Thread: Stripping a vintage DE razor ?

Hi,
I recently picked up a vintage Gillette flare tip DE razor and wish to strip it down completely for cleaning.
Can anyone please advise me on how it comes apart - I presume there is some sort of screw deep down inside the handle ?
Any help appreciated !

Hi Pip,

I think your post is probably in the wrong section of the forum, but never mind!

Is the razor you are talking about a Twist To Open model like the Slim version of the Gillette fatboy?

If it is, and if you are lucky, looking at the bottom end will reveal a central rod with a round washer round it then the outer sleeve. There are two types - on one the round washer/collar has two small indents in it opposite each other, and you can fashion a tool (from a small bulldog clip - the wire bit) to fit in the indents and open it up.

If you are not lucky then there will be no indents and the washer is a press-fit on the stem, in which case you either drill a small hole either side and make a tool as above, or forget about it!

Good Luck,
Neil

Many thanks Neil - not lucky in this instance as there is no collar at the end ( I have one on my Fatboy ).
So I will have to clean it all in situ.
ps What section should this post be in please ( So I will know in future ) The Workshop appears to be for straight razors only ?

Pip - I think it should be in the Shaving With A safety Razor section as this covers single-edge and double-edge razors. I may well be wrong though.

You can clean them quite effectively in an ultrasonic cleaner, especially with one of the additives to break down the gunge (I use something for car parts).

You have to be careful with cleaning additives though because the razor is (usually) made from brass with a thin nickel plating.

There must be a way of getting the various types apart - try googling 'gillette flare tip disassembly' or similar, that might help.

Regards,
Neil

Moved to DE razors with a 24 hour redirect.

Can we see pictures

My Gillette, the hand itself is completely unscrewed allowing the "tip" or "top" to separate from the middle part...doh, mashed that description up. Take a look at this vid of disassembling several types for reference.



Hope it helps

I've had and used over 50 DE gillette razors, in my opinion they don't need to be taken apart. Neil's suggestion of an ultrasonic cleaner is the way to go I use one to initially clean razors I've bought off eBay. If the mechanism is stiff a good squirt of WD 40 down the barrel will help. If they need a polish MAAS is the way to go.
A word of warning about the ultrasonic if you use it on say a Fatboy it can take the paint off the adjustment numbers.
If this treatment doesn't restore them to something near their new condition then either live with it or get them replated. If the doors won't align even if you get the mechanism apart you may be struggling to improve their action. I've found in cases like this it's better to just move them along.

As far as the press fit clip, you can remove it by one other method. Take a 5mm socket and place it inside the TTO knob and on the press fit clip. Place the head of the razor on a soft surface use a hit the socket with a hammer. This will force the press fit clip down onto the central shaft, which in turn will expand the crimping in the press fitting. The central rod can be pulled out from the top.

To re-assemble, put it all back together and use a pair of needle nose pliers to re-crimp the press fit clip.

As Neil Miller stated, you should be able to clean it up very well by hand. I use scrubbing bubbles and a toothbrush/toothpick for 90% of my cleaning needs. I borrow my wife ulstrsonic jewelry cleaner and run a few cycles on that sometimes as well.

SOme of the other forums have some very good write ups on cleaning safety razors as well. We tend to obsess about Straight Razors more thans Safety Razors here

Thanks Neil - I googled it with the magic word I missed before ( disassembly ) and came right up with the answer. You were spot on !
Came apart quite easily :


Kind regards
Phil