My EJ Barley Chrome is Ruined!

Edited to add photo to original post


Friday morning My Edwin Jagger Barley Chrome refused to tighten-up. The threads on both the head and the handle are ruined.

How did it happen? I had been in the habit of loosening the head to clean the razor between passes. Apparently the base plate was rubbing on the threads and removing the chrome. I have since learned that pot metal razors can corrode quickly once the finish is scratched.

What did I do? My only other DE razor (a Merkur 23c) is on loan to a colleague (who is now a convert.) So, I found a Merkur 33c with plastic travel case locally for only $35.82 plus tax. (By the way, the Merkur handle will tighten-up on the EJ head, and the EJ handle will tighten up on the Merkur head, but the two EJ parts just have too much wear to work together.)

What to do now? The 33c is a nice razor and will be great for travel, but I really miss the longer, and more importantly, fatter handle on the EJ. I don't want to put the EJ handle on the Merkur as the worn handle is likely to ruin the new Merkur head. The new "extra grip" EJ is priced right, but it has the same construction as the Barley Chrome that lasted me about 8 months before it went south. So, should I be looking for a brass/plated razor as my go-to razor from now on? Should I be looking for a good vintage user? Where might I be able to find a vintage Gillette if I decide to go that route. (I am not one to visit flea markets or antique stores. Also, I know little about the vintage razors. So, I would not know what to look for anyway.)

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Theo-Prof said:

Friday morning My Edwin Jagger Barley Chrome refused to tighten-up. The threads on both the head and the handle are ruined.

How did it happen? I had been in the habit of loosening the head to clean the razor between passes. Apparently the base plate was rubbing on the threads and removing the chrome. I have since learned that pot metal razors can corrode quickly once the finish is scratched.

What did I do? My only other DE razor (a Merkur 23c) is on loan to a colleague (who is now a convert.) So, I found a Merkur 33c with plastic travel case locally for only $35.82 plus tax. (By the way, the Merkur handle will tighten-up on the EJ head, and the EJ handle will tighten up on the Merkur head, but the two EJ parts just have too much wear to work together.)

What to do now? The 33c is a nice razor and will be great for travel, but I really miss the longer, and more importantly, fatter handle on the EJ. I don't want to put the EJ handle on the Merkur as the worn handle is likely to ruin the new Merkur head. The new "extra grip" EJ is priced right, but it has the same construction as the Barley Chrome that lasted me about 8 months before it went south. So, should I be looking for a brass/plated razor as my go-to razor from now on? Should I be looking for a good vintage user? Where might I be able to find a vintage Gillette if I decide to go that route. (I am not one to visit flea markets or antique stores. Also, I know little about the vintage razors. So, I would not know what to look for anyway.)

Any suggestions would be helpful.

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Would you mind posting a picture or two of the damaged area/s? I have also heard of Zamak breaking down quickly when exposed.

Vintage Gillettes can be found here in the Buy/Sell/Trade, eBay, etc. They are mostly made of brass and are very reliable.

Time for a Stainless Steel Razor maybe? A Weber perhaps?

I doubt that my camera can get close enough to show the damage. Anyway, the threads inside the handle cannot be seen.

The threads on the head are definitely missing some chrome. The threads do not look all that bad, but they are definitely worn.

Sorry for your troubles. I switched to vintage Gillettes partly because of this reason. Zamak is a PIA and I won't buy razors made of it anymore. Vintage Gillettes are brass with nickle plating. I currently rotate bewteen a '66 Slim and a '59 Fat Boy and couldn't be happier. Or Weber, ATT, and a few others offer stainless steel.

Sorry for your frustrations with the EJ. There are a variety of vintage Gillettes, I would imagine that a Super Speed or Tech would mirror the performance of your EJ Barley. Additionally perhaps a Schick Krona would be a good option.

Were to find them? There are plenty on ebay and then some more on Etsy. These sights are a bit riskier than buying on BST (50 posts required), but I've had good luck.

Let me put in another plug in for the Weber stainless models. They are fine razors, all stainless steel construction and just a little bit more aggressive than your old EJ 89.

Man this is disappointing. I didn't like my EJ originally but I've grown accustomed to it and it would suck if it started dying. How long have you had yours? How often did you use it?

vagelis said:

Time for a Stainless Steel Razor maybe? A Weber perhaps?

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Beware of the Weber. Great razor, but much more aggressive than your EJ....I learned the hard way. Sold my Weber and bought a Feather AS-D2.

ahntu said:

Man this is disappointing. I didn't like my EJ originally but I've grown accustomed to it and it would suck if it started dying. How long have you had yours? How often did you use it?

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I switched to a DE razor in January and the EJ was my first razor. I bought a Merkur 23 back in April or May and have used it maybe a couple of dozen time. (I much preferred the EJ.) I shave virtually every day, so the EJ has been used more than 200 times.

mojozenmaster said:

Beware of the Weber. Great razor, but much more aggressive than your EJ....I learned the hard way. Sold my Weber and bought a Feather AS-D2.

