Aw man, my Slim is unusable.

[kents]

Picked up a eBay slim back in January - just now got around to putting a blade in it for a test drive.

The blade gap is hosed - my guess is the frame is torqued.

The gap is wrong both left-to-right and right side / left side.

Dangit. $50 on a display model.

ARGH.

[rockviper]

Don't give up on it yet. With a flat screwdriver, try some gentle twists to see if you can get the gap to balance out.

[ShavinBacon]

Don't give up on it yet. With a flat screwdriver, try some gentle twists to see if you can get the gap to balance out.

Personal conjecture here but I think Gillette's QC went out the door after the Fatboy. I have never found a Slim or beyond that I didn't have to fix and that includes a NOS slim that I opened that came that way from the factory (conversely, I've never seen a fatboy that needed fixed). There are plenty of threads on here how to fix it. I know a lot of people love their slims but I would rather have a fatboy that needs no fixing. You can probably fix it....

[maxman]

Personal conjecture here but I think Gillette's QC went out the door after the Fatboy. I have never found a Slim or beyond that I didn't have to fix and that includes a NOS slim that I opened that came that way from the factory (conversely, I've never seen a fatboy that needed fixed). There are plenty of threads on here how to fix it. I know a lot of people love their slims but I would rather have a fatboy that needs no fixing. You can probably fix it....

I've owned a few slims over the years and never had a problem with any.
YMMV rears it's head again.

[BBrad]

That is a bummer . . .

This could be a long shot, but did you buy the razor from someone who sells a lot of razors or just a casual eBayer? Even though it has been a while, communication with the seller may not hurt if he is a hobbyist and cares about the razors he sells.

Of course, if he is like some eBay sellers (most?) he may not even respond, or may respond with no assistance.

It doesn't take much to knock one out of whack, and really doesn't take much to tweak one back into usefulness. Just make sure the adjustment tang (the piece with the four fingers that sticks up through the base plate) isn't bent, and be sure not to bend it in the process of fixing the razor. If that gets bent, the razor will need to be taken apart in order to straighten that out. Otherwise, it is an external process . . . tweak gently and use a feeler gauge to measure the gap. Don't trust your un-calibrated eyeballs!

[onotoman]

I tend to straighten up many many Slims and Fatboys during restoration - it's much better to do this after stripping of the old nickel plating (or gold) and before polishing and replating as the straightening can cause some scratching or damage to the plating.

To do it yourself cover the area with tape and use smooth (rather than serrated) jaw pliers to minimise damage and move the plate (guard bar etc) rather than the doors around until the gap is even.

Hope this helps

[kents]

Wow you guys have given me some hope - thank you very much.

"Of course, if he is like some eBay sellers (most?) he may not even respond ..." --- you Sir, have nailed it.

[eastomjac]

check out this thread and search for others like it.good luck.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/275225-Taking-apart-old-Gillette-s

[kents]

Thanks. I'm a decent wrench under the hood but I'm far from delicate - I'll have to get it looked at by someone with patience and who doesn't bash things that make him angry.

;)