hardness/durability of plating metals?

I'm considering having a few razors replated. If I do this to 2 razors it will destroy the collector value, but will allow them to be used for another 100 years.

Gold and silver are out. That leaves Rhodium, Nickle, and chrome.

I know chrome can be hard, how durable are the other metals?

TIA

From what they told me when I got my Fatboy replated, Rhodium is the hardest.

I would go the rhodium however, remember most of the razors were plated in nickel and look how long they lasted. The in between choice is chrome and it looks really nice.

Exactly what I was looking for gents! Thanks!

I personally like nickel. It is durable and has an old world charm about it.

The price of nickle is quite attractive too!

I never realized how expensive Rhodium is! My mind isn't closed to it yet though.

hard chrome is pretty hard to destroy. is such a plating option available for razors?

(04-09-2012, 01:54 PM)andrewjs18 Wrote: hard chrome is pretty hard to destroy. is such a plating option available for razors?

Gillette did make some chrome-plated razors (the Big Boy came that way) so I would think so.

Rhodium is more rare than gold, hence the price difference. But it does make a razor look happy!

Rhodium seems like the most durable.

(04-09-2012, 02:21 PM)insomniac Wrote:

(04-09-2012, 01:54 PM)andrewjs18 Wrote: hard chrome is pretty hard to destroy. is such a plating option available for razors?

Gillette did make some chrome-plated razors (the Big Boy came that way) so I would think so.

Also, the Eclipse Red Ring was chrome plated.

Last year I had two Gillette New open-comb razors re-plated in Nickel by Reliable Electroplating.

   

Left to right; Gillette New short-comb, and Gillette New long-comb. Both excellent shavers by the way.

Oh my Nick, you have been holding out on us. Very nice razors and probably one of my favorite Gillettes (the short).

If the plating is gone than the collector value is low or none as it is.

I dont think it matters as to the hardness going by the light use and care it gets as a razor.

(04-09-2012, 07:20 PM)wknicholas Wrote: Last year I had two Gillette New open-comb razors re-plated in Nickel by Reliable Electroplating.

Hi Nick

Stunning! You have yourself there two very beautiful razors

Take care, Mike

Dave Glynn at restoredrazors.com also suggested nickle. He could just as easily have suggested the rhodium for a bigger ticket.

So nickle it is.

Nice razors Nick!

Nick, beautiful razors. I've actually got a couple open-combs that should be arriving today (at least one definitely). As stated, nickel has a nice old-world style, but I think hard-chrome comes in a matte finish. I'm still debating, but I'll probably go with nickel.

(04-09-2012, 07:20 PM)wknicholas Wrote: Last year I had two Gillette New open-comb razors re-plated in Nickel by Reliable Electroplating.



Left to right; Gillette New short-comb, and Gillette New long-comb. Both excellent shavers by the way.

Nick, I have said it before and I will say it again. That is the way those bad boys should have looked to begin with! I like them better with Nickel or Rhodium like those!

Go to Restoredrazors.com
Go to "home"
Right hand column on that page: "hardness of various plating materials" select that.
Dave Onotoman of Restoredrazors lists the relative hardnesses; chrome is hardest.