Bent end teeth repair?

Can the end teeth of bent comb razors be straightened successfully with a needle nose pliers or is the metal just too brittle?

 

Unless you heat it up, it'll break.

 

It's a roll of the dice, with most, open comb razors. I have straightened two #15 Aristocrat razors with badly bent teeth. I used nylon tipped pliers.

 

I read some interesting things in another shaving forum.

Trying to bend the bent teeth of an open comb razor risks breakage, but your situation is somewhat improved if you use heat or a soldering iron. However, using high heat will probably cause some damage to your razor's finish, and might even cause some of the plating to come off. That's why some say that contacting a jeweler is a good idea; they can fix the bent teeth and repair the finish at the same time.

A straight-nose set of pliers is necessary, and the repair should be done under heat, and without jiggling the teeth into line.

 

Its possible but there is a very good chance that it will break. Outside teeth are a bit thicker and harder to bend than inside teeth, also the teeth on old types are thinner & easier to bend than on the new.

 

It's always been a gamble.

In my experience bent outer teeth have no change to the shave so I have always just left alone.

 

Ive straightened end teeth successfully without heat. If they were bent originally without breaking then surely they can be bent back. Its a gamble though.

 

I have a few I would like to bend back. However, I don't have the guts to risk it. I think a bend tooth would be better in appearance and value then broke missing teeth.

 

I have a couple with bent corner teeth. On a razor that is 85+ years old I think it adds character and a little more mystery to these vintage instruments. I do have a Old Type clone that had a bent tooth in the middle of the comb. I got it early in my adventure and thought I could straighten it. It how has the nickname "Snaggletooth" because of its missing tooth. Live and learn. I have nicknamed one of my Gillette NEW razors "Scruffy" because he has bent teeth and major plating loss. Scruffy is one of my best shaving razors.

 

One reason I thought you'd almost have to bend it back somehow is that it's use would be diminished by the corner of the tooth sticking out.

 

As long as they are bent down away from the blade there is no problem.