Earlier this week, someone asked if I would post a photo tutorial on lubricating the Stahly razor. Here it is!
This is the basic Stahly razor in ready to shave form..
Next is the standard breakdown familiar to Stahly owners ready for a blade change... I have also posted here a shot of the Stahly razor base, as it clearly shows how the safety bar system is free floating from end to end, while it is securely held in position by stainless leaf springs against side to side motion. This allows the heavy body, blade, top cover, and baseplate to freely vibrate in a micro-slicing fashion, while the safety bar maintains accurate blade angle with your skin. Pretty well thought out, and even though it's an expensive design to manufacture, it tends to stand up to decades of use very well...
To lubricate a Stahly without drama, there are two easy screw joints to undo. Use standard pliers with either soft leather, or several layers of paper toweling to protect the outer finish. I posted photos of the threaded joints opened a few turns so you can see where to grip, and where to avoid. Never use force against the mechanism itself, as you can break things, and it is never required.... unscrewing the tapered tip of the razor reveals the eccentric half wheel that causes vibration. It is a single component, and it cannot be installed incorrectly. Don't sweat it... The shaft it rides on is built into the tapered tip you unscrewed to get to the eccentric wheel. It's easy to put back together, as there are no springs or small parts fighting you... Spray WD40 into the open top end of the razor, wind it a turn or two, spray more, and then reassemble the top end when the motor runs down... Don't tighten too much, as it's not needed.
Next, go to the bottom of the razor, and unscrew the winding grip. It's just a spring cover, and I have included photos that show the threaded joint so you know where to grip the main body to avoid stressing the drivetrain. Any excess oil you applied at the top of the shaft will be in the spring cover when you remove it. Wipe it out, spritz the spring with a shot of WD40 if it isn't already soaked, and screw the cover back in place. That's it. Ten minutes every six Months, and your Stahly will run like a Swiss Watch. If yours has occasional jumps and jolts as it winds down, it's more likely than not that the gear train in the central part of the shaft is starved for oil. The drill I just described will fix that issue ( I'll post the photos of the spring cover in a quick follow up post, as I can only post 5 pictures here)...
This is the basic Stahly razor in ready to shave form..
Next is the standard breakdown familiar to Stahly owners ready for a blade change... I have also posted here a shot of the Stahly razor base, as it clearly shows how the safety bar system is free floating from end to end, while it is securely held in position by stainless leaf springs against side to side motion. This allows the heavy body, blade, top cover, and baseplate to freely vibrate in a micro-slicing fashion, while the safety bar maintains accurate blade angle with your skin. Pretty well thought out, and even though it's an expensive design to manufacture, it tends to stand up to decades of use very well...
To lubricate a Stahly without drama, there are two easy screw joints to undo. Use standard pliers with either soft leather, or several layers of paper toweling to protect the outer finish. I posted photos of the threaded joints opened a few turns so you can see where to grip, and where to avoid. Never use force against the mechanism itself, as you can break things, and it is never required.... unscrewing the tapered tip of the razor reveals the eccentric half wheel that causes vibration. It is a single component, and it cannot be installed incorrectly. Don't sweat it... The shaft it rides on is built into the tapered tip you unscrewed to get to the eccentric wheel. It's easy to put back together, as there are no springs or small parts fighting you... Spray WD40 into the open top end of the razor, wind it a turn or two, spray more, and then reassemble the top end when the motor runs down... Don't tighten too much, as it's not needed.
Next, go to the bottom of the razor, and unscrew the winding grip. It's just a spring cover, and I have included photos that show the threaded joint so you know where to grip the main body to avoid stressing the drivetrain. Any excess oil you applied at the top of the shaft will be in the spring cover when you remove it. Wipe it out, spritz the spring with a shot of WD40 if it isn't already soaked, and screw the cover back in place. That's it. Ten minutes every six Months, and your Stahly will run like a Swiss Watch. If yours has occasional jumps and jolts as it winds down, it's more likely than not that the gear train in the central part of the shaft is starved for oil. The drill I just described will fix that issue ( I'll post the photos of the spring cover in a quick follow up post, as I can only post 5 pictures here)...
