Gillette Safety Razor - Copper and Brass - Antique Restoration!
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- An old gillette safety razor, made in the USA. This razor was in ROUGH shape, but with a few hours of work, she became beautiful again! I originally thought it was all brass, but I uncovered a gorgeous copper handle. VERY classy. Enjoy!
My late father gave me that exact model in my teens. He picked it up at a fair. Mine is in its original hinged case with original blades in their individual sleeves and still has the instruction manual, too. I treasure it!
Hey just curious...which model is this?
@@mattbowman3641 Wow! I'd completely forgotten about this! It's called the Gillette Aristocrat. Mine is quite an early one, in silver, from the 1940's or early 1950's.
@@afc358 hey thanks man!! Lol I'm bidding on 1 atm😎
@@mattbowman3641 oh that's great. Good luck!
Amazing! would never have thought it once looked so battered!
+kevin lin Very rewarding project! I love when they turn out this good! Very satisfying. Thanks for watching, my friend :)
Great job. I didn't think it would come out looking that good. I'm totally impressed.
An egyption company called LORD still makes those kind of razors and blades. I actually bought one on line. Cool video!
That looks so cool! I wished I knew how it works. I couldn't have spent hours doing that, i applaud.
For complex little items like this, it might be worthwhile to look into Sonic cleaners. :) that way the bulk of the corrosion can be taken off and the budding takes less time.
Pretty excellent work. Not in a million years would I have though a wire wheel could produce this fine work.Thanks for sharing. I got a crusty old Valet Auto Strop and a Valet that has never been used that are making their way here.
I'm not against the polishing. I would add, though, that they put a clear lacquer on them after they polished at the factory, to help prevent rusting and dross forming. Very beautiful razor and very nice job.
Beautiful work Kyle.
I have many different Gillettes.from 1906 through the 1970s. they are still incredible shavers. way better than the plastic junkj they sell today.
Very much enjoyed your video and the details of each part of the restoration. Cheers.
That's my favourite. Well done dremmelfan!
+Forestwalker111 Haha i'm a huge rotary tool fan!! Glad you like it brother!
Nice job on that restoration. I suggest trying the scrubbing bubbles next time. You spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes and wash it off with a toothbrush. This will get rid of the major grime then try a little brat so. It should bring it up really nicely. Finishing off with the drama like you does puts a great touch on it. As mentioned in an earlier post a quick drop in boiling water will help to sterilize it as well. Enjoy. It should be an aggressive shaver.
Nope, boiling water dissolves the protective lacquer of these razors.
A soak in warm water and dish soap over night and a good scrub with a toothbrush is all that's needed.
10 Tips to NOT Destroy Your Double Edge Safety Razors:
ua-cam.com/video/Z8IgYmk6-J0/v-deo.html&ab_channel=RazorEmporium
Wow, I had no idea a Dremel wire bit could be so efficient at removing oxidization. I'll have to keep that in mind!
Very good restoration bro 👍👍👍👍
In your video description could you please list what tools, compounds and/or attachments you used ?
You got a beautiful result, but I have two suggestions for next time. Basically, they concern minimizing mechanical abrasion which might damage your metal surfaces. First, I'd look into chemical means for removing oxidation. For example, green copper oxide dissolves in a mixture of vinegar and salt. Second, I would have held the tool so that the wire brush moves parallel to the knurl grooves, not perpendicular to the axis of the handle. That would clean the bottoms of the grooves with less abrasion of the high points. Finally, I have a question: what is this gadget used for? I've had a beard for 40 years, and I may be a bit out of the loop here...
I have one of these belonged to the old man, must try to clean it up. Dandy job and great video.
Nice work! You'll have everything in the house polished by the time she gets back 😀
+Weiderfan
Thanks for the video..I love seeing wonderful old things come back to life and use!
