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Newbie Photo Tutorial--Guide to Cleaning a Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip

Hey Everyone,

I am the new proud owner of a Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip thanks to the amazing generosity and kindness of Scott (HDStreetGlide). As part of the deal, Scott told me to "Pay it Forward" and share my experiences with my new-found DE.

Before I received the razor, Scott told me that it needed a bit of a cleaning, as well as a good sanitizing. So, I thought, "What better way to start sharing my experiences with this new razor than a photo-guide to my 1st cleaning experience?"

I received the razor tonight and got right to it.

CLEANING/POLISHING
This is the front shot of the razor head with the doors closed. Note the patina that is covering a good part of the head of the razor. Patina is great for antiques, but this is a razor that's going to be used all the time. It has to go.
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The underside of the razor's head shows some mild rust/corrosion/soap scum.
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The inside of the razor head with some shots of rust/corrosion.
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The insides of the head doors show some more rust/corrosion.
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Time to break out the cleaning supplies.
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I sprayed down the razor with some Scrubbing Bubbles. I let the Scrubbing Bubbles sit on the razor for about 3 minutes in an old butter container.
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I then started with the active cleaning. To start I used Q-Tips and lots of elbow grease.
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Inside after some scrubbing.
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I then rinsed the razor off with some warm water. I dried the razor with an old tee-shirt.

Then I started with the MAAS.
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The MAAS did a fantastic job of taking care of the tarnish/rust/corrosion/patina. In this photo I tried to show how I ripped off the cotton and used the bare Q-Tip stick to do a majority of the scrubbing in the crevices.
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Even though it does a GREAT job, don't underestimate the amount of work (in scrubbing) and time (about 45 minutes) that is necessary to get a razor shiny. Here's an idea of the amount of Q-Tips used and what they should look like at the end of the job. Black with tarnish.
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A shot of the tarnish on the tee-shirt.
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Final of TTO open.
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Final of TTO closed to the side.
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Final underneath.
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Final underneath <Gillette>.
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Final profile shot.
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Final head-on shot of TTO closed.
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I don't have shots of cleaning the middle/inner tube of the handle, but i sprayed Scrubbing Bubbles in there and used Q-Tips to clean it out. They were a bit short, next time I'll opt for pipe cleaners or a wound paper towel.

SANITIZING
In order to sanitize this razor I let it sit in 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for 12 hours.

LUBRICATING
I followed the suggestion on the wiki to use mineral oil to lube the TTO action.

FINAL THOUGHTS
As happy I am with the cleaning, there are still a few spots that will need to be cleaned again.

The crevice spots are very difficult to get to. I tried to get to them with a de-fuzzed Q-Tip (out of focus in above photo). I did OK with that, but those tight spots do hold on to some dirt/grime, etc. I am open to any suggestions as to how to clean those tight corners and such.

I didn't use a toothbrush as suggested in the Wiki due to a couple facts:
1. Didn't have a clean old one.
2. MAAS needs to be buffed off while still wet and a toothbrush will not allow that, unless you put something over the brush like a napkin/coffee filter/microfibre towel etc.

I hope that this photo guide helps at least one other newbie out there. If it does I feel that I have partly completed "paying it forward" for Scott.

When I first received this razor I must say that I didn't think it would get as clean as it did. I'm here to tell all the other newbie razor cleaners out there, "With a little work, a sparkling razor is possible."

Please leave comments/suggestions for future improvement.

Thanks,
Dave
 

BigFoot

I wanna be sedated!
Staff member
Holy cow Dave,

I did not think that razor would come that clean, that is an awesome job and a spectacular review. So tell me are you glad I left it disgusting so you could experience that for yourself?

As far as I am concerned the only part of the PIF you need to fulfill, is I can't wait to hear your report on your 1st shave with it.

Great Job Dave I hope you enjoy it.
 
Congrats on your razor restoration, you will have many more to come if RAD overtakes you.

I found that MOST of the "rust" that i find on the razor is actually deposited from a blade that was left in the razor. Now if the "rust" was green, well then thats where the plating wore off and the metal underneath is showing. A couple of my Fat Boys are like that.
 
Great job, Dave. The razor looks great. I use a tooth brush when I use Scrubbing Bubbles. However, I never had a razor as rusty as yours. You did a superb job. :thumbup1:

Now let us know how it shaves.
 

BigFoot

I wanna be sedated!
Staff member
Great job, Dave. The razor looks great. I use a tooth brush when I use Scrubbing Bubbles. However, I never had a razor as rusty as yours. You did a superb job. :thumbup1:

Now let us know how it shaves.

Jim, are you saying I made him work for that one. :lol::tongue_sm
 
Great tutorial. I got lucky, my first vintage, slim adjustable, was not very dirty and scrubbing bubbles cleaned it up nicely. I have a couple more coming that look a bit dirtier.

Charlie
 
:thumbup:WOW!:thumbup:

I just had my first shave with this razor this morning and I had no idea what I was missing. This razor has single-handedly, after one shave, started giving me a smoother, irritation free cut!

I started DE shaving with a Parker 91R and it was "off the charts" aggressive. No matter how lightly I applied pressure I always got major irritation (especially in the neck area).

After cleaning up this little gem I'm happy to say that I found my go-to razor.

The reasons I like this razor:
- Shorter handle makes for better handling
- Easy to apply light pressure
- Less aggressive than the Parker 91R
- Less irritation after the shave
- TTO is much easier and safer when it comes to changing blades

I can't thank Scott enough for his generosity. Unfortunately, his generosity has led to RAD. I already bought a Gillette Super Speed Blue Tip on eBay for $16 delivered.

I'll take some photos later on and do a comparison between the Parker 91R and the Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip.

Thanks for the comments everyone,
Dave
 
Outstanding work. My RAD has been in check but this makes me more likely to buy something I see at a flea market. I've always loved a good challenge.
 
awesome post and great pics.

it'll help me when my Slim and Fatboy come from B&B member "Chevyguy".

thanks for posting this.
 
I'm blown away at how well that MAAS polish worked! I have 3 razors that belonged to my dad. I cleaned the old, dried shaving cream scum off them, but I didn't get them that shiny. Heck, I didn't know they could get that shiny! :w00t:
 
Excellent job! I've done a few restos myself, but never one that bad. As others have said, I had no idea it would turn out that great.

Grats, and happy to hear that you love the razor. My super speed flare tips are some of my favorites in my rotation.
 
Nice! I actually prefer to get a slightly dirty razor because cleaning them up is so satisfying!

I have found that really tiny disposable interdental brushes could get into the hinges and similar nooks and crannies that Q-Tips didn't fit in.
 
It never ceases to amaze me how well some of those old timers clean up with a little bit of work. It was very generous of HD to send it to you pre-grimed so that you could benefit from the experience :laugh:

Wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off :lol:

Just kidding of course, HD :thumbup:

Nice job & I'm glad you are now enjoying the fruits of your labor!!
 
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