New Old Type Head issues

[MntnMan62]

I recently bought a re-plated Old Type head from Razor Emporium to put on my Ikon Bulldog handle. When it came I looked it over and liked how such an old razor head could look so new and shiny. It is my first product that is re-plated. Shaving with it is another story. Now, keep in mind that the Old Type is my favorite razor, regardless of version. Single Ring. Ball End. Doesn't matter. Well, my first shave with it was very rough. Lots of weepers. Lots of noise from the head as it scraped across my beard during the shave. More than normal. Lots of feedback from the alum. I thought that maybe the re-plating and additional metal may have changed the amount of blade exposure. When I took a closer look at the two pieces of the head, I noticed that two of the corners (left side of the first picture and top of the cap in the second picture below) of the top cap each have a tiny bump on the corner, similar to a NEW, only nowhere near as big. And I wonder if that has changed the amount of blade exposure. A second shave had similar results.

This morning I decided I would approach shaving with this head by carefully focusing on my technique, no pressure and angle. The result was a very good close BBS shave on my face and a DFS on my neck, which is usual for me. Only one or two weepers that went away after the aftershave. It was a 3 full pass plus touch up shave. Feedback from the alum was pronounced again however. I even felt some feedback as I rinsed with cold water after each pass, increasing with each pass.

I have heard other people talk about the "aggressiveness of the Old Type and I've never really found it to be so aggressive that it impeded my desire to use the razor. Just the opposite I love using my vintage Old Types and can get some of the best shaves with them of any razor I own. This one clearly has the ability to give me a nice close shave but the level of aggressiveness seems distinctly greater than any other Old Type I have used. I wouldn't think the two bumps would have any impact on how it shaves since increased exposure would come from an imperfection on the bottom plate, not the top cap. But I could also be wrong about that thought.

I have heard people on this site complain about Razor Emporium but I did not see those complaints until after I bought the head. I'm just wondering if this head is simply showing me how much I need to improve my technique or if something is really wrong with the head. I welcome the thoughts of those who have been at double edge shaving longer than I have, which is about a year and a half. Hopefully the pictures can show what I am talking about.

 

[nemo]

Old type with corner tabs? Is it Canadian?

 

[MntnMan62]

Old type with corner tabs? Is it Canadian?

No. USA. And the "corner tabs" aren't supposed to be there. They are only on two of four corners. And they are very very small. As I've been thinking about this, I'm thinking that the imperfections shouldn't have any impact on how it shaves. Lifting the cap slightly doesn't increase the amount of exposure from the bottom plate. But what do I know? I'm no engineer.

I will say that I am enjoying feeling my face today. It was a good shave. I'm also wondering if another blade would make a difference. I'm using Gillette Silver Blues. I have lots of Voskhod and Feather blades. Maybe I'll try on or both of those to see if there is any difference.

 

[MntnMan62]

I should add that I sent Razor Emporium an email along with the two pics I posted here. I'll be interested to see how and if they respond.

 

[MntnMan62]

Heard back. They said they don't see how that would increase blade gap and that they've seen caps with those little edges before. Meaning they have no intention of doing anything about it. Not surprised.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Those tabs, especially just on one side, just don’t look right. Try a cap off one of your other Old Types and see what happens.

Caps can have a large impact on how a razor feels. Never realized just how much until recently. Got a 15mm Deluxe, which stock was borderline harsh. Using a no tab cap off an English Flat Bottom NEW really smoothed it out.

But tabs, or bumps, whatever you want to call them on just one side has got to be wrong.

 

[G.W.]

Yeah, asymmetry doesn't seem correct at all. Don't see how it could be.
Looks like that cap was dinged up, and they just plated right over it. A few swipes of a file beforehand probably would have kept it usable.

 

[nemo]

If the bent corners are holding the cap off the base plate then it will, of course, affect the shave. Bigly.

If you feel your corner tabs are not supposed to be there (they're not) then you should be eligible for a PayPal refund, I'd get that in the works ASAP. Who wants a head that inflicts pain? Get your money back.

That cap has been rapped on the sink and never should have been replated.

 

[MntnMan62]

I agree with all three of you. I've written back to Razor Emporium, explaining that I would never expect to receive a razor part with imperfections after it has been replated. Any imperfections should have been addressed prior to the replate job. I demanded that he accept return of the part and refund my money. Given other people's experience with this outfit, I expect they will try and fight me over it. I bought it off of Etsy. I had a prior poor experience with an Etsy customer and Etsy was less than helpful. It was eventually resolved properly but not without much effort and the passage of way too much time. I only wish I had seen the warnings about Razor Emporium before making the purchase. Oh well.