They sure don't make things like they used to. This Gillette DE was made to last, possibly a couple of lifetimes, and it is beautiful as well. Pride in workmanship and product something very few companies have today, sadly Gillette isn't one of them either.
thank you my friend! I enjoy seeing these items coming back to use as well, to be used how they were intended. beautiful quality tools. thanks for watching!
This is beautiful
I got a Sheraton in similar condition. The best way to remove soasp scum is to soak it in Scrubbing bubbles. I sent mine in to Back Roads Gold to be replated and not=w it's a showpiece.
It is actually red brass and not copper.
old but gold
Great job. Looks really good
+after12 beer thanks dude!
Excelent video, excellent music and relaxing, sounds like pink floyd`s music
These videos are so cool
Not bad...any idea when it was made?
To make it proper, you need to dismantle everything, chemical clean then polish.
Good job. Loved your work. I wonder if you put it in a dishwasher before wire brushing, would it save a lot of work? Just a thought.
Beautiful job that brass came out very nice .
+Bill Ruber Thanks Bill! I think brass is such a beautiful material. Delicate, and nice to work with.
Nice Job I wish I lived closer to you I buy one of these beauties .I went old school on shaving I use shave soap and a boar bristle brush best shave You can get .
Nice! I need a nice brush. I just have a cheap wal-mart one. I'd like something stiffer! I will be putting 2 safety razors on my ebay store in a couple days. Possibly tomorrow if i'm productive enough! haha
Honestly one of my favorite UA-cam videos in the world. So satisfying!
dude this razor is cool
Neat looks brand new.
Beautiful job, and I know you'll take better care of it than the guy who originally used it.
I have been enjoying it for sure!
Beautiful Senator!
wow!.great job
That is beautiful
The current ratio of thumbs up to downs indicate that about 10% of the people know something about how these restorations should be done.
I am curious about which population you're referring to?
And I'd love to know a thing or two..
Great job. What wheels do you use for removal and polishing also the polishing compound.
I remember Grandfather Foster had one of these! pretty sweet
+BluesBro25 You should find out if he still has it! :-) I'd love to restore it for you! This is your answer. You wanted a straight razor, and I expressed the maintenance issues. This would be a perfect substitute. You like the idea?
Hi, you' re doing great restoration video
Thanks Nobbi! I really appreciate that!
What type of rotary tool are you using? I never knew it was so easy to take off rust and polish something until I watched this video. Nice work.
Ah, back from when Gillette made razors for men...
Man hello, can you please describe the tools and product you use to do such a amazing job?
+Maximo Oscar Serra Hey, thanks so much Maximo! I used a WEN rotary tool.. basically a dremel with a flex shaft attachment. For 'bits', I used a brass wire wheel for heavier cleaning, and then felt wheels for polishing. On the felt wheels I used a little polishing compound. You can get all different grit ratings from very coarse. You will want a very fine polishing compound for this. It will give you that beautiful shine! Hope this explains it well enough! :-)
Great work, but I agree with some comments here. While it looks great on the outside, a dismantle should have been in order, since if it was in that condition on the outside, only we can imagine that the innards had a lot of gunk and old soap. Also, you scratched some of the old soap with your fingernail, wouldn't a toothbrush and water should have been the first cleanup, followed by the nylon bristle?
Magnifique rasoir "papillon" en laiton massif ...On savait faire du solide avant !
Frenchest guy ever
nice work, can you please, tell me the polish paste name and the little tool that you used?
I learned to shave with a safety razor in prison,they were standard issue for new guys,best shave ever once you learn how to adjust blade tension!nice work
I was clearing out a relatives garage after his death and found an entire case of single edge blades in the packs. I used a single edge razor as a youth and still bear the first shaving scar to this day. LOL
+MrOldclunker haha that's a good story my friend! Neat that you found those items!
That razor was probably gold plated originally, and the copper you see was the base layer in the plating process.
gold does not oxidize
its also not permanent
Mueen Shaheen You're right, but it does rub off, especially if the gold plating was done cheaply. I have cheap vermeil earrings, and the posts wore off within a couple months.
