Rockwell Model T Review

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Terry Williams, Oct 2, 2018.

  1. DanielB

    DanielB Member

    !#$&$ *#%&#!&$ #&@!$#, man.
     
  2. PatrickA51

    PatrickA51 Well-Known Member

    Hi @DanielB
    I never got an update from Kickstarter and or Rockwell Razors. I changed my internet provider so also my e-mail would change. I checked the link that you gave. They are still sending e-mails to my old address.
     
  3. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    Ok, so, I finished my 30-Day focus and this will be my final report for awhile. I will continue to use the Model T as my daily driver for awhile to check out how other blades work in the razor, but I am now going to put the razor in my rotation. That means that I will be switching up when the mood strikes.

    To cut to the chase. I still really enjoy this razor. It does seem to me to be a bit more aggressive than the 6S, but not so much more. Since, it is infinitely adjustable, I can dial it in to my liking. It has great maneuverability for me and the weight and length are pretty much dead on for me. I think Rockwell got this one right.

    I took mine apart to see what all of the fuss was about and to see how it held up to shave soap goo and water. While it was apart I cleaned it and examined the serviceability. Here are some pictures. You can judge the manufacturing quality for yourself. I think they did a good job.

    To start there is plug on the end that is held with an o-ring. The plug has a threaded hole and you have to find a small screw that will allow you pull the plug out. IMG_2681 (1).jpg IMG_2683 (1).jpg
    IMG_2684 (1).jpg
    After you remove the plug you need to remove a Phillips screw that holds down a spring. Be careful to not let the spring fly loose. It would be easy to lose and hard to replace.
    IMG_2685 (1).jpg
    IMG_2687 (1).jpg
    You can then remove the T-bar and doors. Notice that my T-bar is a 2 piece. So, mine is an early copy. All others will be the one piece T-bar. The stem on my T-bar is brass and is pressed in. It's not pressed very tightly and I can rotate mine. I've noticed this when tightening down the doors on the blade; the TTO knob progressed past the full stop. I was a little concerned at first, but everything continued to work properly, so, I stopped worrying about it. Now I realize that the TTO knob can turn the stem and there is less danger of over tightening the TTO. But, those with one piece T-bars may need to be sure that you don't crank to hard on the TTO knob.

    The TTO is slotted and the T-bar is keyed to the TTO knob.
    IMG_2691 (1).jpg IMG_2693 (1).jpg
    Might be difficult to see in the photo, but the T-bar has 2 flat sides. My T-bar had some sort of lube on it. It was a grease rather than an oil. I applied a little Super Lube synthetic grease to the T-bar before I put it back together.

    It seems to me that there are a number of press fit parts and that most are made of brass. But, notice that the blade base has molding flash marks. It could be that the blade base is stamped, but I think it is molded, like the T-bar and made of Zamak.
    IMG_2690 (1).jpg IMG_2692 (1).jpg
    IMG_2696.jpg IMG_2695 (1).jpg
    It's pretty easy to disassemble and reassemble. No vices or hammering necessary (if you taken apart a Slim or Fatboy, then you know what I mean). So, it will be easy to clean and repair. Cleaning periodically will help it last into the next half century. I didn't try to pull the handle or the TTO knob. From the looks of things that would take some brute force tools. I'm not ready to try that yet. I haven't noticed any alignment issues with the 2-piece T-bar, but I think time will tell.

    All in all, I think this is a good razor. I'll leave to you as to whether or not you think it is worth the money and the wait. Though, I really enjoy mine. It's a keeper in my book.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 6, 2018
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  4. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    In the interest of being forthright and providing information on this razor and, while I am a fanboy of Rockwell (6S, at least), I wanted to share something that I discovered this morning. In the previous thread I noted that the TTO knob would turn past full closed and full open. While, I was bothered by this at first, The razor still opened and closed correctly and held the blade tight, so, I let it go. I used the razor this morning after yesterday's disassembly experiment and when I opened the razor to clean it (as I am want to do every time), I noticed that the blade base was askew. I new what it was; the screw holding the spring to the TTO knob hadn't been tightened down enough. So, I pulled the end plug and tried to tighten the screw, but the stem spun and the screw couldn't be tightened any more. That meant that the gap between the T-bar and the stem was a manufacturing flaw; the T-bar should be seated. I took it all apart again and used a small hammer to tap firmly (but not too firmly) and seat the stem.
    IMG_2687 (2).jpg

    This was the final result. But, in taking the photo, I noticed one more thing.
    DSC_3597.jpg Version 2.jpg
    DSC_3599.jpg
    There is a copper colored nick on the T-bar. So, something scuffed the chrome. It could've happened during assembly/disassembly, but I'm not that rough on stuff. Especially, new gear. The nick looks to be a copper color. I thought that zinc (Zamak) was grey and crystalline and that any zinc corrosion was grey and chalky (that's what happens on zinc golf club heads). So, I'm not sure what is going on here or what the T-bar is made of. I am going to send these pics to Gareth@rockwell and see what he thinks. In the past, he has provided free replacement parts and I would imagine that I will get one-piece T-bar. Anyway, just trying to be upfront here. I still like the razor. I have lots of other razors that are 30-50 years old and they have many more issues; and they still work. So, I'm not worried. I think that Rockwell will want to get a handle on any manufacturing issues. This is an assembly problem along with a finishing problem. Rockwell will want know and they will want to get ahead of it. I think they will do the right thing.
     
