Who uses zamac? Who doesn't?

[Slivovitz]

I was interested to learn on this forum that the nice looking heads on my Merkur razors are plated zamac, a pot metal. Not necessarily a bad thing, but slightly disappointing somehow.

Does anyone know what other modern brands use pot metal for their heads? EJ/Muhle (don't have either of those)? Parker? Lord? Are there currently manufactured 3 piece razors which are not pot metal?

I like my Merkurs well enough, but I've been using vintage razors almost exclusively for a few months now. Probably won't buy Edwin Jagger or Muhle at this point just because I have so many other razors to use. I'm only asking out of curiosity.

 

[michiganlover]

I am pretty sure the newer style Lord razor (with the Merkur style head) is in fact plated pot metal.

I was surprised to see that the head, and handle on my Ming Shi (a Chinese made Superspeed style razor) appears to be plated brass.

 

[talibeard]

I am pretty sure the newer style Lord razor (with the Merkur style head) is in fact plated pot metal.

I am not so sure about the Lord; I think Zamac is greyish and I managed to damage the bar-plate of my Lord to find that corner to be very much orange-red. I guess they use brass too; maybe for the better good I should take out the metal-saw and cut the razor in half....

Nah, not today!

 

[michiganlover]

I am not so sure about the Lord; I think Zamac is greyish and I managed to damage the bar-plate of my Lord to find that corner to be very much orange-red. I guess they use brass too; maybe for the better good I should take out the metal-saw and cut the razor in half....

Nah, not today!

Interesting. Come to think of it, when I was sanding the bubbles off the plating of my previous Lord Smart razor, the underlying exposed metal was orange red colored, so you are very likely right about it being brass!! I stand corrected.

Don't you dare destroy the beauty of a Lord Merkur Tech for the sake of "science".

 

[tom myers]

Under the chrome plating may well be a copper plating. Seeing the "orange red" you are describing, that may be a copper plating used as a base for the chrome. Brass is most likely going to be best described as "yellow" rather than "orange red".

Regards,
Tom

 

[cooncatbob]

Under the chrome plating may well be a copper plating. Seeing the "orange red" you are describing, that may be a copper plating used as a base for the chrome. Brass is most likely going to be best described as "yellow" rather than "orange red".

Regards,
Tom

Actually to plate Zamak you 1st have to flash plate it with copper to seal the zinc, then you plate with nickel to seal the copper and then you can chrome plate it.
I learned all of this the hard way sending in parts to be plated that had exposed zinc without informing the plater and getting parts back that were black with large sections of the zinc dissolved.

 

[mblakele]

Actually to plate Zamak you 1st have to flash plate it with copper to seal the zinc, then you plate with nickel to seal the copper and then you can chrome plate it.
I learned all of this the hard way sending in parts to be plated that had exposed zinc without informing the plater and getting parts back that were black with large sections of the zinc dissolved.

Thanks for the insight. So the chrome-finish Merkurs should be triple-plated like that? I've heard some folks knock the Merkurs for having chrome plating rather than nickel plating.

 

[cooncatbob]

Thanks for the insight. So the chrome-finish Merkurs should be triple-plated like that? I've heard some folks knock the Merkurs for having chrome plating rather than nickel plating.

Correct there's nickel under the chrome.
Some people feel chrome's for bumper and that it's too cold and blue compared to the warmer slightly bronze color of nickel.

 

[talibeard]

Actually to plate Zamak you 1st have to flash plate it with copper to seal the zinc, then you plate with nickel to seal the copper and then you can chrome plate it.

Interesting; I knew you needed nickel plating before the chrome could be put on, but didn't know about the copper plating before that.

 

[Loner16]

Very many metals we use today are alloys. Base metals with varying percentages of other metals to improve their properties for various applications, It's what makes modern metals "modern!"
Steel is an alloy, and there are hundreds of recipes and variations, same with aluminum although with fewer choices.
Zamak is no different. An alloy of Zinc with the addition of aluminum, maganesium, and copper in varying percentages to suit it's application as a casting alloy.
"Pot metal" got a very bad reputation in the early days because the cleanliness of the zink caused weakness, and often breakage. Many of us remember pot metal toys from our youth that broke so easily. Today's alloys are a far cry from the early days.
While it's true that Zamak would not be a good choice for high strength applications, forgings are far superior to any casting in that regard, the head of razor is not very demanding, and I see Zamak as perfectly acceptable in such usage.
Now, having spent a career as a metalcrafter, I'm not a huge fan of castings and I admit to wating with bated breath for a razor with a head fully machined from bar stock in Stainless Steel... Whether it will provide a good shave for everyone will be a topic for discussion, but it will be an item I will enjoy holding and just admiring regardless..

So in conclusion... Don't fear the Zamak...

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

maybe for the better good I should take out the metal-saw and cut the razor in half....

No, Harry, it is for you son!

 

[Mink]

There's clearly a need to polish the underlying casting. The top of the head is polished and the triple chroming is flawless in all 3 razors I have (Merkur, EJ, and Muhle). The underside is a different story. There are 3 extensions underneath that must prevent the buffing wheel or whatever they're using to get all of the underneath surface. There are 2 locating pins and the threaded rod that are in the way. The EJ is polished and nicely chromed along the edges and ends, but not in middle - which looks like a satin finish. The Merkur and Muhle are darker and have the satin finish under most of the head. I'll be curious to see if the underside of these razor heads start showing corrosion in a few years.

 

[talibeard]

No, Harry, it is for you son!

He doesn't have to use mine; there is a designated new one waiting till he reaches his shaving age, in fact there are several....

I found this razor to be so good that I got me some back-ups just because I don't know if I still can get them in 5 or 10 years time. And maybe they are not the best razors around but they are definitely by far the best (new) razors for the buck right now.

 

[82R100]

There's clearly a need to polish the underlying casting. The top of the head is polished and the triple chroming is flawless in all 3 razors I have (Merkur, EJ, and Muhle). The underside is a different story. There are 3 extensions underneath that must prevent the buffing wheel or whatever they're using to get all of the underneath surface. There are 2 locating pins and the threaded rod that are in the way. The EJ is polished and nicely chromed along the edges and ends, but not in middle - which looks like a satin finish. The Merkur and Muhle are darker and have the satin finish under most of the head. I'll be curious to see if the underside of these razor heads start showing corrosion in a few years.

I wouldn't think the smoothness would be an issue if the plating is of proper thickness. Assuming that's the case, there's no real need other than of aesthetics, right? Unlike the Gillette razors we love to collect, these razors probably have to pay their own way--Merkur can't be selling these at a loss, expecting to make it up in blade sales. Given the wages in Germany, I'm surprised that they make them as inexpensively as they do.

I have to agree with Loner16 in that this is not a bad application for a die casting. The only problems we've seen when the plating is o.k. have been the cases where the stud has pulled out of the cap.

- Chris