Need a new razor, the top keeps coming loose while shaving

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Mar 23, 2014
Today, i noticed that the top of my razor kept coming loose while shaving and I gave myself a nick. It feels very dangerous. This is the razor in question by the way : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32791325508.html

There are two studs that lock into place and i think the studs have been worn down which is why it's coming loose.

Incidentally, I was not impressed with Qshave's quality...the brush had loose hairs and made a mess out of my shaving bowl and the razor only lasted me a couple of years.

Does anyone have any suggestions on an affordable replacement? I was using a Merkur screw type, but the problem was that the handle kept gumming up with soap residue (no matter how much I washed it) and it eventually got stuck and became impossible to unscrew. So i'm looking for a razor that won't have a soap residue problem.

Strangely, no matter how much I soak razors in dishwashing liquid and scrub them, the soap residue never goes away entirely and it just sticks to the metal forever. Am I doing something wrong? I've seen this happen with multiple soaps, the last couple being Proarso White and Red.
 
Question said:
Today, i noticed that the top of my razor kept coming loose while shaving and I gave myself a nick. It feels very dangerous. This is the razor in question by the way : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32791325508.html

There are two studs that lock into place and i think the studs have been worn down which is why it's coming loose.

Incidentally, I was not impressed with Qshave's quality...the brush had loose hairs and made a mess out of my shaving bowl and the razor only lasted me a couple of years.

Does anyone have any suggestions on an affordable replacement? I was using a Merkur screw type, but the problem was that the handle kept gumming up with soap residue (no matter how much I washed it) and it eventually got stuck and became impossible to unscrew. So i'm looking for a razor that won't have a soap residue problem.

Strangely, no matter how much I soak razors in dishwashing liquid and scrub them, the soap residue never goes away entirely and it just sticks to the metal forever. Am I doing something wrong? I've seen this happen with multiple soaps, the last couple being Proarso White and Red.
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@Question I’ve experienced problems with the Qshave also. I fixed my problem by lubricating the studs and their retainers. Suggest a drop of rod oil or something like vasoline. If it doesn’t work it won’t cost a fortune to find out. Good luck.
 
Are you aware there is a right and wrong way to fit the cap?

The end of the plate with 2 dots aligns with the end of the cap with protruding lip

pw2gRNv.jpg


I was about to throw this one in the bin until a P&C member pointed it out

BTW this would be worst razor in den for soap scum in lather channels and base of head draining down through the adjustment mechanism
 
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Question said:
Strangely, no matter how much I soak razors in dishwashing liquid and scrub them, the soap residue never goes away entirely and it just sticks to the metal forever. Am I doing something wrong? I've seen this happen with multiple soaps, the last couple being Proarso White and Red.
Click to expand...
Proraso is fairly notorious for scumming up razors and brushes, but it sounds like you might have water with a particularly high mineral content. Your best bet might be to scrub with isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol - get it from Bunnings) and an old toothbrush. If that doesn't work, and IF your razor is made of stainless or other solid material you could try warm vinegar. If that fails, sometimes a paste of vinegar and bicarb might work, subject to the same proviso.
 
Errol said:
@Question I’ve experienced problems with the Qshave also. I fixed my problem by lubricating the studs and their retainers. Suggest a drop of rod oil or something like vasoline. If it doesn’t work it won’t cost a fortune to find out. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Might be all the soap residue on the studs actually...not sure why its so resistant to dishwashing liquid.

Holiday said:
Are you aware there is a right and wrong way to fit the cap?

The end of the plate with 2 dots aligns with the end of the cap with protruding lip

pw2gRNv.jpg


I was about to throw this one in the bin until a P&C member pointed it out

BTW this would be worst razor in den for soap scum in lather channels and base of head draining down through the adjustment mechanism
Click to expand...

Tried both sides, keeps popping out either way :(.

Gargravarr said:
Proraso is fairly notorious for scumming up razors and brushes, but it sounds like you might have water with a particularly high mineral content. Your best bet might be to scrub with isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol - get it from Bunnings) and an old toothbrush. If that doesn't work, and IF your razor is made of stainless or other solid material you could try warm vinegar. If that fails, sometimes a paste of vinegar and bicarb might work, subject to the same proviso.
Click to expand...

