Question for Restorers/Collectors

[Rowsdower]

Recently won what i believed to be an unlisted president off the bay and received it yesterday.

The razor appeared to be in very good condition and just had some typical black crud on handle and a little bit of soap/cream scum on it.

i soaked the razor for about 20-25 minutes in hot water and a little bit of dawn soap. Once i started to give it a bit of a scrub with a soft toothbrush, the black crud came off easy, but i was alarmed to start seeing what appeared to be solid brass amidst the suds and darkening water. Basically, almost the entire handle became like this, with the exception of the head and the TTO knob.

So, if that was the actual plating and not paint or something like that, can it come off like that without the use of harsh chemicals? Could a bad replate do the same thing?

These questions are purely for my curiosity since the razor is still in more than good enough condition to use and i don't feel like i was ripped off or mislead by the seller. It's just one of those things that's going to drive me nuts if i don't get a better understanding of it, even if it doesn't lead to a definitive answer.

Pics-
Full view-Handle is all brass, the flash makes it look like it isn't. Still some plating left a little above the TTO knob as well, some parts look like the metal is flaking up right before brass begins.
Side view
Bottom of head-There's an 'X' gouged into it above Made In USA.
Upright view
Bottom of TTO knob

 

[amishmotorboat]

Water and dawn dish soap should not take nickel plating off (or rhodium).

 

[buddydog]

I've seen several presidents with the plating 80% to 90% gone from the handles.I find the remaining plating very hard to remove with a brass brush.

 

[cernel_joson]

It's probably not a replate. I had a President that was in good condition except for the handle, which had a lot of brassing. A lot of that brassing was due to a little too aggressive cleaning in the grooves. I think the odd properties of rhodium makes it sometimes easy to rub off and very tenacious at the same time.

 

[luvmysuper]

The handle on yours looks a lot better than the handle of the one I take on the road. The head and silo doors on mine are pristine, but the handle is VERY brassy.
It's a great shaver, give it a run.