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  5. DesertTime

    DesertTime Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure, but I think they switched to a ZAMAK t-bar with the one-piece assembly. The two piece t-bar had some brass parts. Though the bottom part does look like brass.

    Like I said, I'm not positive.
     
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  6. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    BTW... If you have one with a 2-piece T-bar, DO NOT DO WHAT I DID (fully seat the stem). The gap in the stem and T-bar is there by design. The 1/8 inch or so provides enough length for the action to open the cap. So, mine don't open now. Rather than try to pull them apart I am going to put a couple of washers (or a spacer) underneath screw to give the spring the added leverage to open the doors.
     
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  7. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    The stem is definitely brass. I think the T-bar might be copper plated brass (??). Copper plating was used a lot in Gillettes for gold tone razors. I think it helps the electroplating process, too.
     
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  8. DanielB

    DanielB Member

    First of all - Terry, thanks for taking the time to take pictures of the dismantling process and for explaining everything for us.

    Terry, as you have the early production 2-piece T-bar Model T, can you please confirm that you did not ever receive a 2nd Model T, unannounced? I don't remember you ever saying that you did so the reason I ask is that at least two other early-recipient backers received, unannounced, a 2nd Model T, and in the video I just referenced in the ongoing Rockwell Model T thread, one of those backers states (without basis, I say) "all the backers received a new one". His inference is that Rockwell was preemptively replacing all 2-piece T-bar models with the revised 1-piece T-bar model.
     
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  9. PatrickA51

    PatrickA51 Well-Known Member

    I received this in my e-mail yesterday. At my current e-mail address not the one I signed up to the project. So I guess some thing is happening, also when I click on the link that @DanielB


    Message from the Project Creator

    Dear Backer,

    Gareth here from Rockwell. I’m so thrilled to present you with the Backer Survey for the Model T campaign. This is where you can choose the finish of your razor(s), provide your address (which you can update any time before shipping), and pre-order any of our fantastic add-ons. I’ve worked harder than ever before to put together an offering of quality goods that I think will blow you away. Personally, I highly recommend the Rockwell Shave Cream and the Chromed Brass Stand.

    Just a few notes before you click through: Please note that all prices listed are in USD, and the products you select will ship with your razor. If you’re Canadian or American and having trouble validating your address on the checkout page, please try your two-digit province or state code instead of the full name. If you’re a backer for both the Model T as well as the Chrome Series campaigns, please use the same email across both Backer Surveys so I can easily combine your order, if production timelines happen to make that possible!

    For EU backers, please keep in mind that the $20 in shipping charges are going towards duties pre-clearing (VAT), so that you are not hit with any “postal search fees” or other unexpected fees upon delivery - I figured it’s better for everyone that way!

    If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by replying to this email or by emailing me at info@rockwellrazors.com.
     
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  10. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    I have only received the one pictured. Mine must've slipped through the cracks if they were trying to resolve the 2 piece issue. Or, they were just going send what they had anyway. I sent a message to Rockwell and passed these same photos. They have yet to respond, which I find a little unusual given my past experience. But, I think they are pretty busy. I'll let everyone know what they say, when they say it. I'm n0t in a hurry. This razor, while being very nice IMHO, is just one more in the hoard. I can use another until they get things straightened out or until I get my other ones.

    In the meantime, I am going to try to re-make the brass stem (longer and threaded for the T-bar). For no particular reason, than I want to try. I am also going to disassemble the handle and get the thing into all of its constituent pieces, then send the exterior parts off to one of the GunKote-ers. That'll be fun. It'll take a hammer and a punch (I think).
     
  11. Terry Williams

    Terry Williams Well-Known Member

    I responded to that email several months ago.
     
  12. DanielB

    DanielB Member

    I received that email on December 8, 2016. PatrickA51, did you recently update your Kickstarter account with your new(er) email address?
     
  13. PatrickA51

    PatrickA51 Well-Known Member

    The day I changed internet providers I notified
    Yes I did the day that my new internet provider installed my Cable TV and Internet and Telephone Services.
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018

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