The Qshave is listed as "Matte chrome plated over zinc". Some of the chrome plating has started to wear off as well. Only isopropyl alcohol is safe for this material? Try soaking the razor in it?
 
Question said:
The Qshave is listed as "Matte chrome plated over zinc". Some of the chrome plating has started to wear off as well. Only isopropyl alcohol is safe for this material? Try soaking the razor in it?
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Yep, any vinegar treatment will affect the remaining plate. Isopropanol should be safe. You could try soaking, but scrubbing with an old toothbrush should speed things up.
 
Mine is a Feather AS-D1 which I disassemble after every shave and clean gently under clean running water using an old SOFT toothbrush. Then it's dried using a "super cloth" and re-assembled. After several years use, no evident problems.
 
Gargravarr said:
Yep, any vinegar treatment will affect the remaining plate. Isopropanol should be safe. You could try soaking, but scrubbing with an old toothbrush should speed things up.
Click to expand...

I tried soaking it in a concentrated solution of detergent + water overnight and while it did get rid of most of the soap scum, it didnt fix the problem. With most of the soap gone, i can actually see that the studs have what looks like missing chunks of metal. No idea how that happened...i was regularly soaking it overnight in dishwashing liquid, either that or the soap must have done some damage. Strange, i would have thought chrome plating would have no problems with this...

When i poured away the detergent, it had this weird purplish color to it as well. Does that mean it was corroding the metal or something?

At any rate, it looks like i definately need to get a new razor. Any recommendations for an affordable one that wont gum up with soap?

Bucephalus said:
Mine is a Feather AS-D1 which I disassemble after every shave and clean gently under clean running water using an old SOFT toothbrush. Then it's dried using a "super cloth" and re-assembled. After several years use, no evident problems.
Click to expand...

Sadly, it looks like the Feather AS-D1 is wayyyy outside my price range, its like $100+ easily.
 
Question said:
When i poured away the detergent, it had this weird purplish color to it as well. Does that mean it was corroding the metal or something?
Click to expand...
That's interesting. It definitely sounds like you have a corrosive detergent, and if it's concentrated that'll make it worse. (Lots of them are, liquid hand soaps are probably safer.) We don't commonly see reactions with chrome plating, but without wanting to go into all the possibilities resulting from all those groovy unpaired electrons, suffice to say that chromium can give rise to lots of funky colours in reactions. Zinc doesn't so much - it's very reactive, but most of the products are colourless.

Is $100 really too much to pay for a stainless razor, given the number of times you might need to replace a plated one?
 
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Sorry the above isn't necessarily that helpful. But at least if I can't be part of the solution, I'm guaranteed to be part of the precipitate. :LOL:
 
Holiday said:
Complete kit for $30
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bondi/miscellaneous-goods/merkur-safety-razor/1297514304
Click to expand...

Hmm...do you happen to know what model that is? Sadly im not residing in Australia anymore and last i checked, auspost has really pricey international shipping rates. Was hoping to get recommendations then buy from a place closer (or at least has decent shipping rates).

Gargravarr said:
That's interesting. It definitely sounds like you have a corrosive detergent, and if it's concentrated that'll make it worse. (Lots of them are, liquid hand soaps are probably safer.) We don't commonly see reactions with chrome plating, but without wanting to go into all the possibilities resulting from all those groovy unpaired electrons, suffice to say that chromium can give rise to lots of funky colours in reactions. Zinc doesn't so much - it's very reactive, but most of the products are colourless.

Is $100 really too much to pay for a stainless razor, given the number of times you might need to replace a plated one?
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How does corrosive detergent work anyway? Wouldnt that damage the clothes? When I got into wet shaving, people told me that i would just need to buy one razor and be set for life...nobody mentioned anything about it needing to be a $100+ stainless steel one.

Im confused as to why i am having issues with soap gumming up razors anyway. How do people clean theirs?
 
