Very cool video seeing the internals of the twig. Thanks for showing us this ! However, it makes me want to buy a 3 piece razor, much simpler and easy to clean. Less moving parts means less maintenance !
We can appreciate so very much how simple our three-piece razors are to clean and maintain when we watch the disassembly of your Twig or Thorn razor; and you have had yours for no more than 6 months and already so much junk accumulated and needs to be cleaned.
This is an exceptional video Heiko, I had an issue with mine where the threaded nut was coming loose when opening and closing and did the same thing with the paper clip, I struggled with it but finally figured it out. I wouldn’t attempt a full disassembly like you did. You took it apart and put it back together like a surgeon. Well done Heiko👏🏻
My twig started to seize up last week. Had to make a tool (wooden dowel with tiny nails with heads cut off) as I had too much corrosion to use paper clip. Horrible design for longevity. The rod on mine had tons of oxidation and mineral deposits. Daily use. Coating on the rod is gone. None of these units will work in couple years unless you are a razor collector with minimal use. It should have a rubber o-rings to keep water and dirt out from internals. Better yet, a simple 3 piece design that would work just like Rex or Flexi. All these extra parts are here so that the top rotates and stays connected. Perfect example of overengineering. After I saw coatings coming off, I threw it away. Will never buy again. Danke für das Video
@@Heiko-shaves I bought it almost 2 years ago and used it daily at first, then recently till I could not open it. Had to soak it in almond oil for 12 hours to get to open. I maybe had 50 shaves with it. If I contact them, they will probably sand me a new one which will corrode as well. The whole idea of safety razors is longevity. I have Fat Boys from 60s still working like new. I will never keep anything that will dissolve in 2 years. The sad part is people continue to buy these without realizing that one day, it won't function. Few will take it apart and lube it monthly.
I very much enjoy how much you like to tinker and find out how things work. It is fascinating to see how some of the more complicated razors work. Funny enough, my Thorn started to not open all the way, so I watched this video thinking I'd be able to fix it. Nope 😂 Intead I wrote Leaf and sorted it out with them. Big shout out to Leaf for quick a quick reply and a satisfactory resolution. Cheers
@@bobjones8321 I just wrote them and told them about my problem. Showed them my purchase receipt and they just sent me a new razor. It was right on the one year warranty, but they do say a life time guarantee on the mechanics. Then I just sent the broken razor back (no charge to me)
@@flitch77They did the right thing. By the way, do you cut yourself often using the thorn? Every time I use the twig, I cut myself, but I never cut myself with a cartridge razor.
@@bobjones8321 Unfortunately for me, I am one of those people who, almost, always cuts themselves 😆 The Twig never really cut through my beard hair, so I didn't use it much. The Thorn is amazing for me. Just slightly more aggressive, and once I got the angle right, one of the more blood free shaves I get! It's my go to for days when I my skin is extra sensitive, when I am lazy or I need a quick shave. I hope I answered you correctly. I do tend to go on a bit. 🤣
Heiko I came across today on UA-cam a short video by Leaf themselves about maintenance of the Twig or Thorn. They recommend cleaning with a little dish soap and a soft toothbrush, a careful dry with a cloth and two small drops of their own shave oil up the bottom and to turn the screw a few times. Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E. By the way, when using split DE blades it seems to make sense to lie the half blade in the razor so that the bent part, where split, lies curved down rather than up. I think the razor may have been designed to take those bends into account.
Yes, all of that sounds correct to me. I didn't know they actually sell razor oil. I don't think the Thorn or Twig need to be taken apart for a very long time. I just did it because I could and wanted to pass the procedure along to you guys.
I fully followed your instructions and successfully cleaned the leaf twig! Thank you. It's easier than I thought when i actually tried. It definitely requires a little DIY skill. If other friends you can correctly replace a phone battery by yourself, it should be at the same level to disassemble and clean the leaf twig. The most difficult part for me is the circular ring at the bottom. It seems to have some glue to make it solid.
Thank you for creating the video. I own both a Twig and a Thorn, and I thoroughly enjoy utilizing them. While it does require considerable effort, it offers promising prospects for a significantly extended lifespan prediction.
I had my Leaf Twig already on order when I viewed your video Heiko. Really excellent. I have had one shave with the Twig yesterday, and having given the right side of my chin (bumps) a chance to recover from recent shaves, I had a very good shave, wtg, acg, atg under the chin, and a clean up along/under the jaw, without restarting the bumps. Very pleased with that using the a Leaf blade. With regard to maintenance of the razor, I do not at this stage consider (at this stage) disassembling for reasons of voiding the warranty, but what is your view on do/don’t attempt lubrication of the mechanism from the top, by oiling the cap post and by dropping in some lube through the bottom? I forget if the ‘paperclip holes’ would allow lube inside or not. I have some light machine oil, but I did see somewhere a suggestion to use mineral oil. By the way watches are also a hobby of mine too 😀.
