What causes the crack in the handles?

[santamariasteve]

It is common for the older Gillette's from the teens and the 1920's to have a hairline crack or cracks in the upper handles.

I am wondering what specifically has caused these cracks?

Was it a design flaw by Gillette? If so, what was it?

Was it something the user did? If so, what?

Is there a chance the crack may lengthen over time? If so, how does one prevent that?

I just took delivery of a silver 1921 Gillette New Standard safety razor. It has one slight hairline crack that is almost impossible to see, but otherwise has perfect integrity and appearance. I LOVE the way Gillette New Improved looks, and the shaves are outstanding with a Shark blade. I'm 75 years old, and I firmly believe this razor will outlast me and everyone reading this. It is built like a proverbial battleship.

All comments will be appreciated.

 

[DMT]

I had this same question myself. A week or so ago I found a ball-handled NEW type Gillette in an antique shop, I didn't buy it because it was over priced for the bad condition it was in; it had 2 hairline cracks in the handle and the gold plating was in ruins. I went on ebay and almost every ball-handled NEW type or Tech I came across also had cracks. It turns out it's actually a design flaw that was never corrected, during the manufacturing process the head and ball caps were pressed onto a thin piece of tubing and this caused stress cracks to appear. I've heard the cracks can develop into splits but I don't know if that is associated with use or just a worst case scenario caused by the design flaw itself.

 

[Xilbus]

Because its a hollow fin tube and there's pressure on the tube if the head is too tight?

 

[Rob72]

I'm thinking the fact that we don't have a commonly asked FAQs/stickies page contributes to the problem.

Seriously, improper annealing causes stress fractures because the neck and butt are pressed in place, and the tubing doesn't have enough "flex".

 

[chongo gordo]

I figured it was due to the torque that occurs when tightening the handle. I'll wager that the engineer who explained why a filthy razor was better than a clean one would have an answer.
*happy face emoticon*

 

[Uncle Brian]

I have a few of these razors and all have the crack in them so yes it's a ' Design Feature '

What can be done ... Superglue? Or maybe a new handle when the old one gives up completely in about 2087 ad

 

[Dalejr]

The 30's Great Depression might of had something to do with it...

 

[BBrad]

The cracking was the result of the manufacturing methods of the day. A piece of brass tubing had ends pressed into them. The resulting stress could produce a crack if tolerances were off. Some razors cracked early, some later, some never . . . but most did eventually. Calling it a design flaw is a bit unfair, since today's production and metallurgy methods weren't "on-line" in the early 1900s. While not produced as a throwaway product (that concept hadn't been invented yet) I'm willing to bet that the best of the engineers and production people did not envision these early razors lasting over 100 years!

The cracking was not caused by over tightening or any other "misuse" by the consumer, but rather by a size 1.02 peg forced into a size 1.0 tube, with only the ability for the tube to stretch to size 1.01 . . . something has to give, and that would be the crack!

Dalejr mentioned the Great Depression as a possible cause . . . the razors most prone to cracking were produced in the two decades prior to the Depression . . . by the early 1930s, with the introduction of the "Common Bar Handle" used on NEW razors, the cracking problem was history.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

 guess Gillette did Crack under pressure during the Great Depression LOL . Get it?

OK OK, so its not that funny

 

[oakeshott]

The cracking was the result of the manufacturing methods of the day. A piece of brass tubing had ends pressed into them. The resulting stress could produce a crack if tolerances were off. Some razors cracked early, some later, some never . . . but most did eventually. Calling it a design flaw is a bit unfair, since today's production and metallurgy methods weren't "on-line" in the early 1900s. While not produced as a throwaway product (that concept hadn't been invented yet) I'm willing to bet that the best of the engineers and production people did not envision these early razors lasting over 100 years!

The cracking was not caused by over tightening or any other "misuse" by the consumer, but rather by a size 1.02 peg forced into a size 1.0 tube, with only the ability for the tube to stretch to size 1.01 . . . something has to give, and that would be the crack!

