Old Types - what causes the crack(s)

[zygalski]

Just interested to know if anyone has specific theories why most of these have cracks on the handles.
Is it the design, age, the thickness of the barrel, stress of being dropped one too many times...

Why are Old Types the only razor that regularly suffers from fractured handles?

Here's mine:

 

[mblakele]

They were not the only type to suffer. New Improved and NEW handles also cracked and split.

The cause was basically poor manufacturing. Brass is subject to work-hardening, so fitting the handles together set up stresses in the metal. Those stresses could have been relieved by annealing, but apparently Gillette did not do that. Some cracking might also be induced by exposure to ammonia: aka season cracking.

 

[zygalski]

...annealing...

Thanks for that.
BTW - word of the day prize on it's way

annealing: a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a material causing changes in properties such as strength, hardness, and ductility

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

The handles were made from tubing with the ends pressed in. The tubing is made by rolling sheet stock on a form between rollers. There is a natural overlap at the ends of the sheet, forming a seam. The rolling initially covers that up, and it lasted for decades, but eventually the pressure of the ends in the tubing, coupled with heating and cooling cycles in the environment, coupled with the lack of annealing, causes the seam to open up.

I expect every one of these handles will eventually crack, but mine which is pushing 100 now has only a short crack and I think it held up exceptionally well.

Stan

 

[zygalski]

Mine as pictured above has been soldered by Dave at restoredrazors.com as part of a replate. Is there any reason to think another crack would appear if the razor is used with care?

 

[mikemullin6]

I was thinking that a possible reason for the cracks was the user over tightening the handle to the head. Also, the base of the head that the tube goes over may be just a little too big and, when tightened, can over stress the handle and, presto, crack!

 

[mblakele]

The handles were made from tubing with the ends pressed in. The tubing is made by rolling sheet stock on a form between rollers. There is a natural overlap at the ends of the sheet, forming a seam. The rolling initially covers that up, and it lasted for decades, but eventually the pressure of the ends in the tubing, coupled with heating and cooling cycles in the environment, coupled with the lack of annealing, causes the seam to open up.

I expect every one of these handles will eventually crack, but mine which is pushing 100 now has only a short crack and I think it held up exceptionally well.

That sounds reasonable - but there would only be one seam, right? Right now I am looking at a 1921-29 Old Type handle with two cracks: one split along a rough line and another crack about 45 degrees around the handle.

And any seam would be along a longitudinal line, right? Here is a NEW Deluxe handle that split along a sort of diagonal line. This one had high internal stresses: note the failed epoxy repair.



As far as I can tell that NEW Deluxe was never used until I got it. Personally I have yet to see any sign of a crack expanding. So I tend to think that handles are now old enough to be stable.

I was thinking that a possible reason for the cracks was the user over tightening the handle to the head. Also, the base of the head that the tube goes over may be just a little too big and, when tightened, can over stress the handle and, presto, crack!

That sounds reasonable and might affect some handles. But I don't think it explains the NEW Deluxe pictured above: as far as I could tell that razor had never been used until I got it. I think it either it split on the way from the factory to the retailer, or someone received it unsplit as a gift but already had a razor. Either way I think it split without seeing much, if any, use.