Do you have a link-pictures to these "failing Futurs" and or Progresses?
Or anyone else? A link or pictures please of "failing Futurs and or Progresses.
Lifespan of zamak razors
- Thread starter czbeme
- Start date
Do you have a link-pictures to these "failing Futurs" and or Progresses?
Or anyone else? A link or pictures please of "failing Futurs and or Progresses.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/82484-Merkur-Customer-Service
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/329419-Merkur-Finish-Quality?p=4809036#post4809036
Well at least they are cheap ...
... oh wait, these cost $90 ...
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Wow, thanks for teaching me about Zamak. Are there new razors out there that are made of other materials or only vintage razors?
I rinse and take the blade out after every shave, wipe the razor dry with a paper towel, blot the blade dry & replace.
Same procedure for Feather, Futur (2), Progress and Vision.
They stay nice and shiny.
Looks like the Futur cap was neglected for awhile before it got to the condition it was in, good to know Merkur will replace the cap.
Same procedure for Feather, Futur (2), Progress and Vision.
They stay nice and shiny.
Looks like the Futur cap was neglected for awhile before it got to the condition it was in, good to know Merkur will replace the cap.
At this time I no longer have any Zamak razors. I'm considering getting another to try an experiment regarding it's longevity. If you want to strip all the wax off an automobile you wash it with dish soap. This will make it squeaky clean but another fresh coat of wax should be applied to form a protective barrier against oxidization. I'm thinking that shaving soap does not have the same properties as dish soap in regards to grease cutting or wax stripping so perhaps a brand new razor (probably a 33c) with an initial coating of wax and the occasional reapplication would prolong it's life. I'll do a little research as to what the best type will be for a surface that will touch skin but there should be some product out there. I know we eat carnauba wax because it's on M&M's. Apples come from the supermarket with an edible coating so perhaps there is a fairly inert natural product I can use for this experiment. Any thoughts? Once I find a suitable coating I shall commence this test and use the 33c exclusively until the finish begins to show a failure.
The "Buyer's Guide for Currently-Manufactured DE (Safety) Razors, Ranked by User-Polled Aggressiveness" in our Wiki includes materials and manufacturing technique for each razor.
Cheers,
Shawn
I guess my question is why the German razor companies still use Zamak when it's weakness is well known. Brass and aluminum are certainly not too much more expensive and will last MUCH longer so if they charge a few bucks more we could get a razor that we could pass down for to the next generation. So why stick with a metal that is known to be so problematic for the appication for which it was designed to be used?
Brass is pretty good. Aluminum has it's own set of corrosion problems, and it is difficult to plate well.
Zamak is a very easy metal to cast accurately. I don't know why there is so much variation in the way Merkur razors hold up. I'm curious whether others in the Coastal NW with soft water have a lot of problems with them. My four look fine, and I don't give them any special care. Just rinse and put away. When I used my Progress in NW Missouri, it gets a lot of hard water film on it. I don't know if that would eventually cause corrosion. I thought the water there was base, not acid and would not contribute to corrosion.
I use Paragon pipe wax on some of my razors. It's very easy to buff with a soft cloth and seems to provide a good protective coat. I spoke a few years ago with the guy who makes it, and he said all the ingredients are food-grade, so I expect it's safe. You need only a tiny bit, so one jar will last a lifetime.
Here's a link: http://www.finepipes.com/accessories?sort=20a&page=2
So the newer the razor, the worse it's most likely to be? I know it's on the 'cheap' end of the spectrum, but buying a Razo-Mission seemed a good decision for me. The head shaves me wonderfully, but I should not expect it to live as long as the handle?
I suppose if it's a vintage Zamak razor and it's lasted this long then either the finish is fairly good, the pot metal had more higher quality metals utilized or it's been sitting in a drawer for many years.
I have only been de shaving for a few months and bought a FaTip. It is too aggressive for me at this time. I also bought 4 Gillette's on the bay. My favorite is a new improved short comb with a thin top cap. None of the Gillette's have much plating left but shave just fine. The most expensive one was 7.50 shipped. If I get the urge to get another razor I will probably buy a Weber.
Brass requires much more energy/heat to cast, the tooling breaks down a lot faster and I don't think the detail that can be achieved is on par with the zinc.
I actually think Merkur should be more adventurous with resin-based offerings after the success of their bakelite model.
Funny thing about this conversation. Apparently I can leave off the site for weeks and come right back to conversations about Zamak and what Merkur will not do for owners of their shaving products. I have six Merkurs and have no problems with any of them. After each use, minimal drying and care seems to be working, and I rotate them so not any one gets more use than another. Unlike my Fatboy and Slim, a little harder to replace, If there was a problem that could be resolved by going to Tekechi (?) on eBay for spare parts, I'd rather do that then bothering dear old Anne over in Germany. And If the razor did fall apart, buying another is affordable.
I just get the feeling that nothing's going to change in this, and I would not want to hold my breath waiting for a stainless version. We have other avenues to buy those and am glad there's an alternative.
Cheers!
I just get the feeling that nothing's going to change in this, and I would not want to hold my breath waiting for a stainless version. We have other avenues to buy those and am glad there's an alternative.
Cheers!
Maybe I have the statistics all wrong but I have the impression that many people with stripping threads just overdo the maintenance. I just give my razors a rinse and a shake after use and only really clean them when I take one out of my rotation of loaded razors in the bathroom.
I get that impression too. Those threads were probably not designed to be lovingly taken apart, cleaned, dried and laid down to rest after every single shave.
Number one entry point - loss of plating.
It's only a matter of time before you rub the plating off the threads.
You have a point there, I think I'll let my Zamak heads stay closed more often. I might go through blades a little faster but that's easier to take than a new Slant or OC purchase.
