Thanks for the tips. I hadn't tried Kroil or WD40 yet but am now. Letting the top soak in Kroil for a couple hours and then I'll try again. I did open the top cap. I didn't put a lot of muscle into trying to open the first time. It really doesn't look like it is threaded and I didn't want to break anything or ruin the razor so I kind of twisted easy with the same force I'd use to open any Gillette 3 piece. This is the only one of these I have so if I ruin it, I don't have another one to replace it.
I thought I broke my razor the first time I took one of these apart. They only have 2 threads on the handle, so they tend to not look threaded, but they really are. Once they break lose, they come apart and go back together as easily as a Gillette three piece razor. It's the "...break lose" part that is the real pain. I had one that didn't come apart, but I didn't try really hard to force it either, since there was nothing wrong with it, I didn't have kroil, and I don't like the smell of WD40 when I'm shaving. (The smell does eventually come out of the razor).
Oh, before I forget.... Thank you @PLANofMAN for the tips and assistance. I did get the razor head separated. I carefully bent the spring back to where it should be and put the head back on. Very easy fix.
November 4th Razor: Cooper Monobilt Blade: Derby Extra (1) Brush: Rick Montalvo TnS Tip knot Pre-shave: Stirling Mentholated Soap: Proraso Green PAA Galactic witch hazel PAA unscented Star Jelly AS: Proraso Green No Repeat November/Menthol Monday Good morning!
Fresh out of the Dawn dish soap and warm water bath. I almost dug out the chrome polish, but it wasn't needed. I saw mention of WD40 to separate handles from base plates. Don't think I'll need to do that, but has anyone lubricated the interior handle parts? I use mineral oil (unscented baby oil) on adjustable Gillette DE razors. . Not that it needs it, but I like to give a new-to-me blade holder a tune up when I take possession.
You really only need WD40 or Pb blaster which is what I use to loosen up moving parts, only drawback the razor will smell like either for a couple of days to weeks afterwards even after using a degreaser like Dawn dish soap to break down the excess. Mineral oil if you just want to lube it is probably your best bet.
cooper monobilt/platinum razorock chrome silvertip synthetic saponificio bignoli agrumi del mediterraneo fine italian citrus
I use mineral oil on cutting boards and knife handles. For internal razor lubrication, I use a drop of sewing machine oil about once every ten years. I used to hate chrome plated razors. Chrome plating lacks the warm silvery tone of nickel and, with the application of water, tends to stick to one's face like glue. The MonoBilt changed my mind. Aside from a fine patina of barely visible hairline scratches that don't penetrate the finish, my darn near 100 year old MonoBilt looks like it came off the factory floor yesterday. Most of the others I've seen look the same way. I've only seen a handful that needed replating, and it makes me wonder how long those particular razors lived in the shower cubicle to get that way.
Verily! I know chrome plating on car bumpers and the like is quite thick. I assume it's similar on these razors. The blue/while of chrome isn't that much of a turn off that I'd spend big bucks changing it to nickle. I suspect it would cost less to buy a prettier original finish unit.
There is a nickel plated MonoBilt in the first page or two of this thread, if I remember correctly. But yes, spending $60-$100 (or whatever they are selling for these days) is probably cheaper than buying a 'user grade' one and replating it. User grade in the MonoBilt's case usually means bent parts rather than missing plating... Which is a whole 'nother can of worms.
Yes, mine was done in Bright Nickel. Cheap? Not really. Awesome? Absolutely. A pic from a few weeks ago: Ryan, you mentioned bent parts- Mine has one slightly bent tooth, which doesn’t affect performance, to be honest.
Tuesday NOvember 12 No Repeat (mostly) NOvember. No repeats so far except for scuttle, blades, and alum. Up today is a Cooper Monobilt. Bowl/Scuttle - GP12 Soap - Stirling Autumn Glory Brush - ThatDarnRob 26mm Blade - Gillette Platinum (3) Razor - Cooper Monobilt Post Shave - OSMA Pierre alum, Stirling Autumn Glory A/S Shave rating 5 of 5 Excellent 2 pass shave today. The alum was a little vocal again on my neck area. Happy NOvember and great shaves everyone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No bent teeth, and the rest is straight enough to give great shave. The tee-tiny specks of lost chrome are on top of the base plate and have zero effect on the performance. I'm a happy shaver!
Was the bent tooth a post plating issue? Usually stuff like that can be fixed, but it involves heating the razor, which futzes the plating... But isn't an issue if the razor is being replated afterwards. Edit: for those who don't know, old brass becomes brittle, which makes straightening bent teeth a dicy proposition. Heating the razor with a blowtorch anneals the brass, and makes it malleable again, but destroys the plating on the razor.
The bent tooth is visible on the pic a few posts above. Very minor. It even looks less in person. Mine was one that didn’t need any repair, but had serious plating degradation, especially on the handle. The whole head looks a little bent in the pic, but that is an illusion due to the picture. I will take a better pic and post it here.
@PLANofMAN, This is probably a better pic: I stand corrected. I did straighten it a bit, so yes it appears it was a post plating issue. Probably one of my kids!