Polishing gold plated razor with MAAS...

[retrolike]

Just wondering if its ok to polish my gold plated toggle with MAAS? I've heard that it can take away the gold...is that true? If so, what else do you all recommend?

[Krona Kruiser]

No!!!!!!!!!! Get special gold cleaner or take it to the jewelers. Too much Maas will strip it.

[retrolike]

No!!!!!!!!!! Get special gold cleaner or take it to the jewelers. Too much Maas will strip it.

What special gold cleaner would you recommend?

[Krona Kruiser]

A light scrubbing bubbles clean will not remove plating, abuse it and it can. With a toggle, I wouldn't take many risks and if the plating is intact, I'd just do a nice cleaning with scrubbing bubbles and soap and water. Pat it dry, do not rub. I've had good and bad experiences cleaning gold plated razors and my experience comes from ruining some. I've used gold polishing baths but I wouldn't even risk it with a Toggle. If you insist, just spend a few $ and take it to the jeweler's, they've got the right tools for plating.

[suliabryon]

I can't speak for polishing razors, but as a jewelry designer and silversmith, I do a lot of metal polishing. I've seen a couple of fellow artists use MAAS, but I don't know much about it. However, using any solution on plated items can be risky if you don't know how thick the plating is. Sometimes even vigorous cleaning/rubbing with a cloth can remove plating.

A little investigating turned up this from MAAS's website:

"Manufacturers of plated metals do not recommend using polishes; often the “plating” is painted on and is paper-thin; these surfaces cannot withstand any cleaning solutions. MAAS recommends our polishing cloth or polishing gloves to gently remove tarnish and oxidation from these delicate surfaces."

I would agree with this. This is why I only use gold fill, and not gold plate, in my own work. (Not that collectors of razors have any choice in this!)

[AABCDS]

I've read that Scrubbing Bubbles and toothpaste and a soft toothbrush are the way to go for a gold razor.

[ERVARGASNY]

Depends, if it is a well plated Razor as some model came heavily plated and others not so plated, I have done some good gold restorations on some older Gold ABC Sets and Also Bulldog Gold Sets, but most of these were from 1909-1919 I guess those years had some good gold plating, if yours is from this year, first clean it good in soap and Hot water, "Do Not Boil The Razor" let it sit for like 20 Min's then use a tooth brush to loosen some dirt on it , then let it sit in the soapy water for another 20-60- Min's more to get all the Gunk out of it. Sometimes a good cleaning alone brings back some shine. What Razor are you cleaning and what year is it if you don't mind me asking. Hope this tip helps you some :o)

ohh yeah, scrubbing Bubbles for about 2 mins and some Toothpaste does work..

[rxonmymind]

Here is a perfect example. I speak from personal experience. The one on the left is when I first purchased the Toggle and as you can see it's near perfect. What happenss when you soak a Toggle in light dishwashing soap & water, nothing to extream right? On the right would be the "after" example. The paint will come off. The paint is over 50 years old and will soften even under water. Don't do it. A light shot of scrubbing bubbles and a light toothbrush will do it. Stay away from the adjustment dial numbers with ANY fiber. Use a cotton ball. If you must polsih it, use extreamly light touch as in the weight of the razor/gravity and do not apply the polish directly on the razor. You would be amazed how little polish you need to make a razor shine. In fact, the polish on the micrfiber cloth I have in the garage for the last week has polishd many a razor this week.

[BBrad]

Gentle and mild is the key with gold plated razors. Remember, gold does not tarnish. It does need a smooth surface finish in order to shine brightly. Cleaning with soap and water, or even a quick shot of Scrubbing Bubbles will not hurt the gold.

Many gold Gillettes are lacquered. Old lacquer can have microscopic surface cracks that a water soak can get under and lift the lacquer off the razor. Water will not "dissolve" the lacquer, but it can physically float an old, compromised coating down the drain. The same thing can happen to the paint on the numbers of an adjustable.

When gold is polished, the surface is cleaned and smoothed by removing some of the gold plating. If it is very thin, as NEW razors were, it can be removed with one or two strong buffings. (Or, to quote Clint Eastwood, "Do you feel lucky?")

Products like MAAS and Simichrome contain a very mild abrasive, and MAY not be harmful to most gold-plated surfaces. But, if the surface is thin, dull, worn, or scratched even a mild polish can take the finish down to the underlying brass or nickel.

Sometimes dirt that is embedded in microscopic pits on the surface can be lifted using a simple paste wax, like the old-fashioned Johnson's Paste Wax, followed by a buff with a microfiber cloth. Never use automotive waxes or polishes as they have abrasives that are way too harsh for the gold plate.

[alex2363]

I use the lightest touch of Maas, and thats it, no need to polish too much on a 60+ year old worn razor....