Did some searching and it seems the 3 common types are twist open, pop top and butterfly. I've already had a bad experience where the twist type got gummed up and i couldn't open it up, and now i've had issues with the pop top type where the studs got worn out. Would a butterfly type be better?

Well, the qshave razor was like $15-20 when i bought it and it lasted me a couple of years...most affordable razors that I am looking at seem to cost $30-50 though...
 
Gargravarr said:
That's interesting. It definitely sounds like you have a corrosive detergent, and if it's concentrated that'll make it worse. (Lots of them are, liquid hand soaps are probably safer.
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Agree with @Gargravarr something corrosive is at play to erode those studs. I'd say the Merkur Futur clones are probably the worst for soap residue due to design. You just missed a 30% sale from the wet shaving company (Yaqi). I'd suggest a Weishi 9306 for a good cheap brass TTO for less than $20 but at that price they may only last a couple of years. It appears you need something a bit stronger stainless steel, titanium or high strength aluminium to avoid corrosion. Might be worth investing in the long term.
 
Question said:
Hmm...do you happen to know what model that is? Sadly im not residing in Australia anymore and last i checked, auspost has really pricey international shipping rates. Was hoping to get recommendations then buy from a place closer (or at least has decent shipping rates).

How does corrosive detergent work anyway? Wouldnt that damage the clothes? When I got into wet shaving, people told me that i would just need to buy one razor and be set for life...nobody mentioned anything about it needing to be a $100+ stainless steel one.

Im confused as to why i am having issues with soap gumming up razors anyway. How do people clean theirs?
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Lots of questions there.
1. If you need a closer dealer, it helps if you say where you are.
2. Proraso is notorious for clagging up equipment. I'd suggest trying something else, such as one of the many tallow-based soaps (Stirling, Noble Otter, Blue Devil, etc...)
3. I thought you were taking about dish detergent. Laundry detergent is definitely corrosive, it's largely sodium or potassium hydroxide. Nasty stuff.
4. @Holiday's suggestion of the Lupo or GC is a good one. In fact, any Razorock razor will be good, they don't make any bad ones.
5. Most of us don't have a problem with soap build-up. I just rinse my razors in warm water. If you have exceptionally hard water you might consider taking steps. (Collecting rainwater? Distilled water? Filtration? Water softening treatment?)
 
Question said:
Hmm...do you happen to know what model that is? Sadly im not residing in Australia anymore and last i checked, auspost has really pricey international shipping rates. Was hoping to get recommendations then buy from a place closer (or at least has decent shipping rates).



How does corrosive detergent work anyway? Wouldnt that damage the clothes? When I got into wet shaving, people told me that i would just need to buy one razor and be set for life...nobody mentioned anything about it needing to be a $100+ stainless steel one.

Im confused as to why i am having issues with soap gumming up razors anyway. How do people clean theirs?
Click to expand...
I can somewhat sympathise with soap residue especially if you use the same razor for daily shaves.
Cleaning is easy as you can use tooth paste or dish liquid depending on the finish as cheaper pot metal/zamac razors are prone to scratching or rotting if the chrome plating gets damaged. Leave to dry and regular oiling/vaseline on the threads post drying to assist with assembly.

Some very good suggestions from the others with plenty of affordable stainless steel razors on the market with RazoRock/Italian Barber offering many budget friendly choices or alternatively trying a cheaper brass TTO/Butterfly razor such as a weishi but again you get what you pay for as no guarantee they'll last as brass internals and chrome plating, unless you're willing to spend the $$$ and get a more costly version in say titanium which will last long if cared for.

I purchased a few QShave Merkur Futur clones and found the head a pain for assembly and kept one as a travel razor but the head is way too big to shave under the nose so it never gets used. I obtained a weishi tto clone and love the weight of brass in the hand but find the build quality cheap so it gets sporadic use in fear of it falling apart if I used it everyday. I highly recommend the Rockwell 6S if you want a quality stainless razor that gives you options to adjust the shave or as a mid level shaver the Game Changer is great or a Lupo as all three are affordable and should last you a life time with proper care. YMMV!
 
Not sure if its just the clones with the issues but theres supposedly a proper futur on gumtree now for less than $100
 
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