That was indeed a gold plated gillette short comb single ring sheraton. Before this video it needed cleaned, polished and possibly a revamp from razor emporium. After the destruction done to it at the end of the video it definitely needed the revamp from razor emporium to attempt to restore it.
Great work!
Which dremel brushes do you usually use for these restorations? The nylon ones? The 403, 404 & 405? or the more heavy duty 538?
And what is this green polish product???
Thanks for your answers....
+Antonis Karras Hey! Thanks for watching! For these razors I actually use wire brushes. Steel or brass. Preferably steel because the brass ones wear out VERY quickly. And then I move on to the felt wheels with the green polish. It's just a basic polishing compound. It has a super fine grit the leaves a beautiful polish!
+Weiderfan thanks! I'm going to try it on a nickel safety razor, Gillette Flair but I'm afraid leaving fine hair lines on the head. Do I have to use low rpm and light touch the brush to avoid them? Are they going to disappear after polishing?
You shouldn't have to use any special pressure. The finish after the brush will likely be dull, but polishing will take care of that. Sometimes after using the brush, I'll sand the head with 1500+ grit sandpaper, which will remove any scratches from the brush or from use. Then, once you use the polishing compound your finish will be PERFECT! Good luck, and enjoy!
What exactly did you use to restore this beauty?
hi great video. I was wondering what kind of polish was it that you used with the dremel.
Thanks Beau! I was just using a generic green polishing compound! There are tons of different brands out there!
Amazing! I may think twice about buyer DE's that are not in great shape!
Very nice job !! Congratulations ! do you have the name of the music ?
Great job, I'm impressed you got all the nooks cleaned out on it. How much did this safety razor cost you in that condition?
Damn I love a good wire wheel video
I bought a gem bullet tip.on e bay...1930 to 40.....do you know what metal it is..thanks for feed back
No I dont.. Sorry! :-)
It's brass.
How would you clean it before shaving with it after that do you put it in boiling water or what
I don't bother! I run it under a little hot tap water. Thats it!
+Weiderfan what kind of attachment did you use to get rid of all that grime it worked great and didn't tear up the metal
It was a brass wire wheel! very soft
+Weiderfan thanks bud I'm gonna do this
Enjoy is man! Its a rewarding process!
what product did you use to give shine?
You stole The Razor Emporium's theme song!😎😜
May I ask the name of the brand of materials you used to refurbish this?
Jade Lee mostly dremel and WEN!
I used to shave with one of those, back in the 60's. But all the ones I've seen were nickel plated. Never saw a brass one.
What tool are you using to remove dirt, grime, petina?
hey, thanks for watching! I'm using a rotary tool with a wire wheel, and then with a felt polishing wheel. I also use a polishing compound on the felt. :-)
Very nice. How do you keep it looking so nice for the future? Will you have to polish it regularly?
Knud Erik, Denmark.
Hi Knud! being made of brass, it will need to be polished every so often, as brass tarnishes so easily!
What kind of polish did you use?
The original gillette razors were made out of brass.
whats the stick you juse to poolish?o.O
never seen this before.
Gillette for some reason liked to make the handle tubes out of copper despite the rest being brass. Not sure if it was to make the knurling process easier or to make the knurls more resilient, but you see the different materials in a lot of these safety razors.
Unfortunately, this isn't quite a "restoration". Any use in this condition will make the thing tarnish and stain like crazy, because neither the brass nor copper will resist oxidation. This is not just conjecture--I have cleaned and polished razors this corroded exactly the same way, and they will not keep that polish at all. It would need to be replated to get it back to full working condition.
