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What is the "green stuff" you see on many of the old razors on Ebay?

gunk.

a technical term for soap scum and copper (II) oxide.

Yep, it can be removed in most cases with either soap scum remover and or a little polish and elbow grease.

However, if the plating is worn down to the underlying copper or brass, then all the polishing in the world won't return the plated shine.
 
You mean like this?

full


That's patina.
 
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Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Noice, it looks like you found it on the Titanic!! :eek:
 
And can you get it off?

It really depends upon "where" the green stuff is located. Green gunk inside and around the head is commonly soap scum and can be efficient removed with soap scum removed. On the other hand, green gunk on the handle is quite commonly corrosion of the brass due to plate loss. This can also be the case in the head area. I usually avoid any razors with the bad green gunk unless they are dirt cheap and can possibly be salvaged for parts.
 
With brass razors, it's generally nothing more than normal patina. I have brass razors that came to me with lots of green and with a bit of Brasso now look like gold. When brass gets tarnished, it goes from bright gold, to dull gold, to duller gold, to light brown, to dark brown and then to green.
 
It's meteor sh*t and, no, you can't get it off.

http://cinevistaramascope.blogspot.com/2007/10/halloween-trailerfest-1-meteor-****.html
 
mmack66

Show me the "after" picture, so I can see what can be done!

Sadly, the only person I know of that might have had a product to clean that razor passed away recently. I don't know that anything can be done with that razor now. It's an "Argentine Aristocrat" and it has been up for auction on eBay for years.
 
I found a few nice razors, but find some of the soap scum to be very hard to remove. Even after boiling the razor, it still won't come off easily. It's as hard as concrete. When I finally get it off, I find that some of the soap scum has reacted with the plating underneath and I have plate loss with brass exposed underneath.
 
I found a few nice razors, but find some of the soap scum to be very hard to remove. Even after boiling the razor, it still won't come off easily. It's as hard as concrete. When I finally get it off, I find that some of the soap scum has reacted with the plating underneath and I have plate loss with brass exposed underneath.

I've never had anything like that, but it sounds to me like the stuff needs to be dissolved and I wonder if paint thinner won't work. My experience with paint thinner has been great to dissolve soap scum. The other thing works great is Barbicide. Ten or twenty minutes in rather dilute Barbicide has cleaned up very scummy razors leaving them really shiny.
 
I've never had anything like that, but it sounds to me like the stuff needs to be dissolved and I wonder if paint thinner won't work. My experience with paint thinner has been great to dissolve soap scum. The other thing works great is Barbicide. Ten or twenty minutes in rather dilute Barbicide has cleaned up very scummy razors leaving them really shiny.

Nothing removes soap scum as well as soap scum remover since that is what is formulated to do. That's why I always use Scrubbing Bubbles, although any foaming scum remover can be used. In the UK they are known as bathroom mousse.
 
B

BrightFutur

How much does he want for that nasty razor? I think it would make a good practical joke.
 
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