Trying to restore an old DE, good enough to shave with?

[orangepeeleo]

Hey,

Mentioned this in my intro post, this is my grandads old gillette razor, i think from a bit of research that its the slim twist?? It was in a right state when I got it from my dads, I soaked it in a bowl of hot water and bicarb soda lined with tin foil, scrubbed with a toothbrush, and I have used some peeks polish on it, but I cant for the life of me get rid of the little brown spots, in the first picture you might be able to make them out. My question is, is it OK for me to shave with it with those spots? And if not, how do you get rid of them, they look kinda bronzey which makes me think that some sort of layer has came away a bit, only polished with a non abrasive cloth so havent scratched anything, but it was left in a cup by the sink for a loooooong time, poss about 30 years as I'm 28 now and can remember this lying around for a long time lol



Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Welcome! That looks like brassing spots (old plating has worn spots that show underlying brass). It's still usable but I would use baking soda anymore. If you have access to it, use Scrubbing Bubbles foaming action to clean it next time. For now, you can polish it with Maas or Blue Magic metal polish and clean it wih soapy water after polish.

 

[Maxime D.]

And a soak it in isopropyl alcohol or Barbicide (Marvicide) or Lysol.

 

[dcobranchi]

The baking soda/aluminum foil trick only works with silver-plated razors. I'm pretty sure yours is nickel-plated.

But to answer your question-- Sure, it's fine to shave with. And I think you've correctly ID'd the razor.

 

[orangepeeleo]

The baking soda/aluminum foil trick only works with silver-plated razors. I'm pretty sure yours is nickel-plated.

But to answer your question-- Sure, it's fine to shave with. And I think you've correctly ID'd the razor.

Ooops lol

I'm looking at getting this replated now at some point I think, wouldnt bother but it would be nice to get it fully restored and keep it in the family, although might change the handle as its a bit grubby!

Had my first shave with it last night and it went OK, very new to DE shaving so maybe shouldnt have changed, or at least kept the same blade, but tried out some laser blades, which weren't that great, just something I picked up cheap the other day, will put the wilkinson sword blades in it for the next shave and keep using them for a little while i think.

I also put the metal parts in boiling water and vinegar, resting on a sieve not the pan, for 15 - 20 mins before using, i'm happy with that level of sanitising!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Can I be the first to suggest that boiling vinegar is not good for razors? If you're going to eat with forks and spoons at a restaurant that got cleaned with soap and hot water, that should be good enough for a razor.

 

[UKMerk]

nice razor you have there.
Its got some sentimental value so have it re-plated in rhodium.

 

[BBrad]

Can I be the first to suggest that boiling vinegar is not good for razors? If you're going to eat with forks and spoons at a restaurant that got cleaned with soap and hot water, that should be good enough for a razor.

+1 . . . vinegar is not recommended, especially since you already have plating issues. A dip in alcohol, Scrubbing Bubbles, or Lysol is fine, but soaking in any of the above is not recommended as they are all corrosive to soft metal.

The brown spots you have is pitting . . . little points where moisture has breached the layer of nickel and is corroding the underlying brass. A mild polish will help hide them, but nothing will get rid of them. They have to be physically removed by abrasive polishing prior to replating the razor. The good news is that the pits don't affect the shave to the point of making the razor unusable.

That is a very special razor - isn't it great to be shaving with your Grandfather's razor!! It is also a great choice for a first DE razor - gentle and mild, yet capable enough for almost any beard type. Pick one type of blade, and stick with it for at least a month until you get your technique solidified. Then, try different blades to see what works best for you.

Welcome to B&B . . . congrats on your razor, and Enjoy the Shaves!!