Member
Keith, you'd want to seal the dark finish on any razor done in a similar fashion to what Brian does/did to keep it that way.
This advice from Brian may be helpful:
As more of my razors make it out into the wild there become various opinions and desires on how guys want them to look. The antique patina finish itself is like tarnish on silver or rust on steel. It's a caused by a chemical reaction and creates a very thin layer over the base metal; brass or copper in my case. As you handle the razor and use it, that thin layer wears off in some spots and remains mostly in the recesses and areas that you don't touch. At that point the razor finish won't change much and because we all use our razors differently, they all look unique.
Many guys really like how the razor looks when it first arrives to them and want to stabilize that. I personally recommend spraying the razor with a thin coat of acrylic lacquer and this will create both an oxygen barrier and a abrasion resistance barrier so the finish is effectively sealed. Permalac, Krylon, and Rustoleum all have decent spray lacquers. Just remember to spray on a warm day and do a very thin coat. You can always add more but you can't get rid of it if you create drips. The finished layer is so thin that it will not affect the blade gap, again, unless you cause it to pool or drip.
Once I'm in the new shop I do plan on setting up a little air brushing booth where I can add 'sealing' as something that can be done during the ordering process on a order by order basis. The biggest issue is temperature control! You need it to be 70 degrees or above or the stuff just doesn't spray well; it splatters or goes on thick. My current shop has no climate control and so I have not offered to clear coat for anyone as it is not always warm enough to spray and cure the sealer. Some guys also might consider spraying the razor after using it for a month or two so that you get something that looks very personal before you seal in the look.
With regards to fingerprints. Yes, this is more of an issue with the bright brass or copper finishes. They will show fingerprints and stains pretty quickly, but you can of course wipe them off with metal polish. The antique finish doesn't really show a fingerprint as the antique finish has already reacted with the metal in that area and your skin oils can't affect it anymore. The antique patina is technically a protective layer already.
So if you do plan on spraying the razor, put on some nitrile gloves and give it a little wash with some dish soap. After it dries you can give it a coat of spray lacquer. That should keep it looking like the day you unboxed it for many years.
Personally, I just use Renaissance wax once every few months on all of my shaving gear. After each shave, I rinse the razor, and 'blot' it dry with a towel. I'll even leave the blade in because I'm lazy and usually shave with the same razor 2-3 days in a row. I only clean the razor with a brush and dish soap if it starts to build up soap scum. Some of you are very aggressive cleaners and that does inadvertently contribute to removing the antique patina layer if you are wiping the razor with a towel constantly or maintaining a strict cleaning regimen with an old toothbrush. The patina has worn off very little on many of my razors since I only clean them as needed and 'blot' them instead of 'wipe' them dry, but everyone is going to be different and there really isn't a wrong way to go about it.
Also, If you do have a razor with an antique patina finish on it, don't use a metal polish to clean it. Metal polish will just wipe the patina off and you'll get a brightly polished razor. I've had a couple people do this by accident. But in general, relax and try to enjoy the special characteristics of brass and copper. I can always refinish a razor for you and usually at little to no cost. Lastly, if all of this just sounds like a pain but you like your Charcoal razor consider sending it out for gold plating. Gold plating will look the same 1000 years from now as the day it gets plated. Gold reacts to nothing. However, like the old Gillettes the plating will wear down over time, but probably long after you've expired!
hope this helps out.
~Brian
This advice from Brian may be helpful:
As more of my razors make it out into the wild there become various opinions and desires on how guys want them to look. The antique patina finish itself is like tarnish on silver or rust on steel. It's a caused by a chemical reaction and creates a very thin layer over the base metal; brass or copper in my case. As you handle the razor and use it, that thin layer wears off in some spots and remains mostly in the recesses and areas that you don't touch. At that point the razor finish won't change much and because we all use our razors differently, they all look unique.
Many guys really like how the razor looks when it first arrives to them and want to stabilize that. I personally recommend spraying the razor with a thin coat of acrylic lacquer and this will create both an oxygen barrier and a abrasion resistance barrier so the finish is effectively sealed. Permalac, Krylon, and Rustoleum all have decent spray lacquers. Just remember to spray on a warm day and do a very thin coat. You can always add more but you can't get rid of it if you create drips. The finished layer is so thin that it will not affect the blade gap, again, unless you cause it to pool or drip.
Once I'm in the new shop I do plan on setting up a little air brushing booth where I can add 'sealing' as something that can be done during the ordering process on a order by order basis. The biggest issue is temperature control! You need it to be 70 degrees or above or the stuff just doesn't spray well; it splatters or goes on thick. My current shop has no climate control and so I have not offered to clear coat for anyone as it is not always warm enough to spray and cure the sealer. Some guys also might consider spraying the razor after using it for a month or two so that you get something that looks very personal before you seal in the look.
With regards to fingerprints. Yes, this is more of an issue with the bright brass or copper finishes. They will show fingerprints and stains pretty quickly, but you can of course wipe them off with metal polish. The antique finish doesn't really show a fingerprint as the antique finish has already reacted with the metal in that area and your skin oils can't affect it anymore. The antique patina is technically a protective layer already.
So if you do plan on spraying the razor, put on some nitrile gloves and give it a little wash with some dish soap. After it dries you can give it a coat of spray lacquer. That should keep it looking like the day you unboxed it for many years.
Personally, I just use Renaissance wax once every few months on all of my shaving gear. After each shave, I rinse the razor, and 'blot' it dry with a towel. I'll even leave the blade in because I'm lazy and usually shave with the same razor 2-3 days in a row. I only clean the razor with a brush and dish soap if it starts to build up soap scum. Some of you are very aggressive cleaners and that does inadvertently contribute to removing the antique patina layer if you are wiping the razor with a towel constantly or maintaining a strict cleaning regimen with an old toothbrush. The patina has worn off very little on many of my razors since I only clean them as needed and 'blot' them instead of 'wipe' them dry, but everyone is going to be different and there really isn't a wrong way to go about it.
Also, If you do have a razor with an antique patina finish on it, don't use a metal polish to clean it. Metal polish will just wipe the patina off and you'll get a brightly polished razor. I've had a couple people do this by accident. But in general, relax and try to enjoy the special characteristics of brass and copper. I can always refinish a razor for you and usually at little to no cost. Lastly, if all of this just sounds like a pain but you like your Charcoal razor consider sending it out for gold plating. Gold plating will look the same 1000 years from now as the day it gets plated. Gold reacts to nothing. However, like the old Gillettes the plating will wear down over time, but probably long after you've expired!
hope this helps out.
~Brian
![[Image: ps3Daq4.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/ps3Daq4.jpg)
