Deep Cleaning stains in textured handles
Deep Cleaning stains in textured handles
I recently got a Coles Slant Razor and like lots of old razors it is very dirty in the textured part of the handle. What is the best way to clean it? I tried brasso and a toothbrush but I can't get a cloth in there to buff it well enough to remove the dirt.
What are your tips/suggestions I assume soaking it/coating it in cleaner would be the best way to expose the textured part to cleaner....
What are your tips/suggestions I assume soaking it/coating it in cleaner would be the best way to expose the textured part to cleaner....
joseph
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- SidSeizure
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I hate to ask a dumb question, but are sure it's actually dirt you're trying to clean off? My Hoffritz slant had a sort of patina on the textured part of the handle (but nowhere else) that's now gone thanks to my cleaning it with toothpaste and an electric toothbrush. Also my two Pomco slants actually have painted handles; one is black and the other one is white.
Scott
Scott
The Hoffritz I just received had a white handle with white trim on the bottom knob. The handle was "stained", so a light scrub with Brasso cleared most of it up. Then I soaked it in pure Dawn dishwashing soap for a half hour...that cleaned up the rest. Most of the paint has dulled so I may experiment with stripping it down and repainting it.
Randy
Randy
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books
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Toothpaste and a rotary electric toothbrush took off a lot of the dark color that was on the handle, but whether that was paint or grime, I don't know. If you want to remove the paint there's probably better ways to do it, I'm sure.
After looking at my Hoffritz slant, I think the handle on it may have been painted black, but there's very little paint left on it.
Scott
After looking at my Hoffritz slant, I think the handle on it may have been painted black, but there's very little paint left on it.
Scott
the smooth chrome parts on each side of the scored/textured handle were blackish....don't know if it was paint or not but I took it off.
the razor looks OK now, I don't have an electric toothbrush, though. are there any really cheap ones? I wouldn't mind buying one for $5 or $10 if it was a good razor cleaner...
the razor looks OK now, I don't have an electric toothbrush, though. are there any really cheap ones? I wouldn't mind buying one for $5 or $10 if it was a good razor cleaner...
joseph
Has anyone tried soaking in coca cola? Reaching way back into my childhood, we used to clean up pennies by soaking them in Coke. I think it was initially a science teacher demonstrating how coke could be eating our internal organs, but mostly we all just thought "Cool! Let's make all our pennies shine!".
Give us the luxuries, and we will forgo the necessities.
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
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- Assistant Dean SMFU
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I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)
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I have a battery powered Oral-B. I got it for Chrismas, so I have no idea how much it cost, but I don't think they're expensive. Just like Gillette does with cartridge razors, the electric toothbrush companies make their profit on the brushes.Do the battery-powered Crest rotary toothbrushes work reasonably well?
Scott
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I haven't had that happen and don't know how to remedy it, but this sort of thing is one of the dangers of cleaning razors or any other vintage item. When I was scrubbing my slant's handle and saw that more than dirt seemed to be coming off, I stopped even though most of it was already cleaned off. Heavy cleaning and any kind of finish removal on vintage razors makes me a uncomfortable because I worry I'm going to ruin the razor.I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)
Scott
Knott,notthesharpest wrote:I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)
Run by the hardware store and see what they have to offer. No reason you can't put a coat on yourself.
Randy
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books
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Quite true. In this case it was an "ebay special" that already apparently had most of the lacquer gone. I just finshed the job, using a nylon bristle brush and plain water.SidSeizure wrote:I haven't had that happen and don't know how to remedy it, but this sort of thing is one of the dangers of cleaning razors or any other vintage item. When I was scrubbing my slant's handle and saw that more than dirt seemed to be coming off, I stopped even though most of it was already cleaned off. Heavy cleaning and any kind of finish removal on vintage razors makes me a uncomfortable because I worry I'm going to ruin the razor.
I think if I lacquer it myself I'll make bubbles and lumps and make it worse. I've never lacquered anything before.
Nott,
I'm going to paint the Slant I just got. Most of the paint has faded away, and although I've never painted anything like a razor before, I figure I have nothing to lose!
Randy
I'm going to paint the Slant I just got. Most of the paint has faded away, and although I've never painted anything like a razor before, I figure I have nothing to lose!
Randy
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books
that is an interesting idea.Ichabod wrote:Has anyone tried soaking in coca cola? Reaching way back into my childhood, we used to clean up pennies by soaking them in Coke. I think it was initially a science teacher demonstrating how coke could be eating our internal organs, but mostly we all just thought "Cool! Let's make all our pennies shine!".
joseph
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notthesharpest wrote:Cola has phosphoric acid in it - I don't know the advantages or disadvantages of that compared to other acids.
Lots of sugar though - after the treatment, your razor would be sweeet.
This was in a world with no diet coke, or diet anything. In fact I'm pretty sure things were labelled "now with extra lard!".
I just bought a lot of razors with a couple of dirtier looking ones in it - maybe I'll try a coke bath on one and report back...
Give us the luxuries, and we will forgo the necessities.
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic