Karve Shaving Co. A new DE Brass razor to market.

george1906 George - what you can do now is brush up what you want to highlight. I've found some ammonia preparations (home made) leave the razor a bit dull -- after you've got your highlights done give it a good waxing and shine and it'll look great.

Something that was -most probably- left untold :
Ammonia attacks brass and induces "stress corrosion cracking " phenomena .
Avoid by all means contact between ammonia or ammonium containing salts and brass.

" It is evident from the discussion carried out above that brass is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking in ammonia "

" Brass is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, especially from ammonia or substances containing or releasing ammonia. "

The mechanism of stress-corrosion cracking in the brass-ammonia system

Brass Razor care


Also commercially available " Brass aging " or "Patina " products will lightly etch the brass object ( in this case the razor ) ,
thus altering slightly its dimensions .All of these products do contain various acids that etch brass.

There are specially formulated solutions that are 100% safe for aging (patina) brass ,without etching the brass or causing stress corrosion cracks.
( Like the one I use myself ! Was made by a professional chemist and it's " recipe " remains proprietary )

Stephanos1920 Well - we're learning a lot about brass aren't we. Seems that any formula with ammonia is not safe -- anything we buy in a bottle is not safe - now has hobbyists we have to hire a chemist to find out how to age brass.

Look,I've just stated few facts .
The commercially available products will alter very slightly the dimensions ,as they do etch brass.

Personnaly ,I did not hire a chemist.I'm lucky enough to have one as a very close friend.
And it happens that he also  works in a metal processing facility.Most of the "heads-up " I got from him ,initially.

Still,there are some products that can be used ,but one has to do a bit of research to find them .
Here's an example : Black patina (non-etching )

Regarding ammonia ,please do a brief google search if you've still any doubts about how corrosive is on brass .
As far as I'm concerned I wouldn't use it by no means .

I can sense a negativity at your latest post and I really do not understand why .
Is it my fault to warn you   about the potential disastrous results of aging brass using ammonia ?
Or do you know something that I'm not aware of ?

Except if you really want ,as a hobbyist ( like I'm a pro or something ? * ) ,to have an aged brass razor that will disintegrate rather soon .
Even so ,you could have left the gentle irony out of your expression spectrum.
Did not help you to make any point.



* none of these handles or razors have been made to be sold .
Although I'm planning to go "pro " at some point .

Soooo, long ago I worked in the plastic technology dept in a product development company. I am an electrical engineer, not a chemist. My role was primarily the stuff inside the plastic. I don’t claim a deep understanding of material science, but my 29 years of development work have regularly involved cross-discipline collaboration.

Nevertheless ... they were having trouble with warranty claims for cracking. These were high-end products, built like a tank. You could stand on them without cracking anything.

The answer turned out to be customers using 409 cleaner. It did not cause any visible damage, but somehow it permeated deep into the non-porous plastic, weakening the molecular bonds. As I said, I’m not a chemist, so I won’t try to explain it.

Also, corrosion on metal can cause what are called stress risers. These are basically a spot where stress (which can even be internal stresses in the material) focus, and that’s where cracks begin.

If I recall correctly, the end cap of the Karve handle is pressed in. The maker has said that these are properly designed, unlike the old Gillette ball end handles. Nevertheless, there ARE internal stresses in the handle. It may not seem like a razor is subject to much stress, but something as simple as an overtightened handle can exert a surprising amount of force.

It is certainly plausible to me that chemical aging could lead to an increased chance of cracking. I can’t tell you whether a certain chemical will cause it, or how long you might have to wait before it happens. I can tell you though that actions that may seem benign or theoretical at the time lead to real warranty claims.

There are other -real life - stories, too...

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/ammonia-is-...ass.92497/

https://inspectioneering.com/tag/ammonia...n+cracking

Got my OC plates in E and F gaps today. Can’t wait to take them out for a spin. I will use the F plate Saturday morning.


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I've ordered myself the E plate .
can't wait to read your report on the F plate .

Frankly, I think the secret to an authentic-looking patina is ... just use it. Don't baby it, don't abuse it, just use it. The patina will come.

I am loving how this turned out. Using the aging solution on the baseplates only and then using my Cape Cod polishing cloths to keep polishing the top cap and handle gives this razor an AWESOME 2 tone look!


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