Razor Maintenance

hey folks,

long time lurker, very infrequent (maybe 1st ever) poster.

i've been using a beautiful old Gillette DE razor for a while after moving over from a straight shavette. just wanting to know how you maintain them? i give it a good clean in the water post shave, a spray down with rubbing alcohol maybe once a week, but it's starting to feel a little stiff (after a year)

what should i be doing? do i need to be doing adjustments? polishing (pretty sure it's just stainless...)? cleaning with a product you know but i don't?

lend me your secrets!

(did a search, didn't come up up much, buy my google-fu is poor so happy for you to just link me too)

Thanks folks!


Fatty

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fatoxious

hey folks,

long time lurker, very infrequent (maybe 1st ever) poster.

i've been using a beautiful old Gillette DE razor for a while after moving over from a straight shavette. just wanting to know how you maintain them? i give it a good clean in the water post shave, a spray down with rubbing alcohol maybe once a week, but it's starting to feel a little stiff (after a year)

what should i be doing? do i need to be doing adjustments? polishing (pretty sure it's just stainless...)? cleaning with a product you know but i don't?

lend me your secrets!

(did a search, didn't come up up much, buy my google-fu is poor so happy for you to just link me too)

Thanks folks!


Fatty

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My guess would be mineral deposits, you can clean with some scrubbing bubbles cleaner along with a toothbrush just make sure you rinse clean than every few weeks put a drop or two of razor oil on the pivot points

Not much DE use on this forum but your more than welcome here. Enjoy the forum. Maybe we can get ya to switch to a real straight. Less moving parts. Lol.
Welcome to SRP, fatty.

If its stainless, I'd think a solution of vinager n water, or CLR, would remove any deposits.

If not, metal polish and a toothbrush, does wonders.
Attachment 315644
Attachment 315645

I have used cider or white vinegar to dissolve build up lime and soap crud. Toothpaste is a winner for an inexpensive polish.
JMHO
-Richard

Which model Gillette are you using and brand of soap?

Some soaps (especially Caned Soap) can leave a residue, build up and prevent a TTO mechanism from operating smoothly. If forced can damage the meshing parts.

I have disassembled TTO razors with the interior of the handle completely filled with hardened soap.

In general soaking in Dawn dish soap with hot water is the least aggressive. If build up is long term, it may require days of soaking and complete disassembly and ultrasonic cleaning with Simple Green or Awsome, most aggressive yet finish friendly.

A toothbrush and Scrubbing Bubbles works well for exterior cleaning, Rinse well and dry with microfiber. Be careful with metal polish, as the plating is thin, the same goes for aggressive cleaners, vinegar will eat the plating off over in a day or two, if left to soak in vinegar and forgotten about. If soaking, do so for short periods then a good scrubbing and rinse.

Nylon Firearm cleaning toothbrushes with small bristles on the other end work well for getting into tight spots and are inexpensive, you can find them on eBay.

If it's an oldish Gillette it's probably zinc with plating. Some of the very old Gillettes were made of brass with plate on them. To my knowledge Gillette didn't make a stainless DE.

Prevention is the key. After use a good rinsing to get all the visible gunk out. Soaking in mild detergent is probably best with a soft brush if needed. They can be dismantled but they really aren'tt designed to be broken down however sometimes they can have all kinds of gunk (as was said above) and then you have little choice.

you guys are legends, i'll get a photo of it and post up, it may not be stainless as many suggest - that was just me taking a punt.

i'll give this all a go and let you know! @gasman i actually came from a straight, but i'm no good at stropping and honing, and a buddy gave me this so i started and just got used to it.

I think my Murkur is stainless (pretty sure), but its modern. My Gillette fatboy is thinly plated and well worn. Every few months I will dip an old toothbrush in CLR and scrub it clean. Then a squirt of clipper cleaner/lub and done.

So here's some Moody photos of my razor. Not sure what it is or what it's made of.

https://i.ibb.co/1n6wgfz/IMG-20200208-180109.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/VDQf9T1/IMG-20200208-180048.jpg

I'll give the toothbrush treatment a go!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fatoxious

So here's some Moody photos of my razor. Not sure what it is or what it's made of. I'll give the toothbrush treatment a go!

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Looks like you have a vintage Gillette Slim adjustable. They were made of brass and then plated. If you are using a toothbrush, use one that is marked "soft" and go easy on the plating.

IIRC, you asked about making adjustments in your original post. Were you referring to the adjustments on the razor from 1 to 9? If so, 1 is the mildest setting with aggression getting more each step up the scale with 9 being the most aggressive setting. Just use whichever one you is most comfortable for you.

Bob

Thanks Bob!

As for adjusting, I mean more like, do I need to adjust it? Do the heads go out of alignment or anything like that? It doesn't feel bad, just not sure if it needs monthly/annual/decadely work...

One thing i learned with these adjustables is to be sure if you are gong to change the number/adjust for a bit more aggressiveness, be sure to do it with the doors open. Or at least not locked down with a blade in it. Tweaks things and thats not good.

I know his is not what you were talking about. I just wanted to throw it out there. I cant imagine anyway bezides dropkicking it across the room that anything would get bent and need adjusted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fatoxious

Thanks Bob!

As for adjusting, I mean more like, do I need to adjust it? Do the heads go out of alignment or anything like that? It doesn't feel bad, just not sure if it needs monthly/annual/decadely work...

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OK, Just keep it clean and it should keep going. Like Gasman says unless you damage it by dropping or something nothing normally need be done.

Bob

There is some adjustment that can be made, on the TTO, Adjustable and is sometimes needed if the razor has been dropped.

They were made of brass, so a fall from sink height or into a sink, landing on the head is enough to knock the head and gaps out of alignment.

Start by looking at your razor gaps without a blade installed and the razor closed. The gaps should be the same from end to end. (right and left) and the other side when flipped 180 degrees at the same setting. If the gap does not appear to be the same, it may have been dropped.

Install a blade and measure the gap at the different settings, they should fall in line with the factory setting posted below and on other sites, most importantly from side to side and to the opposite side.

To adjust the razor, it should be disassembled. You will need to make some tooling to do so and there are several sites and videos demonstrating the process and tooling needed. Be careful the metal is soft and can bend and finish easily scratched.

The bent parts will have to be identified and carefully straightened and the razor reassembled. Depending on what you paid, or the Provenance of the razor will determine if you want to tackle this yourself or send it out. Disassembly can easily further damage or destroy a Gillette TTO adjustable.

Here is a short write up on measuring blade gap, which is where you want to start.

Gillette, TTO blade gap.