My Loathing of Zinc Alloy Grows!

[onotoman]

I do wish that Merkur, Cooper and others had never bothered making razors from Zamak (Zinc Alloy) as once pitted, it's impossible to Replate.

The razor literally dissolves in standard plating solutions and ruins the solution in the process.

One of the guys sent me a really interesting Cooper razor that was entirely made from zinc alloy. In a bid to try and restore it, I used a Neutral Copper Strike coating - this is what would have been applied to the new razor before nickel plating. Unfortunately old razors have oxidisation and pitting though - I thought I'd gotten away with it as the razor, after copper strike plating and nickel plating came out nice and shiny.

A few days later, the plating has blistered - the stuff literally corrodes beneath the plating. What a shame for what is a really interesting razor.

I hate it when you try everything and things just won't come together :-(

 

[Shutterbug57]

Yup. I figure my Merkur 38HD, which I really like, has about a 10 year useful life. My vintage Gillettes are already up to 95 years old and still going strong. I suspect they will be going strong in another 95 years with reasonable maintenance. This morning's shave was with a 75 year old Senator which could use a replate, but is going strong - got a great shave.

 

[onotoman]

This also means that in the future most EJ, Muhle, Merkur cannot be restored like good old brass razors, I'll leave that challenge to those around after I'm gone though

 

[onotoman]

Shutterbug57 - I'd posted the additional comment before I read your post, but yes, I suspect that you are correct and most modern razor heads will literally dissolve eventually. It'll all be down to cost - pot metal against brass and the probable ease of injection moulding zinc alloy as opposed to brass. Although I'm an engineer, I'm not a moulding or pressing specialist, so there may be other good reasons for using the horrible muck

Yup. I figure my Merkur 38HD, which I really like, has about a 10 year useful life. My vintage Gillettes are already up to 95 years old and still going strong. I suspect they will be going strong in another 95 years with reasonable maintenance. This morning's shave was wit a 75 year old Senator which could use a replate, but is going strong - got a great shave.

 

[Shutterbug57]

Yup, cost reduction & planned obsolescence.

Have you ever done a Senator/Sheraton/OC TTO Aristocrat in black chrome? If so, can you post a pic. I would really like to see what that looks like as I am leaning heavily that way on my Senator. Also, what is the longevity like on the black chrome versus nickel or rhodium?

 

[Atalk]

Hey Dave - For curiosity sakes, would you posting or linking to a modern razor that has been stripped of the exterior plating. I would like to see what zamak / "cheap stuff" looks like

 

[onotoman]

I've done a few US Aristocrats in Black Chrome but no pictures unfortunately - here's one of a Fatboy in Black Chrome (1st image)
http://restoredrazors.com/blog/gallery/replating-examples/

As for longevity, Black Chrome is just Chrome with a darkening agent in it, so is harder than Bright Nickel and a bit softer than Rhodium. So, should last a long time.

Yup, planned obsolescence.

Have you ever done a Senator/Sheraton/OC TTO Aristocrat in black chrome? If so, can you post a pic. I would really like to see what that looks like as I am leaning heavily that way on my Senator. Also, what is the longevity like on the black chrome versus nickel or rhodium?

 

[onotoman]

hi Atalk,

If I get any modern razors in, I'll take a pic Zamak (Zinc Alloy) in it's raw state before plating looks like aluminium when polished but quickly takes on a dull grey colour when left in air. I would think that modern manufacturers will immediately plate the razor heads in Neutral Copper, then polish and plate over in Nickel then finally chrome, gold or whatever. Once the plating chips or wears through, that's end of the game unfortunately.

QUOTE=Atalk;5442415]Hey Dave - For curiosity sakes, would you posting or linking to a modern razor that has been stripped of the exterior plating. I would like to see what zamak / "cheap stuff" looks like[/QUOTE]

 

[rxonmymind]

Upgrade to MEGA LASER. Removes paint, chrome, gold, nickel, lint..... "harmlessly".

 

[Laird]

Leo Quan Badass Bass2 bass guitar bridges. Chrome plated string saddles start pitting from sweat etc.. they start dissolving. Grey hot wheel pot metal underneath. Junk. My first DE was a Muhle R89 and while it's beautiful to look at and performs great, I have since acquired some older Gillettes and a Feather AS-D2. Can't say I'll be buying another Zamak any time soon.

 

[Haiku]

I have a wonderful Apollo that has chrome plating that's sort of bubbled up in some places and has come off in others. Black zamac underneath. I've been considering sending it for replating but now am having second thoughts.

 

[Haegar]

I would like to see what zamak / "cheap stuff" looks like

I believe the Yuma razor is bare zamak. Here you can see a pimped Yuma, that is I polished it just for the heck of it.

 

[ironfist]

Yup. I figure my Merkur 38HD, which I really like, has about a 10 year useful life. My vintage Gillettes are already up to 95 years old and still going strong. I suspect they will be going strong in another 95 years with reasonable maintenance. This morning's shave was with a 75 year old Senator which could use a replate, but is going strong - got a great shave.

Some will last another 95 years easily!

Get that senator done in shiny rhodium, you won't regret getting dave to do it

 

[Lamboy]

It is quite sad as I have several vintage slants that would love a new plate job but sadly won't be possible due to this

 

[ltjaw]

I guess this doesn't bode well for a Puma.

 

[TacticalPanda]

My Edwin Jagger is a beautiful razor and it blew me away when I first got it. However, it simply doesn't compare to my #15 or #16 in rhodium and I know that those are absolute lifetime razors.

 

[onotoman]

If the Slants aren't pitted around the head, it should be possible to restore them - I've done a few. The handle on the Slants and most other Merkurs are made from regular brass - it's just the head that's Zamak.

Also, as the head top on modern merkur slants are identical to those use on vintage slants (from Merkur, Hoffritz and Coles), other than being plated in Chrome rather than Bright Nickel, I've used the head top from a modern slant to restore a vintage one if the original head top was beyond repair, it's just a case of tripping the chrome and plating in bright nickel. The possible downside is that you then have a modern slant missing it's head top of course

It is quite sad as I have several vintage slants that would love a new plate job but sadly won't be possible due to this

 

[ERVARGASNY]

What a shame as I Love my EJ89 Head for it's smooth irritating free shaves )

Hopefully we will have a place like B&B when we are all resurrected in the new peaceful earth, and we call all unite again and get our shaves on )

This also means that in the future most EJ, Muhle, Merkur cannot be restored like good old brass razors, I'll leave that challenge to those around after I'm gone though

 

[Ronnie Aloha]

Is it possible to plate an Ikon razor in platinum? I know that is probably overkill but if its going to last a few lifetimes then it would be worth it.

 

[Rob72]

Amazing that the vocal proponents of zinc-aloy aren't flooding the post. I've said similar things on firearm boards, re- use of zinc "alloy" in that application. I'm sorry, simply because of its high susceptability to aggressive oxidation, no level of zinc is acceptable in products that could be considered a "durable good".

"Butbutbutbut...!" I can make a razor (or a pistol frame and barrel sleeve) from wood, and it will be quite lovely, but it won't last as long as appropriate materials