The open comb on this one really narrows down what it is, thankfully. Unless I've missed something, this is either A)a 1938 Senator--unlikely, as these were nickel-plated and there's no trace of nickel showing before you cleaned it; or B)a 1937 Sheraton--very likely, as these were gold-plated and there are some spots that appear golden in color and not corroded before cleaning. This would also explain why there was so little original plating left, as gold is both softer and applied more thinly than nickel.
Shes a beauty, was that a brass Brussels or plastic? looks very similar to my Grandfather's. Does it have a diamond with an arrow and written inside ''Gillette'' ?
+111raybartlett All brass buddy! Gorgeous piece! I'll have to look into the engraving/ stamp pattern! I dont recall!
+Weiderfan Looks like much alike. Very cool. So what about the brissel wheel? Plastic or metal? Polish worked well too.
That polish blows my mind everytime I use it! Works wonderfully! Its a metal bristle wheel!
thay model does have the diamond and arrow. it's an original gillette
What is the green stuff on the polishing wheel.?
just a fine grit polishing compound :-) thanks for watching!
Hi, whats the tool you used to clean?
Whatever plating and protective lacquer this razor once had, you took it right off. lol
Next time just soak in warm water with some dish soap over night and use a tooth brush.
@Kyle Noseworthy What's the name of the tool you use to scrape off the dirts @2:40
Shiny as a new penny!
Hey guys I've starting to bald and I've embraced it to the fullest by shaving my head. The thing is the razors are going to send me into bankruptcy! Are these a great alternative that's more affordable with baby smooth results?
trppytoes yes
What did you use to polish it with?
polishing compound and a felt wheel!
I would not have minded for no music and hearing the mechanical/scraping/polishing sounds..
how did i get here?
Sorry Kyle, this is not a restoration, only an external cleaning. A true restoration would have taken the opening/closing mechanism apart and given it a thorough cleaning, checking the blade gap and a lubrication. Would you take an old knife just clean it without putting an edge on it?
I own a Gillette Ambassador, a Fat Boy and several other vintage razors. Without restoration I would never use them.
Well, you thoroughly screwed that one. Next time soak it in tap water with a little Dawn dish soap in it over night, then scrub it with a toothbrush and toothpaste. That will clean down in the hard to get to areas and leave the razor shiny. And that's yellow brass and red brass, not copper, and those are excellent shavers too.
I got this!
the build quality must be pretty good if it lasts till today
hi there , what is the drill attachment you are using at 4:44?
Hey Jade! Its a felt wheel that I have coated in polishing compound! The wheel is soft, and the compound is extremely fine. It leaves a gorgeous scratch-free surface!
Dude! That's AMAZING! Great resto! Hope the bachelor's life is treating you well! 😉😅
+The Griffin Benchmark Haha I'm doing okay bud... Me and the pup are making it.. LOL Lots of project time though!
can u list the tools
I cant.
Moooooy bueno
You could've cleaned off the soap scum with cleaning solutions. Using too many polishing wheels will throw off the tolerances.
i will have a parker for 20 usd any day. new and shinny too
I have also this..
That NOT how u do it! I Hope noone replicates this, what is shown here on this clip!
coolll..my father has one of those...very fine...
WOW
O que você fez? Poliu e retirou o que havia sobrado do níquel. Isso é restauração? Espanto.
I can't believe what this guy is doing to that poor razor.
I got a gem chrome plated brass....how do I keep it clean....can I put it dishwasher like my fatboy
Chrome plated brass? Odd combo. Why would the brass be covered with chrome? Either way, i'm not entirely sure. I just give my razors a little rinse and wipe after each shave and they're good to go. I also store them hanging upside down, so the water runs OUT of them while drying! Hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching! :-)
Does that ever look satisfying, particularly stripping that patina and gunk off the knurled handle! Great way to pass the time when the wife is away I'd say lol. Excellent resto work as always, A+ Mr Weider!
+EveryDay Knife Guy Thanks dude! It is VERY satisfying! haha
3 Letters to begin with .....CLR
At 4:34 what is it
algum brasileiro nessa bagaça
não