My 90 year Aunt brought me two gifts today. First was what she said was my great-grandfather's shaving mug. I'll post a pic later, but it was made in France. The other gift she gave me was her father's razor. From what I've determined it's a 1921-1928 Old Type. Overall it's in pretty nice shape, but the head has lost it's plating (I think - see the 3 dark dots?). One good thing is that the handle does NOT have any cracks. So, am I right on my determination as to what this is? What type of shaver is it? I've never tried an open comb. Is there any special way I should take care of this razor? After all, it's about 95 years old.
Great heirloom find and it looks to be in good condition. The old type is indeed a great shaver, I find it to be a bit on the aggressive side.
It's rotten - it is the worst shaver in the world. Send it to me and I will dispose of it for you. Seriously, though, I think you will find it a close and smooth shaver. Some say the open comb is more aggressive than the closed comb, which I tend to agree with. Try it, you'll like it.
Nice heirloom gift! I wonder if it hasn't cracked because the ball end piece has fallen out which might have taken pressure off of it. A little dab of adhesive on the inside of the tube should hold it in place.
Interesting. I removed the ball because it was removable. I now see a tiny hairline crack. I actually felt it first with my fingernail. But the ball is still a very tight fit.
Is there any special way to clean/care for this razor? Also, I may try it out, but doubt it will be in my regular rotation.
Virtually any amount of dirt, grime, or corrosion on the threads is, IMHO, the main cause for cracks in these. I take extra care to make sure my threads are cleaned.
I guess that's my question. I've cleaned more modern razors, but nothing this old. How should it be cleaned? Scrubbing bubbles? Dish soap? Something milder?
The same techniques used for new razors apply to old ones. The same precautions hold true. The only difference is that the plating has been on there longer, and therefore may be more susceptible to tarnish. There is a stress issue that causes the cracks that is inherent whenever you use screws on the end of a hollow tube. Some of the old ones had hollow tubes. These tubes were tapped to provide the threads for attaching the ball and the head. Unless this threaded part is actually an inserted sleeve, such a design will always be prone to cracking if a) the connection is over tightened, which causes excessive compression resulting in deformation and eventual cracking at the head or ball end of the tube, or, b) any dirt between the male and female threads will apply pressure to the outer thread section, which must distort outward if that dirt does not compress, causing deformation, which leads to cracks.