I think lubricating either from the top of the bottom is a good idea. Please don't use machine oil. Get some razor lubricant. It is mineral oil based , not toxic and won't cause any skin irritation. Razor emporium sells that stuff, probable Amazon too.
Thanks Heiko. I checked out Razor Emporium but could not see it listed. However, would probably be uneconomic when exported abroad. Amazon in Germany has large bottle of food grade mineral oil for lubricating cutting boards, knives etc. That should do the job? Meantime I might wait to see if any lubrication related issues arise or any other problem in case lubricating might affect warranty. Perhaps Leaf might be adjusting production or design to head off such problems as you experienced. Anyway I like your channel very much and have subscribed recently.
I think someone told me that LEAF Shaving has a video out where they explain the cleaning and lubricating process. They sell a razor I think. Mineral works.
@@Heiko-shaves I believe Oster blade lube will work well. It is made of white mineral oil of the highest purity and quality. It is available everywhere.👍
Great video! You are amazing! I could never do what you did with that razor, I’m not that mechanically inclined. But, like someone else said, this makes me want to buy a three-piece razor for easier cleaning. I have the twig, and I like it, however, I’ll never be able to get it completely clean like you did with your razor.
I found out that if you open the razor like you would inserting a blade and just keep twisting clockwise it comes apart without using a paperclip. For assembling it again I just hold the top firm with my fingers and twist counterclockwise. Don‘t know if this damages the razor but it works
We don't have to tell your wife anything, she's sneaky watching your video's, so better not use her towels again LOL :) Just kidding Heiko, I have watched and learned a lot from all of your video's. I truly like people who do things with their own hands in stead of sending it out or even buying new stuff ! I have always been interested in an ultrasonic cleaner, I think I have to buy one because it took me by surprise how quickly things look 'bad' after so little time !
@@Heiko-shaves The concept is great all the way back to the original plastic one but, this thing's a bit over-engineered. Three piece, at about $40 usd, would be brilliant. Probably SELL ($$$) a few, as well. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
Thank you sooo much!!! I have already searched for a teardown of the leaf twig razor and didn't find anything. I got mine 3 weeks ago and wanted to preserve it as good as possible. In my personal opinion I would fill the whole inner part with full syntetic grease as it should prevent water to get into the razor. Oil may not last as long as grease. Also a very nice ultrasonic cleaning setup. I have a 10l vevor ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning technical parts. But I am not sure if it may damage the coating. I googled around and found the information, that if the parts are zink preasure casted they should withstand corrosion pretty well. But as the shaving soap has a pH of >10 I don't know how critical it would be. So full syntetic crease should be the solution. Organic grease could react with the high pH soap and would not be as good as synthetic. Does it make sense to use threadlocker? As we are comfortable in tiny screws we can retighten them whenever it is necessary. And by not using threadlocker it would maybe help to prevent damage of the threads?
I am not to worried about the longevity of this type of razors. Gillette adjustables and TTO razors are also cast zinc and were not meant to be taken apart.They have lasted a very long while. I will probably not take the Twig apart for a while. Grease is an idea but make sure it doesn't ooze out everywhere and you get it on your hands or skin. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for this tutorial. I want to know if you put the whole razor into the ultrasonic cleaner. Will it work? Disassembly is harder than I thought.
Interesting video: This is all Zamack, molded.....no machining..... My 5c advice: keep using till it doesn't and then venture into cleaning/fixing..... Zamack will "rot".......
Very cool video seeing the internals of the twig. Thanks for showing us this ! However, it makes me want to buy a 3 piece razor, much simpler and easy to clean. Less moving parts means less maintenance !
I react exactly the way you do.
True but those Leaf razors just shave so well.
Brian, I agree 100%
We can appreciate so very much how simple our three-piece razors are to clean and maintain when we watch the disassembly of your Twig or Thorn razor; and you have had yours for no more than 6 months and already so much junk accumulated and needs to be cleaned.
It probably isn't any different inside a Gillette vintage adjustable or twist to open razor.
Thanks for sharing your video 🪒 very interesting about cleaning the razor 💈
Thanks for watching!
This is an exceptional video Heiko, I had an issue with mine where the threaded nut was coming loose when opening and closing and did the same thing with the paper clip, I struggled with it but finally figured it out. I wouldn’t attempt a full disassembly like you did. You took it apart and put it back together like a surgeon. Well done Heiko👏🏻
Thanks, I just got lucky
@@Heiko-shavesYou are mechanically talented!
Only 1 synonym to surgical precision: this video 👍
Thanks
Outstanding vid Heiko,
Just what the doctor ordered, thank you and your colleague.
Much appreciated!
Great video. I own one of these, and I am glad to see that, if need be, it comes apart.
