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Psycho Razor Owners Club

As we all know original keys are hard to find and people have made DIY and machined keys over the years. I do not have any photos but some of the nicest looking keys were made by a former member cooncat Bob, Bob Smith at Bob's Razor Works (BRW). Razor Emporium makes a key that is as close as you get to the original. They have a video on their site on how the make them which I find interesting.
Several years ago I had a local machine shop make me Replica Psycho Keys. When I had them make them for me I wanted a good looking but not exact replica so no one would think that it was original. I had an aluminum and a stainless steel version made. When I had both types of keys made I had them use stainless steel for the hex head inserts for durability. So the part that tightens and loosens the razor is stainless steel. The replica key is a little shorter I did this so that the seam between the key and the razor is the same.

As far as a weight comparison:
Original Key – 1.53 oz
Stainless Steel Key – 1.25 oz
Aluminum Key - .49 oz

These photos shows the comparisons between Aluminum(left), Original(middle) & Stainless Steel(right) keys.
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These photo shows the seam between the Replica key and the razor and the Original key and the razor. As you can see from both photos the seam is the same.
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Interesting Robert. My previous Psycho Razor had one of Bob's replica keys. My current one has one of your replicas. Thanks for these details.
 
So I had mentioned a special project in the works... she was finished today.
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So now for the reason. It’s not PURE gluttony I suppose... my wife and I just had our first child and so I wanted to get a “child safe” safety razor before he came of age to get curious. Logical precautions will of course be followed for safe storage, but boys will be boys...
Being a Psycho enthusiast with fat handled techs as my favorite Gillette shavers, the razor came to mind immediately. But I wanted something that would be nice to look at in my bathroom as my go-to shaver.
Chris at RazorPlate.com was kind enough to take up my request to have a Psycho spiced up a bit in 24k, and the result... I could not be happier with!
 
So I had mentioned a special project in the works... she was finished today.
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So now for the reason. It’s not PURE gluttony I suppose... my wife and I just had our first child and so I wanted to get a “child safe” safety razor before he came of age to get curious. Logical precautions will of course be followed for safe storage, but boys will be boys...
Being a Psycho enthusiast with fat handled techs as my favorite Gillette shavers, the razor came to mind immediately. But I wanted something that would be nice to look at in my bathroom as my go-to shaver.
Chris at RazorPlate.com was kind enough to take up my request to have a Psycho spiced up a bit in 24k, and the result... I could not be happier with!
Absolutely GORGEOUS and what responsible reasoning. I wish you the best shaves with it !!
 
So I had mentioned a special project in the works... she was finished today.
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So now for the reason. It’s not PURE gluttony I suppose... my wife and I just had our first child and so I wanted to get a “child safe” safety razor before he came of age to get curious. Logical precautions will of course be followed for safe storage, but boys will be boys...
Being a Psycho enthusiast with fat handled techs as my favorite Gillette shavers, the razor came to mind immediately. But I wanted something that would be nice to look at in my bathroom as my go-to shaver.
Chris at RazorPlate.com was kind enough to take up my request to have a Psycho spiced up a bit in 24k, and the result... I could not be happier with!
Absolutely beautiful!
 
Absolutely GORGEOUS and what responsible reasoning. I wish you the best shaves with it !!

Absolutely beautiful!
Well thank you guys. I half expected to be scorned for plating over a piece of history... but the way it turned out I'm not sure you can call it anything other than awesome. To my knowledge it's the only 24k plated psycho out there and I cannot wait to shave with it.
 
Well thank you guys. I half expected to be scorned for plating over a piece of history... but the way it turned out I'm not sure you can call it anything other than awesome. To my knowledge it's the only 24k plated psycho out there and I cannot wait to shave with it.
If I ever get my hands on another psycho with an original key, I'd be very tempted to have it 24k plated as well.
 
