FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I had someone else replate my razor and the plating is peeling or has cloudy patches.
A: When replating anything, the #1 thing to do is have a very, very, very clean surface that is hydrophelic. Any dirt, grime, grease, oil, soap, or a hydrophobic surface will not allow the plating to stick properly and it will flake off once a break in the surface is made or if the surface is stressed. Back in 2017 I started drying my razors immediately after plating, with an air compressor set to `130psi. This is enough to blow off weak nickel plating and serves as a final double check of the platings reliability. As I am starting to see alot of these, I do not replate razors that someone else has replated in the past.
Q: Whats up with Rhodium and Palladium?
A: Due to the increased use of these natural resourses in Electric Vehicle batteries and Catalytic Converters, the price of Rhodium expecially has increased beyond the risk of contaminating the preciuos metal plating solution. Rhodium went from $1200 and ounce to over $20,000 and ounce. Since real metal is in solution, used in the electroplating process, the cost of the solutions increase as the metals prices do. If the price goes back down, I will bring it back. https://www.jewelryshoppingguide.com/everything-about-rhodium-plating/
Palladium – Recently I have been seeing pictures of razors I have done in the past where there were dark spots or stains in the finish of the razors plated with Palladium. I strive to not have problems with any finish, and if I do, I quit using that finish. The Rhodium/ Palladium solutions are made for Jewelry. We try to use all solutions with safety razors, but they are very different than jewelry.
I have 2 theories on the jewelry/ razor stuff.
The solutions are different for gold and nickel than for Palladium. The palladium solutions are susceptible to contamination. Contamination causes staining and spots. This comes from the little spaces in the knurling and from the insides of the razors. This doesnt seem to affect the nickel and gold solutions. Most jewelry is smooth and not alot of hidden spaces.
2nd theory is that something in the palladium reacts to hard water or certain shaving soaps.
Either way, when a batch gets contaminated, it gets thrown away, whether it has been used for 1 razor or 20. At $300 a batch, that gets spendy. If I wanted to compensate for the waste, then I would charge much more per razor, but I will not do that.
So… I will always do the things that I am good at doing, am consistent with, and that do not create negative reviews. And not do those things I suck at, that dont turn out 100% every time, and that create negative comments. Probably a reason Gillette used Gold and Nickel in 95% of their razors, they had alot more money and smarts than me.
My Mirror Nickel, if you have not seen it, is awesome looking, and looks much better than some others Rhodium, check it out.
Q: How come you are always moving and closing down temporarily.
A: My wife and I like to enjoy ourselves outside, just not in the snow. We have also been remodeling, flipping, and building houses for the last 20 some years. As we have settled down now with a house in Arizona and a Condo in Billings, Mt, we will not be refurbishing houses in the foreseeable future.
While in Montana we enjoy camping, fishing, kayaking and visiting our children and grand children. During the winter Cheryl is a full time substitute teacher in Arizona. We spend the weekends metal detecting and prospecting for gold nuggets in the Arizona gold fields.
So – May 1st through November 30 we are residents of Montana, Dec 1 through April 30 we snowbird in Quartzsite Arizona. When submitting the order form, a web page opens with the address you are to send the razor(s) to. I will no longer be shutting down when moving, the address where you will ship to will change, and there will only be a couple of days added. We may, however, close for a vacation now and then.
Q: How come you dont email alot, or talk long on the phone?
A: Three Things, Quality, Time, and Money. QUALITY- I feel that quality work comes from experience and concentration. I have been restoring razors since 2017, with over 5 years of experience and around 10,000 razors, it is easy to become complacent. I try to keep my concentration high to keep the quality as high as I can get it for my customers. Interruptions on the phone or email throw that concentration off.
TIME- As my business only has one employee, myself, any interruptions fall directly to me. On my Razor Services and the Order Form pages are countless descriptions and instructions that answer 95% of the questions people call or email about. When the instructions are not read, I am interrupted and my concentration suffers.
MONEY- I try to keep the price of my services as low as I can. For the last 5 years, I make $30 for the 1 1/2 hours of work it takes for each razor netting me an income of around $20 per hour. The rest of the fees are for Mailing, packaging, seller fees, credit card fees,, website fees, domain name, polishing rouge, polishing wheels, wire wheels, cleaners, degreasers, plating chemicals, precious metals, etc. Now if we were to tack on many hours worth of emails, texts, and phone calls, either my hourly rate will go down, or I have to raise the price.
Q: Did you get my razor?
A: If it is on the ORDER STATUS page, I got it. If it is not on the page, I do not have it yet. You should always send your razors, wrapped well, with a tracking number. The tracking is for you, not me. Tracking will tell you where the razor is.
Q: When do I pay?
A: You can send a check, money order, or cash with the razor(s) or prepay off the Etsy Store. If you do not prepay, I will invoice you via Paypal when the order is complete and I have sent pictures. Payment is expected within a few hours of sending the PayPal Invoice.
Q: When do you ship out orders?
A: Cutoff for shipping is 3:00 PM and I ship Monday through Friday. If a payment or a purchase comes in after 3:00 PM Mountain Time, the order will be shipped out the following day.
Q: My razor squeeks, how do you oil?
A: The razors are really really clean, so after plating, the insides are metal on metal, which creates a squeek or a hard to turn 1/4 turn on an adjustable. I have recently starteed oiling the razors after plating with Super Lube Multi-Purpose Synthetic Grease.
Over time, skin oils and shave soap lubricate the inside of the razors. Until then, here are a few things you can do:
1: Run hot water in the open tto end, add 3 or 4 drops of Dawn dish liquid. Work the tto back and forth by gripping it with a damp washcloth and twisting back and forth while making the 1/4 turn for about a minute. It should be good to go.
2: Oil can be put in the tto end, with doors open and tto up, place 3 to 5 drops in and work tto back and forth by gripping it with a damp washcloth and twisting back and forth while making the 1/4 turn for about a minute. Some oils you can use- Mineral Oil, Baby Oil, Coconut Oil, Avacado Oil, Canola Oil. Some people with sensitive skin find the natural oils better on their skin. Or you can use what I use ‘Break Free MIL-SPEC CLP’.
3. For doors or other tto squeeks, place a drop of oil on the pivot points of the doors and between the handle and tto, 2 to 3 drops of oil. Then just work the doors open and shut for a minute. Adjustables need oiled in the TTO end, where the threaded nuts against the springs are.
Q: Are you a Wizzard???
A: I have been accused of that a few times. I am a very conscientious person and strive to be the best I can be. I recognize people are sending me family heirlooms, favorite daily shavers, their Dads razor, and that they expect a high level of care be given to their razor. So, as Gillette says, “The Best A Man Can Get” applies to everything I do. I strive for only 5 Star Reviews, I strive never to have a razor returned due to a bad or misleading listing, I strive to never have a razor returned for warranty work. This saves alot of TIME and MONEY for both parties.
Q: How come you dont participate, advertise or support Badger and Blade?
A: I read and follow Badger and Blade Forums regularly. I saw how others in my business ran into a few problems in the past using the forums to conduct their business. Most times, it didnt end well, so I vowed years ago not to stick my foot in my mouth in public forums. True reviews come without being solicited, and without the input from the reviewee.
I would love to support and advertise on B&B, but by doing so, I would have to raise my prices. The best way in my mind to show my appreciation to the members of B&B is to keep my prices affordable.