I don't speak English well, but I understood everything and thanks to your video I was able to disassemble and fix this razor.
Glad I could help.
My twig started to seize up last week. Had to make a tool (wooden dowel with tiny nails with heads cut off) as I had too much corrosion to use paper clip. Horrible design for longevity. The rod on mine had tons of oxidation and mineral deposits. Daily use. Coating on the rod is gone. None of these units will work in couple years unless you are a razor collector with minimal use. It should have a rubber o-rings to keep water and dirt out from internals. Better yet, a simple 3 piece design that would work just like Rex or Flexi. All these extra parts are here so that the top rotates and stays connected. Perfect example of overengineering. After I saw coatings coming off, I threw it away. Will never buy again. Danke für das Video
Thanks for sharing. Have reached out to Leaf? I wonder if they would replace your razor.
@@Heiko-shaves I bought it almost 2 years ago and used it daily at first, then recently till I could not open it. Had to soak it in almond oil for 12 hours to get to open. I maybe had 50 shaves with it. If I contact them, they will probably sand me a new one which will corrode as well. The whole idea of safety razors is longevity. I have Fat Boys from 60s still working like new. I will never keep anything that will dissolve in 2 years. The sad part is people continue to buy these without realizing that one day, it won't function. Few will take it apart and lube it monthly.
I very much enjoy how much you like to tinker and find out how things work. It is fascinating to see how some of the more complicated razors work. Funny enough, my Thorn started to not open all the way, so I watched this video thinking I'd be able to fix it. Nope 😂 Intead I wrote Leaf and sorted it out with them. Big shout out to Leaf for quick a quick reply and a satisfactory resolution. Cheers
Glad to hear that they took care of you.
I’m curious, what did they tell you to do? I have the twig.
@@bobjones8321 I just wrote them and told them about my problem. Showed them my purchase receipt and they just sent me a new razor. It was right on the one year warranty, but they do say a life time guarantee on the mechanics. Then I just sent the broken razor back (no charge to me)
@@flitch77They did the right thing. By the way, do you cut yourself often using the thorn? Every time I use the twig, I cut myself, but I never cut myself with a cartridge razor.
@@bobjones8321 Unfortunately for me, I am one of those people who, almost, always cuts themselves 😆 The Twig never really cut through my beard hair, so I didn't use it much. The Thorn is amazing for me. Just slightly more aggressive, and once I got the angle right, one of the more blood free shaves I get! It's my go to for days when I my skin is extra sensitive, when I am lazy or I need a quick shave. I hope I answered you correctly. I do tend to go on a bit. 🤣
Scary 😵💫
Heiko I came across today on UA-cam a short video by Leaf themselves about maintenance of the Twig or Thorn. They recommend cleaning with a little dish soap and a soft toothbrush, a careful dry with a cloth and two small drops of their own shave oil up the bottom and to turn the screw a few times. Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E. By the way, when using
split DE blades it seems to make sense to lie the half blade in the razor so that the bent part, where split, lies curved down rather than up. I think the razor may have been designed to take those bends into account.
Yes, all of that sounds correct to me. I didn't know they actually sell razor oil. I don't think the Thorn or Twig need to be taken apart for a very long time. I just did it because I could and wanted to pass the procedure along to you guys.
I don't have a leaf twig or torn but this was a joy to watch regardless
Thanks
I fully followed your instructions and successfully cleaned the leaf twig! Thank you. It's easier than I thought when i actually tried. It definitely requires a little DIY skill. If other friends you can correctly replace a phone battery by yourself, it should be at the same level to disassemble and clean the leaf twig.
The most difficult part for me is the circular ring at the bottom. It seems to have some glue to make it solid.
Great job!
Thank you for creating the video. I own both a Twig and a Thorn, and I thoroughly enjoy utilizing them. While it does require considerable effort, it offers promising prospects for a significantly extended lifespan prediction.
At least the user can take them apart without special tools. I figure I can give them a clean every few months. Cheers,
great job👌
Thank you! Cheers!
I would just throw it in the dishwasher to clean. The enzymatic action of the detergent and hot water should do a great job.
That is one way to do it.
Had to sub after this video! Thankyou for just being you! Your honesty is great! Have a great weekend. Gday from Australia 😊
Thank you! You too!
I had my Leaf Twig already on order when I viewed your video Heiko. Really excellent. I have had one shave with the Twig yesterday, and having given the right side of my chin (bumps) a chance to recover from recent shaves, I had a very good shave, wtg, acg, atg under the chin, and a clean up along/under the jaw, without restarting the bumps. Very pleased with that using the a Leaf blade. With regard to maintenance of the razor, I do not at this stage consider (at this stage) disassembling for reasons of voiding the warranty, but what is your view on do/don’t attempt lubrication of the mechanism from the top, by oiling the cap post and by dropping in some lube through the bottom? I forget if the ‘paperclip holes’ would allow lube inside or not. I have some light machine oil, but I did see somewhere a suggestion to use mineral oil. By the way watches are also a hobby of mine too 😀.