Dalejr mentioned the Great Depression as a possible cause . . . the razors most prone to cracking were produced in the two decades prior to the Depression . . . by the early 1930s, with the introduction of the "Common Bar Handle" used on NEW razors, the cracking problem was history.

Thank you. Well done

 

[Rob72]

I have a few of these razors and all have the crack in them so yes it's a ' Design Feature '

What can be done ... Superglue? Or maybe a new handle when the old one gives up completely in about 2087 ad

Tix soft-solder, 4% silver. It won't tarnish, blends perfectly with silver or nickel, does not look horrible with brass, and is comparatively strong for its low melt-point.

 

[dreadpirate]

I have used super glue to prevent the top and bottom pieces from falling out of a cracked handle. Works perfectly and it is not noticeable.

 

[BBrad]

Most super glues don't stand up well to moisture. I have used clear marine-grade epoxy with good success. Clean surfaces thoroughly, mix epoxy and use a small screwdriver to coat the inside of the handle. Coat the inside the entire length of the crack, and make sure the end where the neck or ball fits in is coated. Insert the neck (or ball) twisting back and forth as inserted to fully coat the inner surface with epoxy. Wrap repaired area with plastic wrap, and tighten a small hose clamp around the repair. Wait at least 24 hours for the epoxy to fully cure and remove clamp and plastic. Use a razor blade to trim any excess epoxy that may have oozed out of the repair area. Fixed!!

 

[dreadpirate]

Most super glues don't stand up well to moisture. I have used clear marine-grade epoxy with good success. Clean surfaces thoroughly, mix epoxy and use a small screwdriver to coat the inside of the handle. Coat the inside the entire length of the crack, and make sure the end where the neck or ball fits in is coated. Insert the neck (or ball) twisting back and forth as inserted to fully coat the inner surface with epoxy. Wrap repaired area with plastic wrap, and tighten a small hose clamp around the repair. Wait at least 24 hours for the epoxy to fully cure and remove clamp and plastic. Use a razor blade to trim any excess epoxy that may have oozed out of the repair area. Fixed!!

Good point, Don't recall what kind of glue I used but I glued it over three years ago and it's still holding fast. Guess I better not boil the razor in water.

 

[LegionPrime]

The cracking was the result of the manufacturing methods of the day. A piece of brass tubing had ends pressed into them. The resulting stress could produce a crack if tolerances were off. Some razors cracked early, some later, some never . . . but most did eventually. Calling it a design flaw is a bit unfair, since today's production and metallurgy methods weren't "on-line" in the early 1900s. While not produced as a throwaway product (that concept hadn't been invented yet) I'm willing to bet that the best of the engineers and production people did not envision these early razors lasting over 100 years!

Well, yes it's due to the technology of the day, but not the interference fit itself (well, not in and of itself. It is a factor though). I was actually talking about this with my machinist who is working on turning up a handle for my pocket old type in his spare time. The reason is that back then human labor was cheap while machine work was extremely expensive (today the inverse is true) so rather than cutting a hollow tube (not really that practical regardless) extruded brass tube being extremely expensive lost out to much cheaper tubular brass stock. Tubular brass stock was rolled as flat stock then formed and welded into a tube. The weld though is always going to be a weakness so that is why generally there is only a single split in the tubes and why it has a tendency to travel the length of the handle.

 

[BBrad]

Well stated, LegionPrime . . . your take on it adds more credence to the fact that it was not poor manufacturing (on purpose) but rather the accepted methods of the day that gave us our famous crack. All part of the character . . . I've got one that only has a hairline and is tight . . . another that was split wide open and epoxied shut . . . both work like a charm!

 

[BBrad]

Good point, Don't recall what kind of glue I used but I glued it over three years ago and it's still holding fast. Guess I better not boil the razor in water.

Oh for God's sake . . . no . . . please don't boil your razor . . . ever!!!

A proper epoxy repair will last a good long time . . . enjoy your shave for many years to come!

 

[amishmotorboat]

I rarely see a german made single ring clone with a cracked handle.

 

[cryhavoc]

Because they are old!

 

[jbradley]

See the wiki for a repair method.