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I had actually been thinking about a more aggressive razor. The Weber may be too aggressive, but maybe there is a vintage razor that is a little more aggressive than the EJ.

mojozenmaster said:

Beware of the Weber. Great razor, but much more aggressive than your EJ....I learned the hard way. Sold my Weber and bought a Feather AS-D2.

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This is a YMMV thing, but I will agree with you slightly. When I switched from an R89 to the Weber I felt like the Weber was way more aggressive, until I tried different angles with it. Once I found out that it liked a different angle than the R89 it smoothed out and has become only slightly more aggressive than the R89. I will say that the Weber sounds more aggressive for sure, but I think most people would place the Weber in the slightly more aggressive than a DE89 or R89 category. Again YMMV.

Rockminer said:

This is a YMMV thing, but I will agree with you slightly. When I switched from an R89 to the Weber I felt like the Weber was way more aggressive, until I tried different angles with it. Once I found out that it liked a different angle than the R89 it smoothed out and has become only slightly more aggressive than the R89. I will say that the Weber sounds more aggressive for sure, but I think most people would place the Weber in the slightly more aggressive than a DE89 or R89. Again YMMV.

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That is good to know. I know little about the Webers so I will have to do a little research.

I also looked at the B&B hobbyist section and found a guy right here in Fort Worth who sells vintage razors. I might just have to visit him sometime soon.

Theo-Prof said:

That is good to know. I know little about the Webers so I will have to do a little research.

I also looked at the B&B hobbyist section and found a guy right here in Fort Worth who sells vintage razors. I might just have to visit him sometime soon.

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There are some fantastic vintage razors. You could certainly find something that you will enjoy and will last longer than the Zamak razor you had ( I had an R89 Zamak razor lose plating and begin to disintegrate after less than a year ).

Time for a Gillette.

vagelis said:

Time for a Stainless Steel Razor maybe? A Weber perhaps?

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+1. You can buy a new stainless steel Weber for 70 bucks, and it will last forever. Shaves better than an EJ too.

I would recommend the Weber as well or something else made of all stainless steel. Many vintage razors will hold up much better as well.

You can read some of the Zamak threads here for an explanation as to what happens to Zamak razors. Many are at a nice price point but they just aren't made to last forever.

As for the EJ razor. Their customer service is very good and they might well replace it for you if you send an email to them with pictures. You can likely find the address on a post here if you search for it or I'm sure someone will share it with you if you ask for it in a post. Once they replace it you can: keep it and use it sparingly, sell it on the BST and put the funds toward your new Weber, or use it for a PIF. All of these things are a better use for it than throwing it out.

Revisiting this thread, may I add a few more thoughts:
I understand that the vintage razors are wonderful, and having tried a few Techs and Aristocrats I agree.
In my humble opinion I prefer current generation manufacturers, that seem to deserve support and perpetuate our shared hobby/addiction.
I used my Weber again after I posted my original recommendation, for a mid-afternoon cold water shave with a Tabac Soap and Blue Lab Prep blade. The experience was smooth and close, definitely fun.
I have a few stainless steel modern razors at hand: ATT with a pair or Colossus handles and R1/R2/H1/H2 heads, Ikon Slant and Slant DLC with SE Handle, OSS/OC/Straight Bar DLC Ikons, and the Feather AS-D2.
I also have some Merkurs (slant, OC, Futur and Progress), both Standard Razors, Shavecraft 101, Fatip Grande and a Lutz Slant to play in my rotation. I more often than not reach for the stainless steel razors though.
There is a certain consistency to be had by the ATT's and Weber's of the world, that you experience as a lived notion, that cannot be described or convinced in.
With the right blade, the Weber can be your goto razor in no time. It's fun to experiment, and everyone's skin, facial hair, and combination of shaving soaps etc. make for a fun, personal equation to master.

Razors made of durable metals like brass or stainless steel are a pleasure. They range from mild to aggressive, and old to new, and there's surely one (or a dozen ) out there that will suit you. I must say that I've had close to zero interest in Zamak razors since I discovered my Old Types, NEWs, Webers, Fatips, and ATTs. The only Zamak head that I continue to use is the 2011 R41 -- with a stainless steel handle such as the Weber Classic or the mighty Maggard MR8. Enjoy the quest!

Problem:

Solution:

I am mostly using single edge and vintage Gillette razors these days, but when I do reach for a modern razor it is almost always my Weber. I also find myself using the Weber Bulldog handle with vintage heads (awesome with a NEW LC), and even, with the addition of setscrew, with some of the single edge razors.

And the pricing of the Weber, when compared to other stainless steel razors, is downright amazing.

--Bob