Thread: What/when/how to store SR after shaving

New to the SR scene. After I shave I simply wipe the SR clean to dry it and usually blow around/near the hinge pin to make sure there's no moisture before I close it and put it away. Currently have four razors in rotation.

My my question is what should I apply to my blades after I'm done shaving before I put them away. Two are stainless steel. If I apply anything, do I clean/wipe it off before I reuse them?

Thx.

I strop after to dry the edge. I strop before to knock the oxidation off. At one end or the other there must be restorative stropping to fix shaving wear/tear on the edge.

If you oil the edge, you can avoid the oxidation stropping.

Stainless oxidizes slower and less destructively, but it needs more polishing-so strop like krazy.

Edge oil wipes off with stropping, no reason not to leave oil on the rest of the blade (what won't wipe off with one-square). While neatsfoot (pure) is great and what i often use and is the best for leather, I have started using Japanese sword oil on all high-carbon edges and am quite pleased with it.

You're in Denver like myself, so there isn't a huge issue with humidity like there is in other areas. If you are going to store them for a while (7+ days) a thin coating of oil (Camilla, mineral, light petroleum, etc..) would be beneficial. If you are using them on a regular basis it's not that big of deal if you don't oil them regularly. This is only as long as you are sure they are nice and dry after use.

I like to wipe mine dry with a piece of tp then leave it open overnight. The next day I put it in a silicon lined sleeve and store it. I currently have a nice little cigar box with a few desiccant packages in it that I put my razors in when not in use. That way I'm sure that they are nice and dry all the time.

Wipe off with TP blade, inside scales, all round the pivot. Then linen strop x10 leather strop x30. Blow the pivot area with SWMBO's hair dryer (She loves this...not!) set to warm not hot then +1 on the Camilla oil. Store in box away from the bathroom.

There's got to be a billion posts on this, anyway...

I strop 10/10 post shave (10 canvas 10 leather) after wiping the razor with a dry bathtowel. I then wipe the blade with a tissue with some eucalyptus oil on it and store the razor in a leather three-razor case on my bedroom desk.

The eucalyptus oil is very very light. It's also an antiseptic and is all natural. I would not myself use stuff such as WD40 or anything not natural. I actually don't feel a razor needs a LOT of oiling, esp if you have only a few you rotate regularly (I have 7) as they are not left idle for too long.

As others have mentioned, a good towel dry, strop, and she'll be ready to rest. I usually will keep mine open for a while afterwards to let any water in the pin area dry up quicker.

Avoid getting any water between the scales of a carbon steel razor, especially in the pivot area. If you do, you must dry the hidden water out or the shank will stain and rust. Compressed air in a can, a hair dryer, and WD40 can help with this problem. It is heart breaking to find a new razor with water spots and beginning rust, especially when it happens on gold wash and other decorative delicate features. Be careful when rinsing off lather and honing/refreshing on water stones.

After my shave, I heat up my blade (only the blade) in hot running water from the tap, wipe dry, inspect between the scales for possible water droplets or lather residue, and place my razor on the bathroom shelf to dry while I clean up and brush my teeth. After cleanup, I strop 30 linen and 60 leather to remove any crud from the edge and restore it to shave readiness. I then wipe carbon blades with a patch dampened with Camellia oil (grade sold for knife protection). Others use USP mineral oil from their local pharmacy.

I wipe with a firearms protection oil if I am going to store the razor for a while, but do not want to get oil on my face. I rinse gun oil and camellia oil off and wipe before shaving or stropping. Unwiped oil residue from a blade can affect the draw of a leather strop.

Camellia and mineral oil are safer for human contact, but do not provide the same level of long term rust protection as gun oil. Some use silicon impregnated cloths on their blades, or Renaissance Wax. Carbon steel will eventually rust if left unprotected. It is important to inspect and rewipe stored blades from time to time and store them only in a dry location. I avoid storage in bathrooms, cellars, and garages.

I am partial to Henckels Friodur razors because they are as easy to hone and strop as my carbon razors and much more forgiving of lapses with moisture than carbon steel razors. I do not have to worry as much about being unpleasantly surprised by rust when taking a razor out of storage. Rust can happen quickly, even overnight. If I ever spring for a custom razor, I will probably go for one of Mastro Livi's stainless razors because there is a lot less risk of rust damage to a high value decorative piece.

Maintaining a carbon razor rust free is not really difficult. I have many and they are being stored without issues, but I appreciate not having to worry whether I may have missed some moisture after using or honing my stainless razors.

HTH

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

There's got to be a billion posts on this, anyway...

I strop 10/10 post shave (10 canvas 10 leather) after wiping the razor with a dry bathtowel. I then wipe the blade with a tissue with some eucalyptus oil on it and store the razor in a leather three-razor case on my bedroom desk.

The eucalyptus oil is very very light. It's also an antiseptic and is all natural. I would not myself use stuff such as WD40 or anything not natural. I actually don't feel a razor needs a LOT of oiling, esp if you have only a few you rotate regularly (I have 7) as they are not left idle for too long.

carl, i must have told you a million times not to exagerate
I pretty much use the same razor every day, so i wipe off the last of the lather on a rag that lives with my strop, then i strop my razor, then i put it in a wire razor stand and forget about it for 24 hours.
I dont get it wet during shaving, but i also dont worry about soap or water marks on it either. My other two razors get wiped over with inox spray and kept in a foam lined box with a couple of silica packs, though only because they never get used.