Actually two questions: I have a vintage safety razor that was passed down from my grandfather to my father, and has been in my posession for the past ten years. I read in another thread in this board on how to repair the crack in the handle and polish it. My first question is about the case. It is a metal traveling case. Part of it is rusted, and the lining has come apart in some spots. I honestly do not mind retaining the original fabric in the case, but I would like to know if there is a way to glue the backing again. There is also an area on the outside of the case that is the same way. The second question is: does anyone know concerning safety razor history? The razor looks exactly the same as the one in razorandbrush.com's restoration page.
Welcome to The Shave Den Whitehorse! I tried to find the photo of the razor at that link.....no dice. Perhaps you can post some photos here? I haven't re-attached the fabric inside a razor case before, but I know Rick ( Blue_Monkey ) has.... ..maybe something like Gorilla Glue will work? or hot glue from a glue gun?
There is spray glue that is designed for fabric/craft use. That is what you want to use. As far as rust goes, never dull will take that off then your gonna have to seal it some how. Post some pics so we can weigh in. Welcome to the fold.
I have re-lined cases by gluing the velvet straight to the metal frame in the case with good 'ol Elmer's. Just be sure to us it sparingly and don't press the fabric down too hard or you will end up with "flat spots". I have also lined cases by using the Elmer's to glue the velvet to a cardboard form that was then attached to the metal case via a hot glue gun. Gotta move fast with this, because hot glue sets pretty quickly. Here are some pictures of cases I re-lined: 1930's Aristocrat case That's a sample of gluing the fabric right on the metal. Muhle-Pinsel case (before) (After) On those, I fabricated cardboard forms that I glued the velvet onto, and then used a hot glue gun to attach the forms to the cases. Made nice little homes for my Merkur HD and Barberpole razors!
Thank you for your advice everyone. Unfortunately, due to my newbie status, I cannot post a picture yet (this is my third post upon registering.) I tried the Elmer's solution, and it worked with the original fabric. I won't be working on the razor itself just yet (paying bills is just a bit more important than buying materials for restoration.) I found a picture of a similar type razor on countryjoescollectiblestuff.com Bluemonkey, I take it the cases were completely redone. Do you have any advice concerning the cases?
I'm not sure what you mean. I gutted the Aristocrat case because it looked and stunk like Hell (seller was a smoker), and then carefully glued the velvet in pieces to fit the contours of the razor tray. Other than the interior, the case was fine. The Muhle-Pinsel cases are brand new, and are essentially empty metal boxes just begging for some plush lining.
I found a site that had the same blade and case I have. It is a Gillette Old Type, dated around 1921. Bluemonkey, I was looking at the case for mine. It is ragged and torn on the outside, and the lettering in the velvet lining are nearly gone. Do you have any recommendations for the case? Honestly, I am somewhat torn between redoing the case in new fabric and leaving it as is. I have no intentions to sell it, especially after finding an approximate date and the sentimental family value (hoping to save it for a fourth generation.)
Ah, gotcha. I don't know how to repair the cases with the faux coverings, I can only manage to re-line the interiors. Personally, if the inside is that bad and you plan on keeping the razor, I would put some new velvet in. Even if you do sell it, I don't think the buyers would be all that concerned as long as everything is disclosed. I sold the Aristocrat case (as well as the razor), and the buyer was quite happy with how the case looked, but I did explain upfront why I re-lined it. Sometimes restored is better than original, if the original looks like garbage.
Thank you for your response. I've been examining the outside, and I believe it could be redone in the same manner as the inside (new material and Elmer.) Now my challenge would be trying to find a store that sells leatherette (and considering I recognize where the garment district in Manhattan is located, one would think that would not be a problem.) The only other problem with leatherette is that it does not allow air to breathe, explaining why this case, and another case I have contain rust. I finally graduated from my newbie status, so I can finally post a picture. Here is the razor in the case.
