This is probably a stupid question or whatever. I as I suppose many others here check out E-Bay for additions to my collection and have gotten a few excellent buys, at least I think so. Most have needed to be cleaned up some of course. With that said I see many up for sale so filthy and cruddy there is no way I would allow them close to my face let alone shave with them. Do people actually let them get that coated with dried shaving lather or whatever unmentionable stuff and still shave with them? I'm far from being a total clean freak, in fact I shave with rain water, but man alive some of those razors must contain the Black Plague or worse. What say you folks? Can this actually be?:scared001
Yes. It be! :happy102 Seriously, all the metal razors I obtain are sterilized by boiling water in which Dawn dishwashing liquid is added and the pan is removed from the stove and the razors are placed in to soak. The all metal razors stay in this for at least 30 minutes. It is amazing what comes out of the barrels and mechanisms when the hot sudsy water does it's work. After that a cleaning and polishing with a quick dip in Barbercide for no more than 10 minutes occurs and they are ready to be dried and used. Plastic razors can't take the heat, so scrubbing bubbles, toothbrush and elbow grease to remove gunk is required along with the cleaning and polishing and a quick dip in Barbercide for no more than 10 minutes. I know some say it is overkill, but this is the way I like to clean my new old gear!
Well I have purchased some gnarly razors. But lots of scrubbing, polishing, ultrasonic cleaning, and occasionally boiling will happen before I think about using some of the worst razors that I have liberated. Actually, when it comes to a basic 3 piece razor, it doesn't take much to completely clean them. However, there are so many places that old lather, whiskers and unknown material can get stuck in on a super speed or adjustable that unless you tear the razor completely apart (which I have done and trust me, its nasty in some of them) you can't get it truly cleaned.
Oh Ya I go along with the cleaning, I have gotten some nice looking pieces after all the cleaning. I just can't imagine the orginial owner letting them get that bad without keeping them somewhat clean. I do a minor clean after every shave, and a through clean at blade change. I've found the same with firearms, have picked up some real nice gunsmith specials for next to nothing $10/$25 bucks that only needed a cleaning to allow the firing pin to operate o the extractor to work. This especially nice when dealing with a WW2 german handgun.
When I got my Schick adjustable injectors they were so nasty that it took a couple of days to get them sanitary and usuable. Now the one I'm keeping is probably my best shaver. Right now I'm working on a couple of Fatboys that looked wiped down at best and were all gummed up inside. After a short boil and long soak, one seems to be freed up, but the other may be a write off.
I go the boiling water/ scrubbing bubbles / alcohol dip on every razor that I get unless the boiling water is too much heat. However... since it is only the edge of a new blade that is going to be removing hair and a top layer of skin the whole sanitization thing may be a bit overboard. Sure, the TTO mechanisim is going to have ancient crud in it but then think of the USDA allowable amount of rodent droppings allowable in your jar of peanut butter and suddenly for me decades old scum in the bottom of a TTO does not bother me as much.
Maybe the worst for me was a Gem 1912. It was actually pretty clean and shiny looking in general, but it had a blade still in it, and under that blade was a thick layer of dried hair, as if somebody had let his beard grow for a couple of weeks before shaving. I have to admit that that one got a lot of extra time in the Barbicide, in addition to almost obsessive scrubbing. Still, in the end, these things can be disinfected by any reasonable standard, and all that you're left dealing with is the yuck factor. This is one of my best razors, once I got over the condition it came in. Even if you get a clean looking razor from an eBay dealer, you don't know what it was like when he got it, or how effectively he cleaned it. It's a good idea to clean everything, but once you've done a good job, don't worry about it again.
I picked up a lot of razors where most of them weren't bad. But there was one razor that I would have sworn was used to shave animals before surgery.. crusty scabs of hair clotting the combs... it was nasty... And no, not all the hairs were the same color and I really don't think were from the same person or even animal... bleh... :sick007 But it was a razor that I didn't have and it was a unique 3 piece so it got a high pressure spray, scrubbing bubbles, barbicide, boiling water, etc... Oh... and I wore gloves to clean this razor (only razor I ever did that with) and yes.. there was crusted blood inside the razor once I unscrewed everything to remove the old blade... :sick007 Man... I was already feeling a little sick tonight, now I really feel ugh flashing back to that filthy thing. But... it was worth it. Its a great razor now that it has been cleaned up and I am sure that there are many dogs, bears, and even an orangutan that it helped prep for surgery...
I like finding old crusty razors at the flea market. To me it's like a treasure hunt. I've found a few crusty old razors that were absolute treasures under all the crud.
Add me to the list that have taken a grungy, grimy, cruddy lookin' razor, cleaned it up, and now use it the rotation.
I have not had scrapple since I was a kid and lived with my Aunt in Philadelphia for a short time. Good memory! Thanks!
In reading a large number of threads on the subject here and on other forums, It seems that most shavers do not clean their razors between shaves or even when changing blades. Maybe a quick swish in warm water with the blade still inserted is good enough, but not for me. I always clean and dry my razore and dry off the blade after shaving. I then place the dry blade on a paper towel ready for the next shave. I almost never use the same razor twice in a row or even twice in the same week. Some shavers even load up 7 razors with blades and don't change blades for maybe 2 or 3 weeks. As far as buying razors, I never buy a cruddy looking razor. It's probably more a reflection of the seller then it is for whoever left it in such a filthy condition. They don't deserve my business. Len
Well that is a thought, but remember even Diamonds are found in the dirt! But you are correct, and if I was selling whatever on the Bay I would do my best to make it look good. BTW--Baby Face Bambino--You gotta be joking.
Wow.. I hadn't noticed that one before or it has been a long time since It looks like Lather Monster should be coming up soon. Just post a bit more and get past the Bambino..
Hah. I completely missed it and thought he was talking of an omega brush referenced somewhere I missed.
Dale, What have I gotten myself into here, started out going back to the way I shaved years ago, now I find myself collecting not only vintage razors but vintage mugs and brushes. Its even to the point we went out and purchased a curved glass curio cabinet. Somebody, Help me please! One plus tho, it less expensive than collecting guns and takes up less room.
