Polishing a Rex razor DIY question

[Xonic]

HI. apologies if this has already been discussed somewhere else, but couldn't find a thread on it. I've just bought a new Rex Konsul. I love it, but it does create a lot of drag on my face. I have the standard finish and have been wondering about polishing it. Since i live in the UK< I'd have to send it to Mat in America and he'd hthen have to post it back, so it would not be inexpensive to do this. I've heard a few people on the forums say they polish their razors and inparticular the Rex razor to buff off the sharp edges, smooth the cap etc.

I have no eyesight and I'm really not sure how easy it is to do this by feel alone. Certainly I have a very good sense of touch, but I'm not sure what tools are required, whether any shops in the UK would do this for example I know Exec shaving restores razors, but any others? What do people think? I'm assuming I'd just have to polish the cap and safety bar. If it's just a case of buffing with a cloth for a long time until very smooth I'm completely fine with that, I just need to know what to get. If it involves lots of diamond paste like stropping a streight razor, that might possibly be trickier.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Thanks.

Ed.

 

[santamariasteve]

Ed, you would be wasting your time. The razor glides on soap or other lubricant, not on a smooth metallic finish. I have to believe your razor already has a smooth finish.

But here's an easy and inexpensive experiment for you. Apply a tiny bit of automotive body wax or polish on the working surfaces of your razor, and buff briefly with an old soft cloth.

I predict you will notice no discernable improvement in the glide of the razor. Again, the razor glides on slippery soap. The resistance you feel may be . . . whiskers.

 

[Xonic]

HI. I will try that. No the drag definitely isn't being caused by whiskers, I've used other razors which don't cause this and Rex's are fairly well documented across forums as causing a little drag. The top cap also feels more mat than some of the other razors I've used.

 

[lasta]

Hi Xonic,

I caught the polishing bug a few months ago and have been buying grungy looking razors just for fun.

All you need are:
1. Sandpaper: I use 400, 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000 depending on the surface condition.
2. Metal polish: Optional if you use 7000 grit sandpaper.
3. 30 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you buff.

For the blasted finish on the Rex, I'd probably start with 400 grit and move up in increments. Shine starts peaking at around 3000. You can stop there and move to metal polish, or keep buffing up to 7000.

 

[santamariasteve]

Why do I cringe when I hear sandpaper recommended for usage on high quality and valuable safety razors?

You might want to check with the razor's manufacturer before doing the sandpaper thang. It might null the warranty. It certainly would if I were the manufacturer!

 

[BanjoCowboyMartaTobes]

What causes drag? I have read many posts and having formed my own opinions, I would have given the same answer as @santamariasteve. My daily is a Super 109 Black Beauty and I can do multiple buffing passes without applying new soap with zero irritation on setting 3. Today I used my new Flexi and what the heck, this beautiful piece would stick to my face on any setting intermittently. Drag, or involuntary vacuum action is scary lol. I used Cella red and although I didn’t see any blood, my heart skipped many beats over these half dozen moments.
My first thought was to use a better glide soap next and my second was to polish the head. I suspect the real (hopefully) fix will be to play with angles more. EJ89 and half a dozen vintage Gillette's haven’t stuck to my face ever yet this Flexi kept me on my toes. Best of luck @Xonic, I’m in your boat as well.

 

[ERS4]

The reason the Rex razor has resistance has less to do with the finish, but because his safety lever perfectly removes the residual foam, leaving the shaver easily affected by the friction of the skin.

I also found some resistance when I first got my Rex ambassador, but after I adjusted the lather and pre-shave settings for a while, no resistance again.

 

[magle]

I was lucky enough to try a rex ambassador razor! I noticed that the razor does not slide as much as a polished razor.
Has anyone tried to polish it?
Did you succeed, what was the result?
If you have photos after polishing I would love to see how the razor looks.

 

[lasta]

I was lucky enough to try a rex ambassador razor! I noticed that the razor does not slide as much as a polished razor.
Has anyone tried to polish it?
Did you succeed, what was the result?
If you have photos after polishing I would love to see how the razor looks.

Hi magle,

I got in the habit of polishing just about all my razors. They look better polished!

But to be honest, don't expect any performance differences between polished, tumbled, or even grungy patina'd brass. It's only cosmetic.

Work on your pre-shave. Watery lather is smoother than thick.

 

[Xonic]

Hi magle,

I got in the habit of polishing just about all my razors. They look better polished!

But to be honest, don't expect any performance differences between polished, tumbled, or even grungy patina'd brass. It's only cosmetic.

Work on your pre-shave. Watery lather is smoother than thick.

I'd agree. I didn't polish mine in the end and it glides fine over my face now. I just needed to find the right angle and lather consistancy.