Thread: Question about restoring blades with gold etch

I recently picked up two Boker razors at an antique shop. They are in very good condition, but they do need a bit of TLC on the blades. If there was no gold on the blade I would just go through my usual polishing routine with 1K, 1.5K and 2K wet/dry and then Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish. I don't want to disturb the gold on the blades and I am wondering how to approach these blades. Any suggestions?

Mask off the gold with tape or nail polish & work around it. A wooden chopstick & some metal polish may be all you need to clean those 2.

Ive read of folks putting clear tape over the etch and trim it so you can work around it, but i always worry about the tape pulling off the gold too. Never done it myself so someone should pop in here soon to help more.

Masking is best. You can use low tack tape too, but it is more difficult to work with because you cannot see the etch through it. You can dissolve the glue of clear tape with WD-40.