Originally Posted by
toolarts
I have a Gold Bug that I worked on, and had some success improving the look of the gold.
Gold does not tarnish, so if it is not shiny bright, it either has crud on it or it is scratched through.
I let the Gold Bug sit with a generous coating of sewing machine oil on all the gold overnight, and then worked on it gently with the cotton swab in the morning. I did this for a few days, and it brightened up the gold nicely.
I wouldn't use anything more than soft cotton, you are not trying to polish the gold, just remove any film of dirt or old oil.
You can also use WD-40 sprayed on a cotton swab, it has some solvents in it that might work faster, but I don't like all those volatile organics, and I don't know if they might harm the scales, so I don't use it. Sewing machine oil is made for devices with combinations of steel and plastic, so it is perfectly safe for razors.
If this doesn't brighten the gold, then I would say leave it alone.
From my limited experience, I hope this helps.
Paul