I think lubricating either from the top of the bottom is a good idea. Please don't use machine oil. Get some razor lubricant. It is mineral oil based , not toxic and won't cause any skin irritation. Razor emporium sells that stuff, probable Amazon too.
Thanks Heiko. I checked out Razor Emporium but could not see it listed. However, would probably be uneconomic when exported abroad. Amazon in Germany has large bottle of food grade mineral oil for lubricating cutting boards, knives etc. That should do the job? Meantime I might wait to see if any lubrication related issues arise or any other problem in case lubricating might affect warranty. Perhaps Leaf might be adjusting production or design to head off such problems as you experienced. Anyway I like your channel very much and have subscribed recently.
I think someone told me that LEAF Shaving has a video out where they explain the cleaning and lubricating process. They sell a razor I think. Mineral works.
@@Heiko-shaves I believe Oster blade lube will work well. It is made of white mineral oil of the highest purity and quality. It is available everywhere.👍
I grew a beard watching this.
Great video! You are amazing! I could never do what you did with that razor, I’m not that mechanically inclined. But, like someone else said, this makes me want to buy a three-piece razor for easier cleaning. I have the twig, and I like it, however, I’ll never be able to get it completely clean like you did with your razor.
I found out that if you open the razor like you would inserting a blade and just keep twisting clockwise it comes apart without using a paperclip. For assembling it again I just hold the top firm with my fingers and twist counterclockwise. Don‘t know if this damages the razor but it works
Thanks for sharing. I will check that out tonight.
We don't have to tell your wife anything, she's sneaky watching your video's, so better not use her towels again LOL :)
Just kidding Heiko, I have watched and learned a lot from all of your video's.
I truly like people who do things with their own hands in stead of sending it out or even buying new stuff !
I have always been interested in an ultrasonic cleaner, I think I have to buy one because it took me by surprise how quickly things look 'bad' after so little time !
Jeez🤔 When are they coming out with the 3 piece version😄
That is a great idea. I would love that. I don't think it would be too hard to do.
@@Heiko-shaves The concept is great all the way back to the original plastic one but, this thing's a bit over-engineered.
Three piece, at about $40 usd, would be brilliant. Probably SELL ($$$) a few, as well. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
Thank you sooo much!!! I have already searched for a teardown of the leaf twig razor and didn't find anything.
I got mine 3 weeks ago and wanted to preserve it as good as possible. In my personal opinion I would fill the whole inner part with full syntetic grease as it should prevent water to get into the razor. Oil may not last as long as grease.
Also a very nice ultrasonic cleaning setup. I have a 10l vevor ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning technical parts. But I am not sure if it may damage the coating.
I googled around and found the information, that if the parts are zink preasure casted they should withstand corrosion pretty well. But as the shaving soap has a pH of >10 I don't know how critical it would be.
So full syntetic crease should be the solution. Organic grease could react with the high pH soap and would not be as good as synthetic.
Does it make sense to use threadlocker? As we are comfortable in tiny screws we can retighten them whenever it is necessary. And by not using threadlocker it would maybe help to prevent damage of the threads?
I am not to worried about the longevity of this type of razors. Gillette adjustables and TTO razors are also cast zinc and were not meant to be taken apart.They have lasted a very long while. I will probably not take the Twig apart for a while. Grease is an idea but make sure it doesn't ooze out everywhere and you get it on your hands or skin. Thanks for sharing
I just threw mine away. I was first to buy when they came out and mine got all corroded inside.
Thank you for this tutorial. I want to know if you put the whole razor into the ultrasonic cleaner. Will it work? Disassembly is harder than I thought.
Putting the whole razor in it without disassembling it won't do a good job cleaning.
Do you know the size of the Philips screw? I had it snap and want to just replace it without dealing with support
Let me check.
How long can the twig last?
Very long time, I think. With a bit of cleaning it is going to be fine for decades.
A little late, but mine is a pile. Malfunctioned soon after purchase. It's an overcomplicated PoS. Fat Boys live!
Sorry to hear that. I have two of them in rotation for a year now. No issues. You should reach out to Leaf. I bet they will send you a new one.
Interesting video: This is all Zamack, molded.....no machining..... My 5c advice: keep using till it doesn't and then venture into cleaning/fixing..... Zamack will "rot".......
*👍🏻*
Heiko, are you actually a watch repairman?
It is just another hobby.
@@Heiko-shavesI have two antique pocket watches in need of a cleaning and service. They are both in working order.
looks like a good razor but a nightmare to clean and maintain😅😅
Not too terrible. At least we can take it apart occasionally.
Corrosion and signs if wear and tear and gunk buildup after two months to the point of squeeking is actually disappointing!!!