TTO Knob on 68 Slim

Picked up a 68 Gillette Slim Adjustable ( Christmas gift for my son)and got a really what I would call a good deal, anyway the 1-9 adjustment clicks very sharply at each point and the doors open/close very smoothly but that last 1/4 turn to snug everything up seems really, really tight. I can get it done but it takes a lot more force than my F3 Fatboy and I am curious if this is normal like maybe it was not used much as it looks pristine and was in a case with instructions and blades.

And if not normal how would you loosen it up ?

Try soaking it in hot water with some Dawn dish detergent. It may take a few soaking to loosen it up.

I put some 3-1 oil on mine and inverted it overnight. it seemed to loosen it up quite a bit

From my basic understanding and experience, these slims all feature the 1/4 turn lock. It shouldn't be really really tight, as you mention. In fact, it should be very comparable to your Fatboy. The external appearance of these mechanical razors can make it seem as though they are very clean and possibly never used but the internals can become very plugged up over the years of use. It is possible that something is preventing ease of operation when you come to the last quarter turn but this is simply my best guess. I, like many , am a huge advocate of long hot soaks (water and dish soap, hot not boiling). This usually remedies many small, common issues with the Gillette adjustables. Good luck, Sir!

I will give it a really good soaking or two in some hot water and follow up with a good oiling using mineral oil but after that I may have to rely on sending it off to have it looked at as I am not comfortable taking it apart and hopefully it won't need that.

The slim can get really tight in the 1/4 I am working on one with this issue right now. I had severe problems with a gold slim aristocrat. Alternating between very hot and very cold water helps speed things up as does a very prolonged soak.

kcb5150 said:

The slim can get really tight in the 1/4 I am working on one with this issue right now. I had severe problems with a gold slim aristocrat. Alternating between very hot and very cold water helps speed things up as does a very prolonged soak.

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I gave it a quick soak today and then oiled it and it has helped a lot, I will have time tomorrow to give it several good hot/cold soakings and follow up with some oil in all the pivot wear points.

I had a similar issue with a 1967 Slim. Ran it through my ultrasonic cleaner 4-5 times with some Dawn. Added a couple drops of mineral oil and it finally loosened up. In fact I used it this morning.

I am pleased to hear that you are making headway, the slim is a fantastic piece of equipment!

Captain Murphy said:

I am pleased to hear that you are making headway, the slim is a fantastic piece of equipment!

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I plan on soaking it a few more times and lube it with some mineral oil and hope my son enjoys it, got it for him for a Christmas present and it sits in it's original case with the instruction sheet and blade pack,

panther308 said:

I plan on soaking it a few more times and lube it with some mineral oil and hope my son enjoys it, got it for him for a Christmas present and it sits in it's original case with the instruction sheet and blade pack,

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That will be a fantastic set for sure, I am sure your son will!

Captain Murphy said:

That will be a fantastic set for sure, I am sure your son will!

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Will post up some pics tomorrow

I have literally had one halfway submerged in a cocktail of stuff for the last three days. Old cream is nasty stuff. It becomes like concrete.

kcb5150 said:

I have literally had one halfway submerged in a cocktail of stuff for the last three days. Old cream is nasty stuff. It becomes like concrete.

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True that! It took quite a few soaks and a couple overnighters to loosen up my first slim, then some mineral oil each night for a few nights. The stuff that came out of that handle was like chips of black stone in dark grey water - yuck!

Well after getting off the back shift this a.m I dropped the slim in a coffee pot of hot water with dawn and let it soak then rinsed with cool water after about an hour or so and worked the TTO knob after giving it a good mineral oil soak and then back to the hot/cold several more times and finished off with a good dose of mineral oil and am going to leave it up right to let the oil get down around the TTO ring but it's already 100% better.

Here are a few pics, sorry for the quality :

Outstanding! That is a very nice set I really like the slim cases, they sure look nifty!

My 64 Slim is definitely my favourite razor - it is also a little on the tight side on that final ¼ turn, though I did already know that when I bought it. Though through use, it does appear to be easing up, so mine might have also been due to inactivity. I'll give mine a good soak too as per above suggestions.