Thread: Oiling the blade?

I know that it is extremely important to make sure the blade on any razor I use be dried thoroughly to prevent staining and/or rusting. If you make sure you dry the blade completely after each use, do you still have to apply oil to the blade, or is this really only if you are going to be storing a razor and don't plan on using it for a while?

What type of oil (mineral oil, tuf-glide, sewing machine oil, etc.)? Do you have to apply it everyday?

Keith,

I asked a similar question a couple of days ago and was told that oiling a blade wasn't necessary for daily use. The indication was to just oil it if you planned on storing it or just not using it for a while.

As for the oil, I was told mineral oil on the blade and hinge pin. I do know others use different types of oil.

keith, unless you are not going to use your str8 for months at a time or you live in the rainforest outside or in the tropics with the doors open there is no need to oil your blades...what is important is to throughly dry your razor including the scales(handles) tang ect and then strop the razor around 10 passes this eliminates any excess moisture on the blade that is missed when drying the razor...

I would add that...

• if you get the hinge pin area wet when you rinse the blade after shaving, it's not easy to ensure that you have it completely dry.
• many of us keep our razors somewhere other than the bathroom (since the bathroom tends to be a high humidity place, at least at my house the way my wife takes a shower, lol).
• rust can form in a matter of days, so if your rotation is sufficiently large that you won't use the razor again for a week or so, then you're at increased risk if it's not completely dry.

Personally I keep a can of clippercide in the bathroom and spray my razors when I'm finished drying them... then I put them away in another room. There's nothing magic about clippercide... mineral oil, camelia oil, tuf-glide, etc. works as well or better. I just like it for the aerosol convenience.

I oiled all of my blades with mineral oil for a 2 week vacation but I usually don´t if I´m not leaving them for extended periods of time. Too messy.

Originally Posted by clarman

what is important is to throughly dry your razor including the scales(handles) tang ect and then strop the razor around 10 passes this eliminates any excess moisture on the blade that is missed when drying the razor...

Don't know how effective this is, but in my case I use a cotton (ear) bud to wipe dry the difficult area between the scales and around the pin. Seems OK so far.

Originally Posted by clarman

keith, unless you are not going to use your str8 for months at a time or you live in the rainforest outside or in the tropics with the doors open there is no need to oil your blades...what is important is to throughly dry your razor including the scales(handles) tang ect and then strop the razor around 10 passes this eliminates any excess moisture on the blade that is missed when drying the razor...

Very well said . . .

I have until recently used talc in the razors card box as a way to make sure i get all the moisture off the razor.
I put a small amount in the tube, dry the razor as best as I can then put it in the tube with the lid on. Shake the tube so the talc gets into every crevice. next day when I use the razor I just blow off the talc.
Worked for me for quite some years.

You could I suppose use and razor tube box souly for this purpose

PuFf

That's an interesting suggestion Puff.

Everyone's talking as if "thoroughly drying" a razor is easier and simpler than squirting a dab of oil in the pivot. I find the opposite to be true.

I have an exceptionally curious and playful cat, and leaving the razor open anywhere for any amount of time is just not an option – so maybe that's a factor for me. But I've got a little thumb-size squeeze bottle of mineral oil (came with an Arkansas tri-hone I use on my kitchen knives) right there on the sink. Squirting a drop into the pivot and then smearing the excess down the length of the blade with my thumb and forefinger takes about 3 seconds max.

I don't rinse the razor at all, which eliminates the pivot problem (except when honing). After stropping the razor on a towel and giving it a few laps on the leather strop, I give it a another few laps on an oiled rag. Seems to work well. Some guys claim that tuf-glide does a better job and only needs to be applied every few months. I've just started using it and can't say for certain.