Hello, I would like to get my grandfather's razor restored. Can you fine folk help me out ? Cheers, Nausheer
Honestly, going by the pictures, it looks like a good cleaning will work fine. There are a few ways to do it, but I just soak the razor in hot water and Dawn dish soap. Then use a soft or used tooth brush to get in those hard to reach areas. The numbers can be filled in with black paint, techniques can be seen on Youtube. A good polish, like Flitz, will shine it up real nice. Scrubbing Bubbles, without Bleach can also clean up the razor and other polishes work good.
There are a few places that will recoat the razor. Unfortunately I don't have a link at the moment (at work right now), but you should be able to do a search on the forum and find some great recommendations. Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk
You have to be careful with the aluminum handle. I agree with a good soap and water soak, then lightly scrub the handle with a soft toothbrush. If some of the black comes off, you can use modeling paint. The head will polish up nude as described above. Herm
On the numerals, I've had good results using a black fine tip Sharpie, sealed with common clear acrylic.
The problem isn't just cosmetic, the adjustment knob on the razor doesn't change the blade exposure at all.
I've had good luck alternating Dawn dish soap / hot water & mineral (baby) oil. After a soak in the soapy water, a couple drops down the top of the handle, at the ring, and up from the bottom knob. Try working the adjustment ring. Then do the soapy water again. Then the oil again. Early Gillette Adjustables can be disassembled with some care. The Black Beauty's are tougher.
I have tried this once earlier. Didn't work. I don't know where I am going wrong. A little annoying, that's why I wanted professional restoration done.
Sometimes the mechanism can just be really dirty. After soaking it for a while, it might loosen up. If it still does it, try mineral oil down thru the center of the handle, where the riser comes out. Even something like CLR will work. Most problems on Gillette adjustables is related to just being really dirty, mostly from soap scum. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...4633275E639DB5A228AB4633275E639D&&FORM=VRDGAR
There is/was a guy over at b&b that does/did Gillette breakdowns for folks. Either like yours to clean and restore, or in preparation of being replated. CaptMurphy (B&B) vintagerazorrepair@gmail.com
Try a penetrating oil like WD40 to loosen up the knob. NVM, I missed the part about the knob turning. First see if you can press the head into the handle to fix that. Just do it with the doors open and in a way that doesn't distort the base plate itself. Also make sure the adjuster knob is set to 9 when you do. If it loosened up which they can do unless you overclock the knob until it is tight on the 9 setting pressing the plate up as far as possible will fix that also. If you do the overclock it will throw off the gap adjustment so unless you have a spec guide and feeler gauge I wouldn't recommend the overclock method.
Cap is THE guy for Gillette adjustable restorations. He also works with Chris of Razorplate.com to fix and replate razors. Unfortunately, the Black Beauty is aluminum so it can't be replated if worn. However it can be coated with Cerakote or Guncote if you want a razor that looks and acts like new although with a non-original finish. If you are interested in that, contact either Delta Echo or North Shore Razors. Both places do an excellent job and will return your razor working perfectly and looking like new. I sent my grungy user grade Gillette adjustables to Delta Echo and they came back like new razors (I had just used the Black Beauty with a soap that left a white film. A quick squirt of Scrubbing Bubbles after the photo had it pristine again):
I've contacted Scott at North shore and he's asked me to send him some better pictures of the razor post cleaning. The other site you mentioned DeltaEcho Razor works doesn't appear to be active. Their Instagram handle is also not showing recent posts. I've also contacted Chris Spencer of Back roads gold who said that the razor could be restored although he wouldn't disassemble it fully. So far Scott is the only one who has anything positive to say about the outcome.
Odd about Delta Echo. They were around within the last month or so and I haven't read anything about them going out of business. Might be worth contacting them too. (I just checked on the web - it looks like people ask every now and then if Delta Echo is still in business because they aren't very good about keeping their website updated and social media active. Each time the answer is that they are both in business and very busy. If you email though, you should hear back in a couple days.) However both Delta Echo and North Shore have excellent reputations for refurbishing razors using the modern firearms coating methods and either should be able to meet your needs.
Before you send it out, take the advise of others, hot water and dishwashing liquid works. I have restored many many adjustable razlrs, so bad, most would throw them away. Get your water boiling hot, put your razor in a heat safe container(smaller the better), then pour boiling water in, apply Palmolive(works better than Dawn), stir a little, and soak until cool. Scrub, with old toothbrush, under running water. If need be, repeat. You can reheat used soapy water in microwave, without the razor. I've not needed to do this more than three times, before even the most locked up razors were fixed. This method works better and does less damage than an ultrasonic cleaner.
Contact Nick at Sport Shaving. He has restored and replated several razors for me. He does quality work.
Ceracote looks terrible on a razor. Razors look like cars with primer on them as a final paint job when ceracoted. Ask whoever you choose to find someone to anodize aluminum and quote you a price to do it correctly. Anodizing aluminum is not hard to do the trick is to do it in a black color that is durable and doesn't turn grey or purple later on from UV damage. Anodizing coloring the aluminum is easy enough to do by yourself. Check wikihow and instructables for how to do it.
Update: As of now the only positive response other than ceracote has been from Dave Glynn , Victor Obrador and Chris Spencer. The cheapest cost quoted to me was by Victor Obrador and considering geographic hindrances, seems to be the best option. Gotta do some background research before sending my razor to him.
