Grandfather's old shaving kit

[Ted Stewart]

I have a few old bits of shaving gear inherited from my grandfather that I'm trying to learn how to use. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

First, there's a trio of DE razors. One is plastic (with SHS Sweden on the head), and is what I'm trying first. It seems to work fairly well, though there's a lot less control than with the straight razor I'm used to. Any suggestions on how to improve, and particularly on shaving the chin? It's always been a nightmare for me, and the best I can do right now is to shave it from the sides since going against the grain around a tight curve is a nightmare.

The other two razors appear to be Gillettes. The older one is adjustable, the newer isn't. Both are covered in dried skin slurry, and I'm not comfortable shaving with them until they've been cleaned out. Does anyone have any advice on how to do so? I'll probably need to oil them both after cleaning as well, and have no idea how.

Last is the real prize. It's a Twinplex DE stropping machine, patented in 1915. Alas, no date of manufacture. Everything seems to be mechanically sound, but the leather strops themselves look a scuffed and likely needs to be washed. There is also some green residue where the leather is attached to the metal. I can't take the unit apart, so I'll have to clean it through the window over the mechanism. Can this unit be restored to working order, or it effectively a show piece?

Thanks in advance,

TEGS

[AFDavis11]

I'd jump real quick over to here

http://shavemyface.com/

ask this question over there and return as quick as you can!

[Rusty Shackleford]

Ted,

I recently was given a Twinplex Stropper too, although mine sounds like it is a little newer. Great condition, the leather and everything looked brand new. Even in the original box but, no instructions. Anways, long story short...I did a little research, ended up contacting a gentleman who then provided me with a photo copy of the original instructions. Read them and followed them to the tee and got tore-up something fierce. I was red and sore for days. Over a month or two, I must have gave it something like 5 or 6 tries and always the same results. The only conclussion that I can figure out is that most of the newer D/E blades seem to be coated and they don't take to being stropped very well. I could be wrong, I don't really know. All that I know is that now my Twinplex sits on a shelf with some of my other relics and instead of stropping the blades...I just change'm out. If you have any better luck than I had, I'd love to hear about it.

-Pary

[Ted Stewart]

Ah, what a shame. It's such a beautiful little contraption. Ah, well, I guess it goes with my pile of cool yet no longer useful antiques.

Of course, you never know. The world might end tomorrow, and a way to keep a nearly-dead razor blade sharp might be the difference between being the clean-shaven protagonist and just another scruffy goon.

[dennisthemenace]

I think those old stroppers for DE blades were meant for the old carbon steel ones. I can remember my dad when I was very young sharpening his Gillette Blue Blades on the inside of a drinking glass. When the stainless ones came out he stopped doing it. I imagine they were harder to sharpen. Tried it myself w/ no good results. Recently started using an old SE Gem Micromatic, which feels like shaving w/ a cross between a safety and straight razor. There's a learning curve w/ these but once you get used to the top of the blade guard against your face they work great. Anyway, I tried honing and stropping the Gem stainless SE blade. It didn't work either. I did save it to put in a box cutter handle made for SE blades though. Recycling forever!

[Ben]

The other two razors appear to be Gillettes. The older one is adjustable, the newer isn't. Both are covered in dried skin slurry, and I'm not comfortable shaving with them until they've been cleaned out. Does anyone have any advice on how to do so? I'll probably need to oil them both after cleaning as well, and have no idea how.

Ted, here's what I do:

1. Use a toothbrush and mild toothpaste to thoroughly clean the razor. If the metal needs to be polished, I use MAAS metal polish and a toothbrush. The plating on these razors is fairly thin, so using something like a Dremel with a buffing wheel is overkill and can remove the finish. Go easy.

2. After I give the razor a serious cleaning, I rinse it off, then place it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Yes, it may sound extreme, but you're better safe than sorry. Sterilize the razor. Note that objects must be clean before they can ever be sterile. As a final measure, I take the razor and let it soak in hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes after the razor cools.

3. You have an adjustable razor and may find that the cleaning and sterilization make the moving parts feel a little tight. I actuate all the moving parts (i.e., open the blade doors) and then let the razor sit fully submerged in some mineral oil for a couple of minutes. I then remove the razor, drain the excess oil, actuate all the moving parts again to make sure they're lubricated, and then put the razor away.