).

 

[Deltaboy]

I have my Grandpaws and Great Grandpaws Razors. Pawpaw George used a Gem Jr. and Great Grandpaw had a Gold Tech. Dad has GG Paws Straight Razors.
It is nice to pull them out and shave with the same Razor they used 50-80 years ago.

 

[larzone]

Wish that story was mine! Really a priceless razor, guard it with your life!!

 

[life2short1971]

RazorEmporium is who I was trying to remember for razor plating if you want to check them out.

 

[the beav]

A few years ago, one of my professors gave me his Fatboy that he bought when he was 17 and in the Marines. It looked terrible--gunky, dingy, bent up--it was so bad that it wouldn't even open. But I cleaned it up and worked on it for awhile, so now it looks pretty good and works perfectly. All the scars that are still on it were ones that he put on there decades ago, and being somewhat of a historian I appreciate that.

If you clean up your razor with scrubbing bubbles and MAAS polish, you may be surprised at how good it looks. Slims never took nickel plating very well on the handle anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that for now. The numbers can be repainted so that's not a problem either.

Bottom line--I'd do the things mentioned here and wait on a replate. Your razor has a nice patina that your father gave it; if you replate it, it will in some ways be just another replated razor. And I have a feeling that after you clean it up, polish it, and repaint the numbers, you'll going to be pretty happy with it just the way it is.

 

[PMT]

That is so cool, I am going to ask my Mom if Dad has any left, but sadly, I doubt it as he says I am in the dark ages by DE shaving, even though he admits the cartridges are a scam, at age 80 though, he can do whatever he wants, he is a lot like Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino" a Korean war vet and all!