The return of the rhodium plated toggle - Part Deux

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:25 pm

brothers wrote:That is a very nice looking razor.

All the spontaneous discussion about a vendor getting banned from SMF kind of makes me dizzy. Even though I am literally checking around on SMF every day, I seem to totally miss any excitement that goes on.

I'm in the same boat...

MadAussie · Post by **MadAussie** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:08 am

Looks very sweet. I'm a function over fashion, so I use all my razors and none are really "collectable" so have no problem with replating that some do.

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:26 pm

The rhodium plating is just stunning. I have a couple of Aristocrat #22s (open-comb) that were plated with silver, of all things: Tarnish City. Really, an inert metal is really required. I was told that Gillette quickly learned their lesson, hence the switch to rhodium.

I think I'll send with them a Fat Boy, a Hoffritz Slant Bar, and a Rocket. I'm not a serious collector and I'm willing to drive up the value of the unplated originals.

The Rocket might be aluminum---if so, no plating. I got a price of $65 each. Price may vary with the metal.

razorburned · Post by **razorburned** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:50 pm

Question about durability....I know the gold plated razors were lacquer coated as gold is soft and would wear away with regular use.....are rhodium plate razors lacquered? I know that some rhodium wears off fast, others last longer.

siouxsie · Post by **siouxsie** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:21 am

razorburned wrote:Question about durability....I know the gold plated razors were lacquer coated as gold is soft and would wear away with regular use.....are rhodium plate razors lacquered? I know that some rhodium wears off fast, others last longer.

I don't think mine is lacquered. I've never had trouble with the wearing off of plating on my vintage rhodium plated razors.

That's not to say you couldn't ask your plater to lacquer it...but I don't know that it's necessary as it may be with Gold or Silver (silver due to tarnish).

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:04 am

Rhodium is pretty hard: a Mohs hardness of 6.0 vs. gold at 2.5. (Source is Wikipedia, so if you don't trust anything you read in Wikipedia, you'll have to look elsewhere.)