Newbie. Just bought these. Identification help.

[Bruce85]

Hello,

I am new to shaving with a safety razor and I managed to find these at some antique shops.

I am hoping to get some help with identifying two of the three I bought.

I believe one of the three is a Eclipse Red Ring.

One other has Gillette printed on the underneath of the head (the very short handle razor) and the razor with the flip open head ohas nothing printed on it.

Also what would be the best way to get these clean and looking in good shape again.

Thanks.

 

[huck1680]

Well, its certainly would seem that you found a pretty rare razor as far as the Eclipse is concerned. Nice catch. I am going to suggest the short handled razor is an Old Type Milady Decolletee from the mid to late 20's. The last one looks like a 50's Flare Tip Rocket. Cleaning...soak in a warm wash of dishwashing liquid and water. Scrub with toothbrush. Then you can use Scrubbing bubbles as well. Metal polishes are perhaps next to remove some of the staining. Nothing too harsh. There may be some pitting so a re-plate might be considered. The Eclipse is the real prize here and looks to be in very good shape as it is. I don't think I would re-plate either of the other two.
Check out the web page mr-razor.com
He has a very good site for checking and IDing razors for Gillette.

 

[Multum in parvo]

+1 to the Gentleman above

Richard @EclipseRedRing might have some more details.

 

[dmshaver]

Congratulations, nice scores! Please do not use boiling water, it can severely damage the plating. Soak in warm water with Dawn dishwashing soap 30 minutes then lightly scrub with a toothbrush. Repeat soak & scrub a few times. Depending on how thin the plating is, even a mild metal polish like Flitz may take off some of the remaining plating.

 

[romsitsa]

How can boiling water damage plating?

 

[BigJ]

Great work!! Enjoy!!

 

[Multum in parvo]

How can boiling water damage plating?

We had someone here that literally boiled his razor in a pot. I would guess the common practice is to pour hot/boiling water of the specimen (at least that is how I do it) but not to heat it up at the bottom a pot.

 

[Happy Jack]

How can boiling water damage plating?

There are documented cases on here and elsewhere. I suspect it's just how hot it is, rather than the fact it's actually boiling water. Probably the brass expands more than the nickel, which causes it to separate. Water from the hot tap and some soap will kill any germs.

 

[gpjoe]

Very nice razors. It's more exciting to find them "in the wild" versus shopping on-line.

Just want to stress that polishing will remove plating if an agressive polish and heavy hand are used.

Best to follow the advice above and use dish soap, warm water, and a toothbrush. Soak and scrub, rinse, dry and examine the razor. You may be surprised to find a beautiful vintage razor hiding behing years of gunk and soap scum.

If the razor does need polishing, go easy, and frequently stop and check your work. If you polish too aggressively you may wear through the plating and expose the brass base metal of the razor.

 

[Jack Goossen]

Hello,

I am new to shaving with a safety razor and I managed to find these at some antique shops.

I am hoping to get some help with identifying two of the three I bought.

I believe one of the three is a Eclipse Red Ring.

One other has Gillette printed on the underneath of the head (the very short handle razor) and the razor with the flip open head ohas nothing printed on it.

Also what would be the best way to get these clean and looking in good shape again.

Thanks.

Just wow

 

[dmshaver]

How can boiling water damage plating?

I haven't done it myself, but have read numerous threads of members boiling their razors & the plating being lifted, removed or the plating turning black. I have also read threads where no damage was done. Boiling does not guarantee damage, but I like to remind people that damage is possible when using boiling water.

 

[Happy Jack]

How can boiling water damage plating?

Also consider that a razor at the bottom of a saucepan of water being brought to boiling point will get much hotter than the water. It still seems unnecessary, though.

 

[Bruce85]

Thanks to everyone for their replies thus far.

Another question, are there any particular blades that work well in any of these razors?

Thanks.

 

[gpjoe]

Thanks to everyone for their replies thus far.

Another question, are there any particular blades that work well in any of these razors?

Thanks.

That is a million-dollar question.

There are hundreds of blades and an infinite number of opinions. If you read a bit in the "Safety Raor Blades" sub-forum, you will see trends, get an idea of what is currently popular, and a rough approximation of blade characteristics.

Any double-edged (DE) blade will fit your razors, so it is up to you to decide which suits you. Probably best to purchase a sample pack of assorted blades and try them to see if you have a preference. Sample packs are available from just about any on-line shaving shop. There is a site, tryablade, that will let you pick a variety of the exact blades you want to try, whereas others offer a sample of blades of their choosing with no substitutions.

 

[Mike Williams]

There are documented cases on here and elsewhere. I suspect it's just how hot it is, rather than the fact it's actually boiling water. Probably the brass expands more than the nickel, which causes it to separate. Water from the hot tap and some soap will kill any germs.

Hot tap water and soap will get most, but not all germs. Rinse very well. Might want to find another acceptable way to actually disinfect a razor that someone else has used. Just saw a video by Geo Fatboy where he recommends alcohol or Barbicide. I think it takes about 5 minutes for alcohol to disinfect, but I might accept less time than that if previously washed well with dish soap and rinsed very well. I would want to also rinse very well after using alcohol or Barbicide to disinfect.

 

[ShaverAZ]

Thanks to everyone for their replies thus far.

Another question, are there any particular blades that work well in any of these razors?

Thanks.

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) is an appropriate phrase concerning selection of blades. What works for one person may not give optimum results for another. Add to this the fact that the same blade will perform differently in various makes and models of razors.
Throughout the years, I've found that the Gillette Silver Blue and Astra Superior platinum blades work in a greater variety of my razors than most other brands.
Avoid the impulse to get too many different blades, since it can be overwhelming - especially when some blades can provide excellent shaves for anywhere from 3 to a dozen shaves. Nobody pointed out this to me many years ago, so consequently I have a few favorites, but also several boxes of different blades i got to try out, but haven't evaluated yet.
Nevertheless, good sources to buy small (or large) quantities of blades at a reasonable price are:

Wet Shaving – Bolzano, Gillette, Personna Double Edge Razor Blades

Shop double edge razor blades from our one stop shop. We offer quality blades for your wet shaving at a very low cost shipment

www.razorbladesclub.com

www.tryablade.com

Buying blades is a lot like eating candy. Great self restraint is needed.

 

[ShaverAZ]

How can boiling water damage plating?

Keep in mind that many razors were either give-aways with blade purchases, or low-priced. Gold plating especially, is thin and so easy to polish thru down to the underlying brass. Because of the thin plating, a clear or red lacquer was often used to delay the gold actually wearing.
Hot water or aggressive cleaning can damage or remove the 50+ year old protective lacquer.