1003 Pierremont Road Shreveport, LA 71106 US
SAFETY RAZOR ELECTROPLATING SERVICE
Do you have a vintage safety razor that could use some TLC? Would you like to have a razor professionally replated with a bright & shiny new finish that not only looks amazing, but will withstand the test of time and protect your razor from rust, patina, & normal wear and tear? Then maybe it is time to send that razor to Sport Shaving. We have over 5 years of experience in replating gold, stainless, platinum, and sterling silver jewelry and do all of the replating of the razors sold through this website and other brick & mortar venues. Everything from the cleaning, buffing, sterilization, and plating is done in house, by us. Nothing is shipped off to third party vendors. Sport Shaving has a commercial grade electroplating set up, equipped with multiple buffing stations, ultrasonic cleaners for each step of the process, auto-clave machines, steam cleaners, & a paint booth. This is just the tip of the iceberg of equipment used to restore razors. We also use dremel tools, flex shafts, tumblers, steam cleaners, etc. to bring these vintage beauties back to life. Each razor will be expertly cleaned, polished, sterilized, and replated to a thickness twice of that used when plating jewelry. Please note, we do not do any adjusting to the razors, such as repairing bent or broken teeth, loose handles, broken dials, etc.
I'm having to suspend my replating service until further notice due to time restraints. I hope to have this service restored as soon as possible. -Nick
What is Electro-Plating? How Does it Work?
Electroplating is a complex process that uses an electric current in an electrolytic bath to form a coating over the object being plated. For example, if plating copper to nickel then a bath of nickel sulfate and other alkaline liquids would be used. The copper piece would be immersed in the bath along with an annode matching the bath solution. By using electric currents one can form a brilliant and beautiful new nickel finish on this copper piece. One piece is attached to a negative or ground terminal, while the other to a positive or lead. As the plating process continues the bath pH will begin to change and requires constant oversight and adjustment. Salts and other alkaline products are used to keep the bath at the correct levels and plating to an optimum brightness and durability. Each piece being plated must be perfectly clean and free of any oils, debris, & flux. Even the slightest smudge from a finger will cause the plating to look inconsistent. The field of electro-plating has made leaps and bounds since its invention in the 1800s. In the early 1900's most plating baths contained Cyanide, making it a dangerous process and disposal an issue. Although many plating baths today still contain the Cyanide Alkali, we DO NOT use any plating baths that contain Cyanide.
What Is The Process Used to Make My Razor So Beautiful?
Preparing your razor to be replated is extremely important in getting that beautiful mirror finish that will last. After all, Electro-Plating was invented as a durable coating to protect objects from corrosion and other outside elements. Each razor must first be thoroughly cleaned by hand before moving to the next step where commercial grade ultrasonic and steam cleaners are used. Each razor will be buffed on a lathe and with multiple rotary tools to get those hard to reach areas and lastly by hand to ensure that the best possible surface is achieved. This is extremely important! Why? Because the layer of electroplated material forms directly on to the piece being plated. Any scuffs, scratches, and dings will still be there after the plating process is finished. Not always will these surface imperfections be able to be removed. It is paramount that each piece be cleaned and prepped to the best possible level, but without altering the original geometry or shape of the razor.
