Gillette Slim Adjustable Safety Razor Brought Back to Life

My Gillette Slim Adjustable has always been a solid performing piece in my safety razor collection, but its appearance was nothing impressive.  Like many collectable vintage safety razors, this model was mostly produced during the mid-1900s, so its original chrome plating finish has worn down from use and exposure to the elements over the years. My adjustable razor had significant brassing on the sides and bottom of the cutting head as well as some imperfections in the handle.  Since I typically use new production razors, the Gillette was in a drawer unused for months.  I learned of The Razor Emporium’s Razor Revamp service for vintage safety razors and immediately thought of my old Gillette.

For those that have been fortunate to find a vintage razor that provides them the best shaves and want to restore it to pristine condition, the Razor Revamp service from The Razor Emporium is a great option. While there are various techniques suggested for cleaning and refurbishing an old razor, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to restore one to true mint condition.  A razor that has been properly cleaned and sanitized will provide great shaves; however, many collectors would like to be able to display them on their counters and appreciate their prized razors as showpieces.  The Razor Emporium’s complete restoration process goes far beyond the standard cleaning and sanitizing.

What makes the Razor Revamp service different from a standard cosmetic plating procedure is that the razor is completely stripped down to the bare metal.  Once all the original finish has been thoroughly removed, the razor is then resurfaced to remove any minor pitting or imperfections throughout the cutting head and body of the razor.  After the razor has undergone the resurfacing process, it goes through a precision re-plating process in your choice of nickel, silver, 24k gold, or rhodium metals.  After the razor has finished the plating process, the Razor Revamp service goes a step further with attention to detail and applies paint filling to the numbers and indicator mark on the adjustment dial to give the safety razor a thoroughly finished appearance.

When I received my Gillette in the mail approximately three weeks later, it looked nothing like the razor that I had mailed off.  The surfaces of the razor, both inside and outside the cutting head as well as around the handle, appeared absolutely flawless.  The 24k gold plating is smooth and has a beautiful luster that looks like the safety razor just left the original factory.  The opening and closing action of the silo doors is smooth and easy, much more so than it was previously.  I spent several minutes looking over every detail of the razor and could not find a single spot on it that was not perfect.  Even more impressive is the textured metal of the handle, where imperfections can often be impossible to get out.  The guys at the Razor Emporium left none of these spots untouched.

My ever-growing collection of safety razors includes only this one vintage model.  I had chosen to purchase newly manufactured razors and skip the trial-and-error process of finding a good vintage piece as well as the effort it takes to clean and sanitize it to shave-ready condition.  In addition, I have always preferred razors that are attractive in appearance as well as have good shaving performance.  For this reason, my old beat up Gillette was pretty much forgotten in the drawer.  The Razor Emporium’s Razor Revamp process, however, transformed my worn razor into a beautiful showpiece that will now be one of the highlights of my collection. 

The cost of the service ranges from $35 for nickel finish to $65 for 24k gold or rhodium, with an advertised turnaround of 3-5 weeks.  Given the amount of work and attention to detail that goes into restoring a vintage razor, the price and time of delivery are very reasonable.  Their workmanship is superb and the new 24k gold plating is flawless. I highly recommend this service to anyone who has a vintage razor that can be restored to mint condition. The Razor Revamp service by the Razor Emporium can bring your old flea market find back to life.