Questions on Gold

[john parker]

I have been trying to resist SRAD by trying to ignore the pretty gold razors that appear here and on ebay (perhaps to save up for a EJ). At any rate, I have read here that the gold ones are protected by lacquer, that that sometimes wears off, and that polishing the razor can make the lacquer and/or plating wear off more quickly. I understand that one can have a razor replated. But how does one preserve the lacquer, given that the lacquer remains? And, if the lacquer does not remain, how do you care for the plating before it wears off? Is a gold razor too much of a pain to use in everyday shaving? Thanks for comments, John

 

[AsylumGuido]

I use a gold NEW DeLuxe and a gold Aristocrat a lot and never do anything special. The plating holds up fine. Really, the only gold razors that were a problem were the low price Old Types and NEWs. Some of the New Improved razors also had thinner plating. The gold Techs, Aristocrats and Milords all hold up extremely well. Triple plated premium sets of Old Types, New Improved and NEW DeLuxes all hold up well.

 

[Hoos]

What AG said.

Gold razors are not a pain to use. Or to take care of.

I've used a gold-plated Aristocrat for a good part of the past year and it looks no worse for the wear.

The shaving edges of the silo doors do, normally, show a wearing-down of the gold plate. But those edges are also the only part of the razor that comes in contact with one's face/beard regularly and the lacquer/gold leaf are very gradually worn down from that friction. So, over a number of years, that's normal wear.

With egular use, an occasional cleaning with liquid soap and a very soft cloth or baby's toothbrush, and a modicum of respect will keep your razor looking top notch!

 

[john parker]

Then I guess the trick to keeping one in good shape is to get one that is in very good shape to begin with. Most of the gold ones I see on ebay appear to have lost plating or something. And I find to discern the shape of the plating from the pictures, since glare invariably seems to camoflage the condition. I will keep watching! Thank you for the input, John

 

[chainfire]

Although you can get lucky on eBay, B/S/T has a rating system and more knowlegable sellers than eBay does. Not saying there aren't nice razors to be had there, but if you're looking for a better bet you'll be happy with, I'd look no further than right here on B&B.