Need a Little Help Adjusting my Gillette Slim

[Dirty Harry]

I just picked up my 2nd and 3rd razor. I got an F-2 Super Speed and an I-2 Slim for cheap.
I spent a little time getting rid of 40 year old soap scum and they look great.
The Super Speed seems ready to work but I spotted a little issue with the slim.

The blade exposure is a little inconsistent (wide)on one corner. The gap between the door and the safety bar is wider on one corner than the others.

I'm assuming it was dropped.

I'm not sure how to approach this. I'd like to get it tuned up a little to get it as close to normal as possible. I'm not even sure what normal is or how to measure it. I didn't realize it but you can see it in the picture.

Before I carve a dead furrow in my face I'd like to address this. The doors seem to work well and they close evenly. The gap between parts seems a little "off" on that corner.

My metal bending tools are usually a hammer and pliers and the use of a 4" Wilton Bullet vise to make sure everyone sits still.
I'm thinking some of those items are not appropriate in this matter.

How can I make this better?

I've done a quick look around the inner webs but haven't found any YouTube or anything.

Avert your eyes from the razor on the right. It just wants to be the center of attention.

If you need another close up let me know.

Dirty

 

[Lord NSIC]

Trying to get out the door, but do a search (google) for fixing gillette slim butter knife badger and blade and there will be numerous links. also look for gillette adjustable or gillette razor gap settings and you can use a feeler gauge to get the gaps good. Others will chime in and I'll stop by later tonight/tomorrow to see if there are any questions. Always google what you are looking for followed by "Badger and Blade" as the B&B Search function isn't always as user friendly

Repair of Gillette slim vintage

I've got a Gillette Slim vintage razor that has one slightly bent safety bar. May have been from a short fall. In addition to this, despite continued deep cleansing in soap and hot water (usually necessary after about 6-10 shaves), the TTO nob just refuses to ever stay loose. I live in France...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[LJBraaten]

My super speed had the same problem. The following advice assumes that this won’t affect the adjustment mechanism in your razor. I gently pried the metal strip on one end that connects the two doors. If it was dropped the low side needs to go up. Needle nose pliers, one side on the base plate or top bar the other under the metal, gently pinch. If your pliers don’t have a smooth grip you will probably want to protect the razor with something like masking tape or a thin piece of cardboard.

 

[Dirty Harry]

After looking at it more I think I need to bend the safety bar a little. I found the blade clearances (.015) and I have some feeler gauges. I'll check things tomorrow and try the butter knife method.

The doors close and open evenly so I think the damage is confined to the safety bar.

I'll circle back and let you know how things go.
Dirty

 

[Dirty Harry]

Well, it ain't perfect but it'll do.

I did manage to tweak a few areas and the gaps are a lot more even.
I think I learned a little more about how these razors work. They are built well and a rather ingenious design.

Those safety bar plates are not meant to bend for sure. I doubt a dropwould bend them. Maybe run over with a truck would do it.

I realize now that every part interacts with every other part on the head. You change one thing and you affect something else. The spider may actually be the issue causing the doors to close on the blade differently. I'm not sure how you would verify that without a teardown.

Until I know more, I'll think I'll call it good unless my next shave with it results in a call to 911.

Thanks for all the help.

Dirty

 

[dmshaver]

Did you survive your next shave?

 

[ShaverAZ]

If you know what you're doing,you can reposition the bar to even out the blade gap.

if you just THINK you know what you're doing, you may as well use this:

 

[Dirty Harry]

I did survive and found it to be a good shave experience. The settings are a little different than on my Fatboy but I'm trying different settings. I think I'll keep this one in my rotation.

Dirty

 

[ShaverAZ]

I did survive and found it to be a good shave experience. The settings are a little different than on my Fatboy but I'm trying different settings. I think I'll keep this one in my rotation.

Dirty

Nice thing about the Slim is how securely it holds the blade. That extra 1/4 turn makes the difference

 

[Esox]

You might check this thread.

Opinions Wanted on Restoration

I finally got my $20CAD Gillette Aristocrat in the mail after 62 days! The razor appears to be functionally sound with almost complete plate loss and one lazy door. As it is, it functions well enough to use but it's certainly not pretty to look at. This first set of pictures is after two one...

www.badgerandblade.com

They arent always bent how you think they are.

 

[Dirty Harry]

"Nice thing about the Slim is how securely it holds the blade. That extra 1/4 turn makes the difference."

I do like the feedback you get from the extra 1/4 turn. I miss that when I use the SS Flare.

Also, Its a good idea to tighten before you get wet hands and razor. Grabbing the head with a loose razor in it could be bad news. I've used a towel to grip the razor but I usually get the razor set to go before I start the process.

Still learning,

Do folks leave the blade down tight in the razor after use or release the pressure a little?
I doubt the razor or blade care unless you tend to clean and dry the blade after every use.

 

[Chad3]

I loosen just so the blade is flat and give a good blow to push out some of the hot water I rinsed it with. It then goes in the medicine cabinet for the next use.

 

[ShaverAZ]

It's such a simple matter to open the azor and remove the blade after each use. I rinse & dry the razor, then rinse the soap scum off the blade & twang it a couple of times to remove excess water. After letting the blsde completely dry, I just put it back into the wrapper to store for next use.

 

[desrgrl]

Always google what you are looking for followed by "Badger and Blade" as the B&B Search function isn't always as user friendly

Thank you for that nugget of advice. So simple that it never even occurred to me, but very helpful.

 

[desrgrl]

How can I make this better?

I will mention, if you get a razor where you don't feel as comfortable doing it yourself, there are cleaning/aligning services available. I was looking into plating options, and the place I saw most recommended here (Back Roads Gold) and while looking at his site, he also has cleaning/adjusting/polishing service for just $27. I consider that relatively inexpensive, for a razor I don't want to accidentally wreck, but want in better shape. Very much YMMV, as some might consider that expensive.

also, *waves*... my birthday Superspeed Flare is my favourite, and when I got rid of all razors but two, it stayed. I now have a Slim Adjustable, that is replacing my Parker 26C (which I also loved, but it was a bit too aggressive). I like the Slim, still getting technique down, but very happy with it.

 

[SlimChicken]

Back Roads Gold is the man!

 

[desrgrl]

Back Roads Gold is the man!

I've heard great things about him from probably a dozen or so people, with great enthusiasm. I'm toying with the idea of plating one of my razors, nothing I'd be doing any time soon, but took a look over at his site, and that is when I discovered the clean/polish/adjust service for$27 USD. Some might think it pricey, but if I had anything I wanted fix up, I know that I can only do a basic clean, not a deep dive, so it seemed reasonable to me. If I decide not to plate, I might do that option instead.

 

[tehnothing]

I’ve had the tuneup service from Back Roads Gold, and, can say nothing but positive things about the experience. It came back like new including return shipment for $25 when I got it done.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I'm also a great fan of Chris Spencer. I've got a handle to repate and maybe a Ball End Old Type 9if it shaves as well as I want).
Here's another sample of his work: