FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My replated razor has started to be hard to get the 1/4 turn, what do I do.
A: Sometimes when all the internals get so clean they get sticky, its metal on metal, there is a brass nut that moves the doors up and down, pressing against the outer threading in the tto. Clean metal on metal is just like brakes. Then, if your hands are wet or soapy, the tto wont turn or the 1/4 turn lock isnt happening. Just this morning I went to shave with a new Wilkinson long handle, I could not get the tto to open for anything! I had cleaned it the day before and it was working great. I had to grab the tto with a wet washcloth, the other hand cradling the doors and guard, and turn to break the small force that was keeping it from turning. Razors need a little time to build up some soap inside or skin oils, which help lubricated the mechanisms.
We do oil the adjustable razors before they leave here. We use a 10 weight watch oil. 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. Here are three things you can do to remedy this-
1. For a Fatboy use around 3 drops of oil, a Slim use around 6 drops. When you put oil in the tto end, hold tto end up, grab tto with a washcloth, grab doors and guard with other hand, set to 9 and work it back and forth on the 1/4 turn about 20 times. See how it is then. At setting 9 the TTO has a little over 1/4 turn, at 1 it is closer to 1/8 turn.
2. If that did not help, run very hot water in the tto end, with doors open, pour dawn dish soap in end, hold tto end up, grab tto with a washcloth, grab doors and guard with other hand, set to 9 and work it back and forth on the 1/4 turn about 20 times. Rinse a little but leave some soap inside. That will lube it until soap and skin oils work there way back in.
3. Send back and I can look at it.
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: 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 7 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: How Do You Clean A Razor?
A: Most people shave with a shave soap. If you check the ingredients, it is the same stuff thats in regular soap. So every time you shave, you are cleaning the razor. The #1 problem with that is people will leave the blade in afterward, rinse it off with cold water or a brief rinse, and throw it in the medicine cabinet. The next time you go to shave, there is a white have over everything, the blade has started to rust and is staining the guard and cap.
As you have covered the razor with soap through shaving, take a little time when you are through: 1. Remove the blade, rinse it with very hot water, pat dry with microfiber cloth and set in a dry place. 2. Rinse the rest of the razor with very hot water, use your fingers, old toothbrush or a washcloth and briefly scrub all areas. 3. Rinse with very hot water and pat dry with a microfiber cloth. 4. Reassemble the razor and blade and put away until your next shave. Thats it! No polish, no cleaners, no rust. Chris has cleaned all his personal razors this way forever. Dont give it a chance to get built up scale, water stains and rust and it wont.
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 a 10 weight, watch oil.
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.
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.