My Precious... (or, how I spent my Saturday afternoon ;) Pic heavy

[T Rick]

Sorry guys, I somehow ended up with two threads (this was only a partial)

Please Don't click here for the full thread. Thanks!
Link is now dead. Threads were merged (sometimes that makes a mess of things ). Scroll down a few posts, you'll get the thread with the pics

 

[John C]

Not a bad way to spend a sat.
Nice work, great results!

 

[mdunn]

looking good!!

 

[highball]

Looks very nice, did you use the baking soda/foil method that Guido suggested on my Bulldog

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

Very nice T, very nice.

Are you going to shave with Precious tomorrow?

 

[Pike]

 

[texbilly]

Very nice If you have a significant other, does she know about Precious?

 

[T Rick]

This gleaming beauty is the result, but that's the end of the story. I should start a bit earlier...

2 weeks ago, I was just ecstatic to have picked up a very nice cased Double Ring. In a late night (early AM actually) round of PM's with another Member here, discussing our collections and how we always seemed to be after an example of the same razor at the same time (and not always the same piece, twice it has been the same model, same time, different Sellers altogether), he pointed out there was another Double Ring on eBay. I hadn't seen this one (it was in the UK).

Figuring I didn't need another, I thought it couldn't hurt to have a look... When Mr. Cullens informed me he wasn't bidding, I decided I'd get up the next morning and throw in my bid. It was a zero feedback Seller, and was not cased (actually it was coming with a Rocket and a Bostonian case)- and the pics were not great... By all rights, it should have gone cheap. But, it was a Double Ring.

Throwing caution to the wind (something I don't do that often), I placed a bid higher than I should have, but high enough I thought I'd win. Turns out, I did!

A couple days ago, my prize arrived here in the Detroit area. I was immediately glad I'd left the nice patina on the other(s), as this one looked the perfect candidate to shine like it should when new!

Not the prettiest when she arrived...

(The reversed diamond logo is bleed off from a blade that was in it when it arrived, as is the printing on the underside of the cap).

Having lots of experience with the hot (boiling) water/baking soda/aluminum foil process from my Single Rings (it works, and doesn't eat the silver plating, and is not toxic like TarnX and other methods!), I knew this would be a good candidate for it. First up, a soak in warm water for a half hour, then scrubbing bubbles and a toothbrush to remove the crud (Q Tips and Scrubbing Bubbles for the inside of the handle and barrel nut), and a little toothpaste for the underside of the head at the post.

Then, into the casserole dish on the counter. 3 or 4 treatments later, she was looking much more presentable.

Finishing up with a light polish with Wright's Silver Cream, she was ready to be the Belle of the Ball!

Now, the only issue, a proper home for her... really shouldn't have bid so much for an uncased DR, I mean what are the odds? Fortunately, only 19 days earlier, I spotted this little mismatch....

$20.75 and this beautiful find was on it's way to it's new home in Metro Detroit. As soon as I spotted this case, I just knew I'd some day find an uncased Double Ring. Thought it might take a year or two really, but... here we are, a match made in heaven!

Seen here, she's in good company. Lots of long lost relatives to keep her from being lonely .

Sure, she's got a couple of crooked teeth. But would that stop you from cozying up to this beauty? Hey, she's a hundred and four years old!

Thanks for letting me share my Saturday with you!

 

[mdunn]

quite a few great razors in that last pic!

 

[DSB]

WOW! Thanks for sharing. What a great post!

 

[T Rick]

Thanks guys.... don't know how it happened, but this was just the beginning of the thread. Somehow it went from preview to post, there is an identical titled thread with LOTS of pics, and the full story! I've asked the Mods to merge them when they can, but no telling who's avaialbe right now... (Edit: above is the correct post, threads have been merged, Thanks Mods!).

This one will get it's first shave with me the week after next (it's a long story, but I have a plan.... ).

 

[T Rick]

Looks very nice, did you use the baking soda/foil method that Guido suggested on my Bulldog

Exactly the same, that's where I got it. I've posted links to that thread at least a dozen times (I always credit Guido when I mention it, except this time I forgot to, and from Memory I can tell you it is the 13th post in that thread).

FWIW, that thread is partially to blame for my rampaging RAD too, as I fell in love with the Bulldog! (Got one about a month ago, a lovely beast!).

Also found an article on exactly how the baking soda/aluminum foil process works and why it doesn't degrade the silver. Article is here.

 

[mansquatch]

Thanks for the post with pics! Nice clean up! I was wanting to clean mine up and this is just what i needed to see!

 

[thunderball]

Good stuff mate!

 

[T Rick]

Thanks for the post with pics! Nice clean up! I was wanting to clean mine up and this is just what i needed to see!

The process is outlined by AsylumGuido here in a thread on a Bulldog. Scroll down to the 13th post. I don't know a lot, but I know enough to listen to him on these matters

Here'a an article I found detailing how/why it works.

 

[**Bingo_Bob**]

fun post... is it british made? Does it have a serial number or a patent date on it?

 

[T Rick]

fun post... is it british made? Does it have a serial number or a patent date on it?

Gillette wasn't yet established in the UK (not sure when they started building there, but 1905 was the first really big year for Gillette Sales). It does have a serial number of 123672, putting it in about the first quarter of total production for 1905. It also carries the typical patent date of Nov. 15 '04

 

[Antique Hoosier]

Enjoyed your post very much! Excellent photographs as well. Thank you.

 

[ryrelav]

WOW!WOW! Good score!