My new Slim - How do I care for it??

[catherix]

Good evening my friends,

I just got my slim in the mail from Matt, aka hig789, and I'm very excited that I finally found one!! Thanks Matt! I want to do a thorough cleaning before I use it so I won't be using it tonight. Just not enough time today.

So now that I finally have one, I humbly ask for your help oh wise shaving wizards!!

I'm wondering what sort of things I need to do to take proper care of it? I know I need to clean it, thats obvious, but do I need to do anything special while cleaning it? To keep it nice and keep the numbers nice and black?
And I've read some things about not adjusting it while the doors are closed?? or something like that... and something about an extra quarter turn to close it? What does that all mean?
And what other things should I be doing to make sure that it lasts many years to come??

Thanks for reading and thank you for any help you can provide!

....oh and of course, pictures:



edit: my god my table is dirty! I'm embarrassed

 

[dfollett_98]

Catherix:

Congratulations on your beautiful new aquisition. As you probably know the Slim gets a lot of love on B&B. It is a good, solid, bullet-proof razor.

As far as cleaning, spray on some Scrubbing Bubbles (not the type with bleach) or soak it in a mild dish soap such as Dawn and hot, but not boiling, water. Let it sit a short while and use a soft toothbrush to clean the razor and then rinse it off thoroughly. It looks like it's in excellent shape already. Some folks give it a Barbacide/Marvicide/Alcohol dip before using. One of our members is an Infectious Disease Specialist and has told us Scrubbing Bubbles is probably enough since all the "cooties" most likely live on the blade and not the razor.

Some do nots we have seen on B&B that I can remember off the top of my head are:

Do not boil the razor
Do not use bleach on the razor
Do not use Brasso or and other type of harsh abrasive cleaner
Do not submerge the numbers in an autosonic cleaner or leave Scrubbing Bubbles on it too long or the paint in the numbers will disappear
Do not put the razor in the oven

Clean it gently with scrubbing bubbles, mild dish soap (Dawn, etc.), toothpaste, etc.

After your new razor is clean some of us use a metal cleaner called Maas (available at Ace Hardware) and give it a light polish followed with a buffing with an old T-shirt or a microfiber towel.

Start at a low setting and get used to the angle and feel of the razor and shave a few times. After the doors are closed on Gillette TTOs you have an extra quarter turn that locks the blade into place. When changing the setting, release the pressure on the doors so the internal spring is not damaged and then reset the last quarter turn when it is at the number you want to try. A setting of one is the mildest; a setting of 9 is the most agressive. Many of us start around 4 until we achieve a feel for the razor. Try to change as few variables as you can when you first start.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask any additional questions you may have. We are glad to help you as we were so graciously helped when we started on B&B.

Congratulations on your beautiful new razor and enjoy your shaves.

Don

 

[BlackBard]

Excellent advice given above. I love my Slim. It's 50 years old this quarter. I hope you will enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

Congratulations.

 

[catherix]

Catherix:

Congratulations on your beautiful new aquisition. As you probably know the Slim gets a lot of love on B&B. It is a good, solid, bullet-proof razor.

As far as cleaning, spray on some Scrubbing Bubbles (not the type with bleach) or soak it in a mild dish soap such as Dawn and hot, but not boiling, water. Let it sit a short while and use a soft toothbrush to clean the razor and then rinse it off thoroughly. It looks like it's in excellent shape already. Some folks give it a Barbacide/Marvicide/Alcohol dip before using. One of our members is an Infectious Disease Specialist and has told us Scrubbing Bubbles is probably enough since all the "cooties" most likely live on the blade and not the razor.

Some do nots we have seen on B&B that I can remember off the top of my head are:

Do not boil the razor
Do not use bleach on the razor
Do not use Brasso or and other type of harsh abrasive cleaner
Do not submerge the numbers in an autosonic cleaner or leave Scrubbing Bubbles on it too long or the paint in the numbers will disappear
Do not put the razor in the oven

Clean it gently with scrubbing bubbles, mild dish soap (Dawn, etc.), toothpaste, etc.

After your new razor is clean some of us use a metal cleaner called Maas (available at Ace Hardware) and give it a light polish followed with a buffing with an old T-shirt or a microfiber towel.

Start at a low setting and get used to the angle and feel of the razor and shave a few times. After the doors are closed on Gillette TTOs you have an extra quarter turn that locks the blade into place. When changing the setting, release the pressure on the doors so the internal spring is not damaged and then reset the last quarter turn when it is at the number you want to try. A setting of one is the mildest; a setting of 9 is the most agressive. Many of us start around 4 until we achieve a feel for the razor. Try to change as few variables as you can when you first start.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask any additional questions you may have. We are glad to help you as we were so graciously helped when we started on B&B.

Congratulations on your beautiful new razor and enjoy your shaves.

