How to clean ZAMAK razors

After trying various razors in last 2.5 years, I have found that my favorite ones are ZAMAK: I didn't like the stainless steel ones I tried and the vintage Gillette aren't my thing either (except two I guess). So I will have to live with ZAMAK ones.

I do dissemble and rinse my razors after every shave, but somehow after a few shaves, I see gunk buildup specially under the baseplate. As I don't want to damage the plating (for as long as I can), I am kind of scared to do any vigorous cleaning like taking a brush to clean etc.


So what are my options if I want to clean my razors without damaging the plating too quickly?

Dish soap and a scrub with a soft brush or cloth should be enough for most cleaning. Chrome is actually pretty resilient. Just don't overdo the scrubbing.

Dish soap and a scrub with a soft brush or cloth should be enough for most cleaning. Chrome is actually pretty resilient. Just don't overdo the scrubbing.

Thanks, Shane!

Meanwhile, if you end up designing a BlackBird with Rounded edge baseplate (like Sabre?), all my worries would be irrelevant.

Dish soap and a scrub with a soft brush or cloth should be enough for most cleaning. Chrome is actually pretty resilient. Just don't overdo the scrubbing.

Thanks, Shane!

Meanwhile, if you end up designing a BlackBird with Rounded edge baseplate (like Sabre?), all my worries would be irrelevant.

When did you try the Blackbird last? It's more rounded these days than it was early on. Not as rounded as the Sabre though.

I tried the December 2016 version, sold it after ~40 shaves I think. The Sabre, btw, is not going anywhere though.

I tried the December 2016 version, sold it after ~40 shaves I think. The Sabre, btw, is not going anywhere though.

I'm happy to hear that!

Try dunking your razor in alcohol after each shave. I think that helps keep them clean. I very rarely have to scrub any of my razors and I don't take them apart between shaves.

Have you tried the Blackbird OC? It's seems more rounded than the SB to me. I don't have trouble with either plate though.

Hi @"iamsms"  I'm not sure if you saw this post from a while back, its razor cleaning and maintenance advice from Chris at RazorPlate which I copied and pasted from an email from Chris with his permission.  Its not specific to zamak but might be of interest to you.  Here is the link to the post:

https://damnfineshave.com/thread-vintage...nance-tips

I just throw my chromed Edwin Jagger to dishwasher and seems to work pretty good.

I have very hard water. The lime makes soap and lather very hard to rinse. I’ve started filling the basin with hot water and adding some citric acid powder (food-grade citric acid is sold with home canning supplies). White vinegar would probably work too, but the citric acid smells better (very little scent at all, really).

I dip my brush in the acidified water to to make the lather, and rinse the razor in it while shaving. I still do a final rinse under hot tap water. It doesn’t completely eliminate the buildup, but it helps a lot.