dbrunker- the process that merkur uses is NOTHING like what Gillette carried out.
Merkur razors are CAST, as you saw, from cheap zinc pot-metal. They have to be tumbled and buffed to even be smooth enough to receive a nickel then chrome plating.
Gillette razors, on the other hand, were STAMPED out of Brass, then plated in nickel, gold or silver.
While this may not sound like a big deal- it’s huge! A cast pot metal relies solely on its thin plating to protect it from corrosion. If even a small area of plating wears away, then moisture seeps in and starts eating the cheap zinc pot metal alive. I’ve come across countless Merkur razors that have this problem of corroded metal.
Never will you see that with a Gillette razor that is Stamped brass. There can be surface problems like scratches and pits without it corroding away the metal’s integrity.
Also, a cast metal is much more prone to shattering if it is dropped, while a stamped metal will just bend. I can adjust a bent tooth all day on a Gillette- but don’t bother taking the tools to a Merkur- they will snap apart like a frozen carrot.
Matt,
That is very interesting. I had no idea Gillette blades were made from brass. I always thought DE blades were made from stainless steel. The process would be as follows:
Get a roll of SS in the correct width
Stamp out the rough shape of the blade
Heat Treat the metal
Temper the metal
Sharpen the roll
Stamp out the final product
Very interesting how they use brass or zinc sheets coated in steel. One would imagine that the sharpening process would probably grind away the steel to the zinc/brass underneath.
@Steve
Amazingly traffic has gone up since I stopped writing regular articles!
Currently I am very busy writing a book and writing my Bruce on Politics blog: http://www.bruceonpolitics.com/
However I have a couple of shaving articles in my head just waiting for when I have the time.
I think the interest in ‘real’ shaving has gone up. People (finally) getting tired of those expensive, non performing, Cartridge type razors and looking for info on single blade shaving.
Hope to read some shaving related articles from you in the future, thanks for the reply.
dear mr. Bruce Everiss
how are you
we are sudanes company we like to make productiom line for :
stainless double edge blades
can you please send full study for this industry
also what we can do new line or recondtion line
also sent us about the raw material the price and were
we can found good material and price
any way full study
dear what you think to start by small production line??
thanks and best regards
a/basit gad
Just want to say Bruce, I’ve switched to the cheaper, better, saftey razor and I get a better shave and save a fortune. Thanks for the blog. (And the pointer to the Wilkinson sword razor stoke by Boots.)
Hey folks,
Just noticed the video was not working anymore due to copyright so I searched for 2 other versions. Here they are below. Cheers!
http://howtogrowamoustache.com
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I wonder how much the process has changed since the days of Gillette .
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That was pretty cool. I had no idea they teflon coat DE blades as well as the cartridges.
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dbrunker- the process that merkur uses is NOTHING like what Gillette carried out.
Merkur razors are CAST, as you saw, from cheap zinc pot-metal. They have to be tumbled and buffed to even be smooth enough to receive a nickel then chrome plating.
Gillette razors, on the other hand, were STAMPED out of Brass, then plated in nickel, gold or silver.
While this may not sound like a big deal- it’s huge! A cast pot metal relies solely on its thin plating to protect it from corrosion. If even a small area of plating wears away, then moisture seeps in and starts eating the cheap zinc pot metal alive. I’ve come across countless Merkur razors that have this problem of corroded metal.
Never will you see that with a Gillette razor that is Stamped brass. There can be surface problems like scratches and pits without it corroding away the metal’s integrity.
Also, a cast metal is much more prone to shattering if it is dropped, while a stamped metal will just bend. I can adjust a bent tooth all day on a Gillette- but don’t bother taking the tools to a Merkur- they will snap apart like a frozen carrot.
Hope that helps!
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Matt,
That is very interesting. I had no idea Gillette blades were made from brass. I always thought DE blades were made from stainless steel. The process would be as follows:
Get a roll of SS in the correct width
Stamp out the rough shape of the blade
Heat Treat the metal
Temper the metal
Sharpen the roll
Stamp out the final product
Very interesting how they use brass or zinc sheets coated in steel. One would imagine that the sharpening process would probably grind away the steel to the zinc/brass underneath.
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ASR- I was referencing SAFETY RAZORS, not safety razor BLADES. Sorry for any confusion- the video shows the construction of both.
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Cool
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Grown a beard, or no more updates on this site ?
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@Steve
Amazingly traffic has gone up since I stopped writing regular articles!
Currently I am very busy writing a book and writing my Bruce on Politics blog: http://www.bruceonpolitics.com/
However I have a couple of shaving articles in my head just waiting for when I have the time.
Permalink
I think the interest in ‘real’ shaving has gone up. People (finally) getting tired of those expensive, non performing, Cartridge type razors and looking for info on single blade shaving.
Hope to read some shaving related articles from you in the future, thanks for the reply.
Permalink
It’s amazing how complex everyday items we take for granted are.
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dear mr. Bruce Everiss
how are you
we are sudanes company we like to make productiom line for :
stainless double edge blades
can you please send full study for this industry
also what we can do new line or recondtion line
also sent us about the raw material the price and were
we can found good material and price
any way full study
dear what you think to start by small production line??
thanks and best regards
a/basit gad
Permalink
Just want to say Bruce, I’ve switched to the cheaper, better, saftey razor and I get a better shave and save a fortune. Thanks for the blog. (And the pointer to the Wilkinson sword razor stoke by Boots.)
Permalink
I hope the Boss will do some articles when he’ll have the time 🙂 The new DE wave won’t stop any soon and this place is full of good informations.
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Hey folks,
Just noticed the video was not working anymore due to copyright so I searched for 2 other versions. Here they are below. Cheers!
http://howtogrowamoustache.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9PnTPIKd3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiSFBiR3Rfs
Permalink
I would like to contact a company making double edged men shaving conventional razor manufcturing machine .
Adress-email required.
regads
Hatim
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Looking for a company adress making double edged razor .manufacuring machines – email for company
regards
Hatim