Don

Wow Don! Thanks for taking the time to on this! It's very helpful. Don't have any SB but I've got Dawn and I'll probably go that method. I tried what you said about the quarter turn to lock it in place and I can see what you mean. I assume that is a built in function? I've heard the Maas thing before and have been meaning to pick some up. I'll check out ace hardware, thanks for putting that in there.
Well I'll get to the cleaning tomorrow. Thanks again for the great info!

 

[Doctor]

Use Barbicide for 10 min and you;re good to go.

 

[catherix]

Excellent advice given above. I love my Slim. It's 50 years old this quarter. I hope you will enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

Congratulations.

Thanks BlackBird! Mines K-1 dated(1965 I believe). It's in great condition. Just a little cleaning and it should look great! Might post more pictures after I've got it all shined up

 

[catherix]

Use Barbicide for 10 min and you;re good to go.

Wish I had some The other half used to be a hairstylist so maybe she has some... I'll have to ask her.

 

[soulska]

interested to read the review of your first shave with it. good looking slim u got there.

 

[catherix]

interested to read the review of your first shave with it. good looking slim u got there.

Well I wasn't really planning on a review but I'll definitely post one. Gotta get it cleaned up tonight for use so I'll try to post one here tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Haiku]

Never soak in Barbicide for more than 10 minutes and only do that if you are concerned about catching a disease from someone else. Don't use Barbicide on a regular basis as it is corrosive.

Never oil the razor. Lots of guys want to do something special for their razors and they soak them in mineral oil. This is a sure fire way to gunk up your razor. Razors do not operate at high temperatures or high speed. They are not car engines, they don't need to be oiled.

Never adjust the settings unless you have the silo doors at least slightly open.

 

[Doppelgaenger]

You'll love that slim, I only just started getting to the point where I can use it on 9 on all three passes. But give it a shot WTG on 9 sometime soon, you will learn what audio feedback means!

 

[catherix]

You'll love that slim, I only just started getting to the point where I can use it on 9 on all three passes. But give it a shot WTG on 9 sometime soon, you will learn what audio feedback means!

Haha yah I'm not sure how soon I'll be running it on 9. I've been lookin for one for a long time because I figured having the ability to adjust to the shave would be nice. I think I'll start on 3 or 4 since that appears to be the general advice from most of the users here. Then adjust a little later once I've used it a bit.

But I do love the audio feedback! Maybe I'll try 9 sooner then later

 

[BlackBard]

Haha yah I'm not sure how soon I'll be running it on 9. I've been lookin for one for a long time because I figured having the ability to adjust to the shave would be nice. I think I'll start on 3 or 4 since that appears to be the general advice from most of the users here. Then adjust a little later once I've used it a bit.

But I do love the audio feedback! Maybe I'll try 9 sooner then later

Macho - man! "More aggressive" does not necessarily mean "better shave." The ideal is to find out the LEAST aggressive setting (or razor) that provides a close and irritation-free shave. Thus, the "ideal" setting on an adjustable razor is not the one that makes you the most macho. It is the one that works best for you.

 

[catherix]

Macho - man! "More aggressive" does not necessarily mean "better shave." The ideal is to find out the LEAST aggressive setting (or razor) that provides a close and irritation-free shave. Thus, the "ideal" setting on an adjustable razor is not the one that makes you the most macho. It is the one that works best for you.

Haha yah I hear yah there. This is good advice. I don't necessarily want the most aggressive number possible. In fact moving the EJ DE89 from the 38c was a much milder shave but a much better one. I just think it would be nice to do some clean up with a bit more aggression because I have some areas that can take the additional passes with no irritation but a mild razor seems to miss stubbly. Of course, experimentation will be necessary here. I'm just glad I now have the option.

So anyone that's shaved with the slim: Is 9 pretty darn aggressive?

 

[BBrad]

catherix - Don's care and usage advice above is right on the money!!! Wise words!!

The "last quarter turn" thing is a little confusing at first to some. Not all Gillette TTO have an internal spring, just the adjustable razors. The purpose of this compression spring (located inside the bottom of the handle at the TTO knob) is to compensate for the different adjustment settings when locking the blade down. The higher adjustment settings require the spring to compress more to accomplish a proper lock. Improper locking will cause the razor to loosen up during use with somewhat bloody results.

The other matter of great discussion, contemplation, and debate is the question of loosening the TTO before adjusting the razor. Gillette's original instructions for the adjustable razors do not address this issue . . . in fact, the instructions imply that adjustments can be made without loosening the assembly. Fact is, if you adjust the razor with the doors closed, the spring will either compress more or relax a little. You won't break your razor . . . but after doing that your kids will be born naked!!

I have found my best Slim shave is at 5. More blade exposure does not equate to a better shave. At 5 I am able to get darn near BBS with only 2 passes and some under-the-jaw buffing without irritation. By comparison, I need at least three passes with it set at or below 3, and may experience some irritation if I happen to need four passes that day. Above six, I still need two passes for the same result, and will have irritation along with it. The challenge is not "how high can I go" but rather "how smooth is my face" . . .

