Old Matador

[Hak.1963]

Hi all!
I bought two vintage Matador razors, payed just 5 Euros for both of them.
I gave them a quick clean up with an old tooth brush and some mild detergent and I noticed that one of the baseplates are in a pretty bad shape.
Can you guys tell me if it's possible to get it replated, please?
Here are some pics:

 

[gvw755]

I have a Matador and think it is one of the best shaving razor I have. I believe all Matadors are brass underneath and so they could be replated. I remember though when I tried having one of my Swing razors replated, the guy that replated it said he was having trouble because there was a high zinc content in the brass which was causing bubbles. You might want to give it a try anyway.

 

[Hak.1963]

I have a Matador and think it is one of the best shaving razor I have. I believe all Matadors are brass underneath and so they could be replated. I remember though when I tried having one of my Swing razors replated, the guy that replated it said he was having trouble because there was a high zinc content in the brass which was causing bubbles. You might want to give it a try anyway.

Thanks!
Now all I have to do is to find out where I can get it replated, LOL, I have no idea where to look.
I have never tried an old Matador before and I think I will give them a try and see if they are any good for my face and stubble.
Then I will know if it's a good idea to restore them.

 

[jmudrick]

Matador's short guardspan gives them positive exposure, with outstanding efficiency and excellent smoothness with a light touch. Truly outstanding razors in my book.

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[Hak.1963]

Matador's short guardspan gives them positive exposure, with outstanding efficiency and excellent smoothness with a light touch. Truly outstanding razors in my book.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

As you can see in my pics they have different blade exposures, one of them looks really aggressive.
And that's the one I want to try first
If it's as aggressive as my R41 I better be careful.

 

[gvw755]

Thanks!
Now all I have to do is to find out where I can get it replated, LOL, I have no idea where to look.
I have never tried an old Matador before and I think I will give them a try and see if they are any good for my face and stubble.
Then I will know if it's a good idea to restore them.

What country are you in? You might want to ask in some of the forums in Europe, although from my experience, they seem to like keeping the razors as is (or maybe because they don't have as much replating folks over there).

 

[Bondage007]

Hello,
Footnote. Typical brass alloys are 70/30 brass/zinc (greenish color) or 85/15 brass/zinc (red, copper color). If you have access to a XRF (x-ray) gun you could test on a worn spot. It might get interference from plating but should give a good approximate reading. If you don’t have access to XRF go to a scrap metal buyer most have a portable gun type unit. They would probably test for a gratuity.

I have a Swing razor. Maybe I’ll take it to work and test it. It does have a greenish color to it.

Good luck.

Cheers
John

 

[Hak.1963]

What country are you in? You might want to ask in some of the forums in Europe, although from my experience, they seem to like keeping the razors as is (or maybe because they don't have as much replating folks over there).

Sweden.
I don't think it's hard to find people who are in the replating business, if you know where to look and what you're looking for.
I have friends that are metalworkers and welders, maybe they know?

 

[jmudrick]

As you can see in my pics they have different blade exposures, one of them looks really aggressive.
And that's the one I want to try first
If it's as aggressive as my R41 I better be careful.

I'm only familiar with the smooth safety bar version which has differential gap and exposure on the two sides. The other version has obviously greater cap span which may or may not translate into a more aggressive shave experience.

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[ajkel64]

Interesting old razors, congratulations.

 

[romsitsa]

Hello,

the cap and plate are zamak with a brass stem (one was brass, another zamak). Tried it, a replate is possible, but it’s not worth it.
Problem 1 is stripping, the classic acidic bath will dissolve it. If you sand down the nickel, the underlying, softer, zamak can be easily damaged.
Problem 2 is pitting under the nickel, if you can’t clean it out or fill it in, the new nickel won’t cover it. Cleaning out the pits is almost impossible as the zamak is soft.
If you try to fill pits in, be very careful, the zamak mixture has a very low melting point.

Adam

 

[Hak.1963]

Hello,

the cap and plate are zamak with a brass stem (one was brass, another zamak). Tried it, a replate is possible, but it’s not worth it.
Problem 1 is stripping, the classic acidic bath will dissolve it. If you sand down the nickel, the underlying, softer, zamak can be easily damaged.
Problem 2 is pitting under the nickel, if you can’t clean it out or fill it in, the new nickel won’t cover it. Cleaning out the pits is almost impossible as the zamak is soft.
If you try to fill pits in, be very careful, the zamak mixture has a very low melting point.

Adam

Thank you for the information

 

[Hak.1963]

Interesting old razors, congratulations.

Thanks

 

[Hak.1963]

@jmudrick
Your razor looks very interesting.
My razors look a little different compared to yours and even if both mine are labeled with the same name they look different.

I apologize for a bit worse pictures but my camera is not that good but I hope you can see the gaps on my razors.

 

[jmudrick]

@jmudrick
Your razor looks very interesting.
My razors look a little different compared to yours and even if both mine are labeled with the same name they look different.

I apologize for a bit worse pictures but my camera is not that good but I hope you can see the gaps on my razors.

View attachment 983857 View attachment 983858 View attachment 983859

Interesting. I'm not sure about the cap on the right belonging to that razor, it's an awful lot of cap span.

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[BigJ]

Hello,

the cap and plate are zamak with a brass stem (one was brass, another zamak). Tried it, a replate is possible, but it’s not worth it.
Problem 1 is stripping, the classic acidic bath will dissolve it. If you sand down the nickel, the underlying, softer, zamak can be easily damaged.
Problem 2 is pitting under the nickel, if you can’t clean it out or fill it in, the new nickel won’t cover it. Cleaning out the pits is almost impossible as the zamak is soft.
If you try to fill pits in, be very careful, the zamak mixture has a very low melting point.

Adam

Great explanation!!

 

[Hak.1963]

Interesting. I'm not sure about the cap on the right belonging to that razor, it's an awful lot of cap span.

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Agree, it's an awful lot of cap span.
But also the base plates differ, although they are marked with the same name and model
"Matador De Luxe Precisionsrakhyvel"

 

[jmudrick]

Agree, it's an awful lot of cap span.
But also the base plates differ, although they are marked with the same name and model
"Matador De Luxe Precisionsrakhyvel"

Well let's get some shaves on. I've got mine queued up (which as you can see from the photo is definitely not Zamak).

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[Hak.1963]

Well let's get some shaves on. I've got mine queued up (which as you can see from the photo is definitely not Zamak).

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Yes, let's do it

Or, maybe I should wait until I know that my two razors are properly cleaned up and sterile?
I will clean them properly with antiseptic cleaning that we have at work, then I intend to test them both

 

[jmudrick]

Matador , Fatip Mk1. The feedback of the Mk1 makes it for me a lot more fun to use, but the Matador is ultimately smoother and a tad more efficient. Derby USTA.

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