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It's all in the plating . . .
Zamak- Should I care?
- Thread starter LoveTheSlant
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It's all in the plating . . .
There's absolutely no reason to toss a brass razor when the plating deteriorates. I've got vintage Gillettes with brass showing through and they shave just fine. No corrosion at all. They even look cool IMO.
Not so with Zamak razors. I had one that the plating wore away on part of the cap and threads and corrosion set in almost immediately.
Zamak razors can last years or even decades. Nothing wrong with them. But they won't last indefinitely like a brass or stainless razor will. That's the difference and it's a significant to some people and meaningless to others.
Not so with Zamak razors. I had one that the plating wore away on part of the cap and threads and corrosion set in almost immediately.
Zamak razors can last years or even decades. Nothing wrong with them. But they won't last indefinitely like a brass or stainless razor will. That's the difference and it's a significant to some people and meaningless to others.
Controversial around B&B. The point is that zamak is not designed to last forever (and neither am I).
Plating, shplating. For me, it's the metal that's material. There'll be plenty of time for pot metal razors after you're dead. While you're alive, there's brass, stainless, bronze, aluminum, titanium, copper -- the good stuff. Any one of those is worth a drawer full of Zamak, AFAIC.
I've got plenty of zamak, steel and vintage razors. I like them all but I expect to spend less for zamak.
Just don't shave in the shower.
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Love the handle on that top razor! What is that exactly?
It's all subjective. I just think people should be educated. A lot of times I hear people here that are upset when their zamak fails. They thought they had bought a razor for life. More truth in advertising might help. I own zamak, brass, and a bakelite (PAA Slant). Of those three my Fatip stamped brass razors are my Holy Grail. The price point is right, their efficiency is superb, and they are smooth. My face loves them, and for me there is no reason to look further.
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Top: 1932 Cooper
Bottom: 1970s Merkur Progress
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Sweet!
First, let me say, I have 2, and only 2, zamak razors. I am not generally a fan of the material. To answer your question, about replating a zamak base, the issue is a bit more complex that the linked post would suggest.
If your plating has literally just chipped, and you have a plater to send it to, you'll pay a premium for the extra steps, but it is do-able. If you're talking about recovering a dinged up razor, with unknown years (or decades) of oxidation, you have the added excitement of not knowing how stable the oxidized base will be, after stripping. Add to that the time required to re-contour/resurface a pitted base material that is already comparatively fragile, and you're looking at $300+ USD in time and materials, with absolutely no guarantee that what goes into the bath will come out looking like a razor, and not really pretty, shiny slag.
If your plating has literally just chipped, and you have a plater to send it to, you'll pay a premium for the extra steps, but it is do-able. If you're talking about recovering a dinged up razor, with unknown years (or decades) of oxidation, you have the added excitement of not knowing how stable the oxidized base will be, after stripping. Add to that the time required to re-contour/resurface a pitted base material that is already comparatively fragile, and you're looking at $300+ USD in time and materials, with absolutely no guarantee that what goes into the bath will come out looking like a razor, and not really pretty, shiny slag.
Exactly... I've broken the top cap posts off two zamak Muhles by dropping them. Vintage Gillettes take a licking and keep in ticking.
It's something to consider. How much weight you give it would vary based on where you shave, how good your grip is, how long you expect to keep the razor and the price of the razor. The answers are different from person to person. I agree with D1dad that with many soaps costing more than a Maggard V3/V3A razor or its equivalent from Stirling or IB, it's probably not worth obsessing about.