Slims are great shavers . . . enjoy yours!!

 

[alex2363]

Catherix:

Congratulations on your beautiful new aquisition. As you probably know the Slim gets a lot of love on B&B. It is a good, solid, bullet-proof razor.

As far as cleaning, spray on some Scrubbing Bubbles (not the type with bleach) or soak it in a mild dish soap such as Dawn and hot, but not boiling, water. Let it sit a short while and use a soft toothbrush to clean the razor and then rinse it off thoroughly. It looks like it's in excellent shape already. Some folks give it a Barbacide/Marvicide/Alcohol dip before using. One of our members is an Infectious Disease Specialist and has told us Scrubbing Bubbles is probably enough since all the "cooties" most likely live on the blade and not the razor.

Some do nots we have seen on B&B that I can remember off the top of my head are:

Do not boil the razor
Do not use bleach on the razor
Do not use Brasso or and other type of harsh abrasive cleaner
Do not submerge the numbers in an autosonic cleaner or leave Scrubbing Bubbles on it too long or the paint in the numbers will disappear
Do not put the razor in the oven

Clean it gently with scrubbing bubbles, mild dish soap (Dawn, etc.), toothpaste, etc.

After your new razor is clean some of us use a metal cleaner called Maas (available at Ace Hardware) and give it a light polish followed with a buffing with an old T-shirt or a microfiber towel.

Start at a low setting and get used to the angle and feel of the razor and shave a few times. After the doors are closed on Gillette TTOs you have an extra quarter turn that locks the blade into place. When changing the setting, release the pressure on the doors so the internal spring is not damaged and then reset the last quarter turn when it is at the number you want to try. A setting of one is the mildest; a setting of 9 is the most agressive. Many of us start around 4 until we achieve a feel for the razor. Try to change as few variables as you can when you first start.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask any additional questions you may have. We are glad to help you as we were so graciously helped when we started on B&B.

Congratulations on your beautiful new razor and enjoy your shaves.

Don

wat don said^^^^^^^^^^

 

[catherix]

SO, I shaved with it tonight after following Don's advice on the cleaning(it went perfectly!!). This thing is so shiny and the numbers are perfect and there are absolutely no blemishes on the thing! Some minor scratches on the head but I don't care with the way the rest of it looks! Okay fine here's the pictures:



The Shave:
Whipped up some Mike's and tossed in a med prep personna. Turned the dial to four and went for the first pass. It wasn't mild but it wasn't aggressive really either. Somewhere in between. Took of the appropriate amount of wiskers WTG but was less than the same blade in my DE89. I do believe that I had the angle wrong at first which may be the cause of this. It appears to need a shallower angle than I'm used to. No irritation after the first pass.
Lather up again and go with my normal second pass, a modified XTG that I've developed for my face. At this point I cranked it up to 5(I just couldn't help myself)Again I'm not sure I had the angle right at this point. Got nice and close as I always do with this pass, but with some irritation. Lather up again(turn it down to 4 again too) and go with a opposite XTG pass with some ATG. Again a little more irritation but overall pretty minor. Little more lather and some buffing under the jawline caused my only casualty - a nice slice just under my chin This is a somewhat common thing for me as I'm admiring my shave I move in the wrong direction(actually have a matching slice healing on the other side of my chin from a few days ago). Cold water rinse, alum, rinse, witch hazel, rinse, AoS AS. Bam, good looking shave.

Overall I can definitely see that admiration for this razor by other members. It has an awesome audio feedback, likely to do with the somewhat hollow head. The shave was as good as my DE89 with no nicks, but with more irritation. The irritation was definitely minor but with the EJ there is no irritation. I should have taken some of the advice I've heard on starting at 1 or 2 and using it for a few shaves before moving up and on, but I really couldn't help but play with it a bit! I'm sure there would have been less irritation if I had but I needed to play with my new toy Future shaves will be with a lower setting until I better understand this razor and dial in the angle. Once I've got that I'm going to try some different blades in it to get an idea of what I like best. Med preps are my favorites in my DE89 but I want to give other blades a shot in my slim just to be sure.

Thanks again for all the help gents! I hope this little review is helpful(apologies if I rambled).

 

[KipNoxzema]

Once you get your technique, angles, and shaving products dialed in, you'll be all set with your Slim. I love my '64 and I'll never part with it.

 

[GrandeVT]

I have: Fatboy, Red Tip, 40s SS, Flare Tip, Aristocrat (30s and 40s), New, EJ89, 38C, Diplomat, Slim to name a few.

If someone said: "you only get to keep one," it'd be the Slim for sure!

 

[ackvil]

That is one beautiful Slim. Enjoy it.