Caring For Gold Wash.

Alright, folks: I just won a pretty gal with gold wash (with letters in relief) covering roughly 50% of the face side of the blade. This is my first "washed" razor, and without having it in my hands, it looks like most of the wash is intact (some fading on fine lines at the edges of the design). It'd be a shame to ruin it, so I would GREATLY appreciate thorough advice how to proceed.

Primary Concerns (currently):

Cleaning. I know not to touch the gold with polish. In fact, I plan on honing it before trying to remove any patina (depending on the circumstances, grime can be a protective layer :tu ). On a related note, would Barbercide: Antitrust Formula affect the gold wash??

Honing. The only razor hone I have is a Shapton M5 12k ceramic. I plan on taping the spine; and if needed, pre-cutting the tape to a shape that will not touch the wash. I will use a very soft microfiber cloth to dry it. But. Should I just cover the wash with something that won't stick to/lift it in an attempt to seal it off from the grit & moisture during the honing process??

Polishing. "I have MAAS, and I'm half-afraid to use it!!" The face will be polished with the utmost respect and care (not to mention patience!). Tools will likely consist of q-tips & a triangular makeup sponge that I'll get from SWMBO. Oh, and nitrile gloves.

I look forward to your thoughtful responses!

In my experience, with a few vintage blades, the electrical tape will not remove the gold wash. I never paid any attention to that, just taped, honed, and removed the tape. Any metal polish will remove it. The q-tip method, used with care, is the only way to go, or do nothing at all.

I'm speaking of old Dovo, TI, and Torrey razors right off the top of my head. Whether all gold wash is the same, or different, I don't know for sure. No doubt other members will be along with their experience. :gl:

I have not had problems with tape removing gold wash on new TIs or other older blades.

You could also mask off the gold wash with painters tape as an extra precaution when polishing.

Bob

Okay, so tape is fine to use. Any thoughts on the use of Barbercide?

Here is the description of Barbicide from Amazon ;

About the Product

"It is an easy way for the professional groomer to disinfect comb, brushes, shears, and more
Kills ringworm, HIV virus, staph, bacteria, and other pathogens
Barbicide disinfectant contains a powerful rust inhibitor
Concentrated liquid, 4 ounce makes one gallon of clear blue solution that is fully biodegradable and 16 ounce bottle makes 4 gallon of solution
Metals can be immersed for hours without rusting, but should be oiled afterward; measures 8-inch length by 2-2/7-inch width by 2-2/7-inch height"

I used to use it in the tattoo shop years ago when we still shaved costumers with straight razors (Weck replaceable blade) but if you don't already have it I wouldn't buy it. Unless you're going to be shaving other people, then maybe.

For everyday cleaning I just rinse and strop after the shave and wipe dry with a kleenex.

BTW, it says powerful rust preventative, and can be left for hours. IME if you leave a razor in babicide for a day or two it will begin to get a blue hue and crystals forming on the metal. Rust can form as well. It can stain scales if they are left in it for an extended period of time.

Thank you for that. I guess I've been overly concerned about it, likening it to gold leaf. I don't know why. And I already have Barbercide. I don't plan to spend any more money on the razors I won, beyond what I paid for them. I have a bit of exotic wood for scale blanks, scroll saw for cutting, MAAS & various cloths, protective oils, and a hone. Not a perfect setup, but it should get the job done :y.

The real question is do we all know what "gold wash" actually is?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The real question is do we all know what "gold wash" actually is?

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I read an old thread or two that suggest it's electroplating, but with "dirty" solution that doesn't have a certain minimum purity/karat rating. Also, it tends to be thinner than "gold plate".

One thing for sure, if you look at it the wrong way it will disappear like a kid who knows he is in for it.

Bob

Hi Gent's, Crawler, Gold wash is Gold Plating, easy to do, as a Jeweler I plated items in 14, 18, and 24K, Rhodium, were the daily jobs, and easy like I said, so if you need at any time to get the plating redone, check with your local Jeweler and a Manufacturing Jeweler will definitely do the job for a fair price, some solution for plating, Nail polish and remover I could teach you all how to do it right, Maybe in the future I'll do a tutorial.

So, what I am saying is Do Not worry so much about a micron of Gold plate and enjoy your shaves.

That sounds quite similar to electrochemical etching via a 9v battery & table vinegar. With the exception that the vinegar method usually uses ink toner transfer for a resist, rather than the more durable nail polish.

I was once told by a plating outfit when the electroplating solution is basically played out and it's full of all sorts of garbage since they don't want to throw away any gold they use it down to the last drop so they decide what the cutoff is and lower the prices and you get a dirty low K plate that isn't very durable at all.

And that is basically gold wash.