 

[ScottChapin]

A little OT here, but my WTG pass on my neck is up and ATG pass is down. Never could get BBS on my neck until I figured that out.


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[MntnMan62]

Razor Emporium said they'd accept a return for full refund, even though it is outside of their 14 day return policy.

 

[MntnMan62]

A little OT here, but my WTG pass on my neck is up and ATG pass is down. Never could get BBS on my neck until I figured that out.


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I have my beard pretty well mapped. My shaves improved dramatically once I got that worked out. Regardless, I still have trouble on my neck due mainly to the fact that I shave with my right hand. And when I do my final ATG pass on my neck, I have trouble with my strokes on the far left side of my neck as I am moving the razor away from my adams apple. The angle is just crazy. I really don't want to try my left hand because I don't trust it and figure I'll just rip my neck apart. I'm ok with a DFS shave on half of my neck. Actually its on the border of DFS and BBS. It's close. And that's enough for me.

 

[ScottChapin]

Actually its on the border of DFS and BBS. It's close. And that's enough for me.

I get that, but I use my left s lot with a straight. With a DE on my neck, I just make sure that the razor weight contributes all of the pressure. I have cowlicks on both sides as well. It’s an ugly area.



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[KeenDogg]

I'm glad they will take it back. I agree with nemo on this one.

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[romsitsa]

Hello,

the "tabs" are an unwanted feature of Old types, caused by dropping.
Sometimes these little bumps even bend down the base plate (mostly on thin caps).
Sanding them down or bending back and checking base plate alignment usually helps to fix the issue.
A "mint" old type should give a very smooth shave.

Adam

 

[psfred]

Those bumps will leave the razor blade free to vibrate since the clamping pressure on the actual blade is less or zero.

The original thick blades had the corners ground off, and those "bumps" would have had no impact on the shave since the blade was much thicker and the "bumps" would probably have been outside the actual blade.

I'm going to check all my OLDS to see if they have bumps on the caps! Might not be very visible before replating. Wonder if they are a result of dropping the cap onto a tile floor, or if they were present to start with to aid in blade alignment.

Edit: Definitely damage -- all of my OLDS (including the no name German clone) have at least one "tab" -- some have one barely detectable, some have four! The baseplate is flat, so I would assume that if the "tab" is high enough to prevent the blade being clamped properly, the blade will vibrate at lot. Causes skipping, weepers, and general "rough" shave feeling.

Most of mine appear to be outside the edge of modern blades, but a significant bump could cause trouble -- modern blades are usually 0.004" thick.

 

[MntnMan62]

It’s going back. I’m looking for another Old Type on the bay that has a decent head.

 

[rudyt]

Chiming in late, but corner tabs should only exist on heads that have the corresponding notches in the baseplate. Yes, the effect the shave "bigly" as another poster stated.

There are two major causes of Old Type harshness; one is the bent corners like you have, and the other is a bowed baseplate and/or top cap.

I've rescued a bunch of Old Types and surprisingly, many had at least one bent corner. It's soft brass, so it's easy to hammer it flat, although it can also be filed off.

Here's a pre-op pic of my 1918 Single Ring that had both a bent corner and a bowed baseplate and top cap. It's all straight now and shaves like it should.

 

[Hannah's Dad]

Chiming in late, but corner tabs should only exist on heads that have the corresponding notches in the baseplate. Yes, the effect the shave "bigly" as another poster stated.

There are two major causes of Old Type harshness; one is the bent corners like you have, and the other is a bowed baseplate and/or top cap.

I've rescued a bunch of Old Types and surprisingly, many had at least one bent corner. It's soft brass, so it's easy to hammer it flat, although it can also be filed off.

Here's a pre-op pic of my 1918 Single Ring that had both a bent corner and a bowed baseplate and top cap. It's all straight now and shaves like it should.

How did you fix the bowed cap? I have a 1918 as well and it is slightly bowed like yours (was).

 

[rudyt]

How did you fix the bowed cap? I have a 1918 as well and it is slightly bowed like yours (was).

Hammer and dolly.

If you've ever done dent removal on your car, it's the same principle. I used a non-metallic hammer and a metal bodywork dolly. It's not hard if you're handy with tools, and real easy if you've ever fixed a dent on your car.