Mail call Gillette NEW - few questions

Hello all,
Just scored this NEW short comb from a fellow shaver, and was wondering if what I see is brassing or rose gold color.




It could use a good polishing (by polish I mean scrubbing bubbles so I don't remove laquer, assuming there's some left).

The razor is fully functional, but I'm not sure I've seen a NEW like this, most have been replated or broken.

Also, are handles like the IKon bulldog useable on vintage razor heads such as the NEW or gillette Tech heads?

 

Your plating on the top cap and handle are gone. This is a good candidate for replating. They are a great razor!

 

Thanks, that's what I figured, being my first gold razor I wasn't sure, just knew not to polish it.

 

All the plating is gone. The handle and top cap are copper, the comb is brass. This looks exactly like a razor I gave away a few months ago.

 

This.

 

Yup, all the plating is gone. It is useless. Send it to me & I will throw it away for you.

 

I am not so sure it is all gone. It definitely looks worn though. You will be able to tell if it starts to tarnish all over the head. Even then, its a decision whether to let it stay tarnished with a vintage patina, keep it polished with a light, nonabrasive polish, or to have it replated. It looks clean and in good shape, so it may be a good candidate for replating. The only real gentle way to polish that type with the gold plating is in a walnut media tumbler or similar. Even then, not more than a few hours. If you or someone you know reloads, that should be what you need.

 

Here's mine in bright nickel. It is a wonderful razor. It would look great in gold, too.

 

As far as your question on the handle, the answer is that it depends. I think the short combs were all fine, so you may be good to go with just about any late model handle. I know that the US and Canadian LC models came with two different cutout sizes, making some handles unusable without a washer, making the cutout larger, or making the neck on the handle smaller. If you are a B&B member, contact Edgar (I think his screen name is nuclearblast). He can give you a definitive answer on whether or not the short combs had the same issue.

 

Very nice.

I agree that it would look good in gold, but I worry about how long gold will last. If a razor was originally plated in gold and it needs re-plating, then would it be safe to assume it will need re-plating again?

 

Is Maas lavender polish considered light and non abrasive? I didn't know if it would be bad to skip the replating and use it since it is functional.

 

I think Maas is non abrasive. It is more of a chemical cleaner/polisher.

 

Well, sir, as far as handles go here is a pointer. Do you have an aftermarket handle laying around? If the answer is yes do this. Take both handle and butt up both female ends against each other, the part where the threading is and see if the circumference is the same on both handles. That is what I did and I paired my weber bulldog with my LC. As far as techs go Yes, aftermarket handles will work with them. By doing this you can decide if you would like to re-plate the entire razor or just the head. Having the head re-plated by itself can save you some money. Re-plating of the razor head can cost between $20-40, depending of the finish and who you send the item to. If you plan on an aftermarket handle I would suggest going with Nickel as it is the most inexpensive and it will pair well with a stainless steel handle.

 

I thought that was red brass, not copper. Wouldn't copper be to soft?

 

Yes, it's brass.

 

Wouldn't it be great if Gillette had a place where these questions could be answered authoritatively?

 

I think they look cool like that. I'd polish it ( FYI polish, by definition, is abrasive) and lacquer it to hinder tarnishing. A lot of your "gold tone" stuff is just polished, lacquered brass.

 

Red brass: 5% zinc, 10% tin, 85% copper.

 

Thanks, I kind of like the color it is now, but I've never looked into lacquering outside of pinewood derby cars when I was younger. Any lacquers you'd recommend? I'm entertaining the idea because it seems expensive to replate this razor when it already looks decent (albeit the photos show it's not cleaned yet).

 

I just got a new. The handle is the same brass color. The top plate has most of the gold still on it. I was bummed when I got it because in the pics it appeared to be completely gold. Live and learn.