Date codes were a Gillette thing so I'm guessing a 4th quarter 1958, but besides Grafco there were apparently some other manufacturers. I defer to @Bobbers as with a collection like his I'm sure he has more knowledge and history to help with this kind of question. Regardless she's a nice specimen. Mines a T so I'm assuming it's a 1973 and not a 1948?
Odd, the cap and baseplate run more to the 60's and later style. So, I'm wondering, did Gillette introduce that style early for the Psycho or (more likely) is that D4 from 4th quarter 1983 (late, but reasonable)? As for the lack of markings, I think that things were a bit confused between Gillette USA and Gillette Britain; contract supplied razors from that era mention some components made in one country and some in the other.
 
Well thank you guys. I half expected to be scorned for plating over a piece of history... but the way it turned out I'm not sure you can call it anything other than awesome. To my knowledge it's the only 24k plated psycho out there and I cannot wait to shave with it.
No, it is *absolutely* beautiful as others have said. If, anything, I'd say you honored it. I find that my first thoughts range from it looking like something from one of those "Country Club" Federal prisons to it being almost gangsta', like something a rapper might shave with.

FWIW, I personally don't think there are many Gillette razors for which replating/coating is "inappropriate". Most were mass produced in too great a volume for anyone to feel the need to preserve a "pristine" one. In the end, it's your razor and you should do with it what you want.
 
FWIW, I personally don't think there are many Gillette razors for which replating/coating is "inappropriate". Most were mass produced in too great a volume for anyone to feel the need to preserve a "pristine" one. In the end, it's your razor and you should do with it what you want.

This is absolutely true. While the Psychos are fine-looking razors with really interesting histories, they are certainly not the "top quality" razors produced by Gillette, even at that time. They were a product created to be used, and used in varying conditions.
I should also say that the key (while being a very good one) is a reproduction key. I couldn't bring myself to send an OEM key out of my sight :)
 
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Is this one of the keys from Razor Emporium?
yeah, i found a post on ebay for considerably less than the website (probably updated by now). but i thought it was a good opportunity to have it plated and keep my original keys in original condition. (not that plating in 24k actually does anything more than putting a thing gold layer over the nickel) totally reversible in the end
 
yeah, theirs are really nice by all measures. the one i got was from their ebay store... they also have NOS Psycho razors with the replica keys at not completely outrageous prices. So if anyone feels like joining the Psycho team, that's your in!
 
yeah, i found a post on ebay for considerably less than the website (probably updated by now). but i thought it was a good opportunity to have it plated and keep my original keys in original condition. (not that plating in 24k actually does anything more than putting a thing gold layer over the nickel) totally reversible in the end
Every since I saw that key I have been wanting to get my hands on one to see how it compared to the original. Can you answer a couple of questions? What is the weight? Also how did they make the hex insert part of the key? Is it machined or did they put a hex head screw in the end.
 
I can get you the weight when I get a chance. I do know that they are solid brass, so you can safely assume they are machined, and there is NOT a key insert. Say what you will about RE and their variance in quality over the years... they really made a nice replica key. Too bad you cannot shave with it ;)
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This is a comparison of the replica (left) vs an original (right). You'd have to be looking really closely to notice any real difference, especially if they weren't side by side.
 
I can get you the weight when I get a chance. I do know that they are solid brass, so you can safely assume they are machined, and there is NOT a key insert. Say what you will about RE and their variance in quality over the years... they really made a nice replica key. Too bad you cannot shave with it ;)
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This is a comparison of the replica (left) vs an original (right). You'd have to be looking really closely to notice any real difference, especially if they weren't side by side.
1 difference though subtle appears that the little ring that attaches to the bigger ring appears more square edged and the original appears rounded. Is that the case? Any differences you can note in person for some not wanting to pay for an original only to be sold a reproduction?
 
1 difference though subtle appears that the little ring that attaches to the bigger ring appears more square edged and the original appears rounded. Is that the case? Any differences you can note in person for some not wanting to pay for an original only to be sold a reproduction?
I like this idea. When I get mine back from plating I'll do a writeup on all the visible differences and also note any weight/dimensional differences as well. This should help some folks make informed decisions when trying to buy OEM keys. I'll try to document in pictures as well, but we'll see how that goes!
 
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