Thread: messed up, how can I clean my new carbon steel razor

hi everybody

just now I figure out that carbon steel corrodes really fast and that I need to take more care using it than stainless.

If spots started showing what can I do to remove them, heck I feel bad this is like the first day I use it and then I see corroding spots what an idiot.

A pic would be helpful, some spots are rust based and some are water spots (calcium and such). Both can be bad but cleaned if gotten to quickly.

I've been using MAAS lately to clean anything that looks funny.

Depending on where you live, the environment alone will cause rust. Other areas almost repell rust My area is not to bad, lower humidity that most. If your in a high risk area you may want to keep a film of oil on the blade.

yes those carbon blades show discolouration and corrosion much faster then stainless.

when you are done shaving clean your blade. wipe it down - handle, entire blade. i use toilet paper cuz its already in the bathroom with me. others use cotton, whatever you have near you is fine. some people even use rubbing alcohol so that it evaporates off everything.

then i let my razor sit out on the counter to dry. yes i put it out of the way so noone gets near it. but i leave it open, in a " L " shape so that it can dry for a few hours. this also helps to reduce that corrosion/discolouration as its can dry easier this way.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR RAZORS. i've honed many of new razors for people that have been badly cared for. if you're gonna spend the money for a nice razor and want to use it/keep it for a long time which you should. take care of it. you take care of your equipment and your equipment will take care of you.

~J

ps. if your razor is new and its just water spots and discolouration it will come off with some Maas and a little elbow grease.

yes my razor is new, and I did something stupid I think in efforts to clean it I had dipped it into some vinegar overnight and woke up to see it covered in some black material I took most of it off with a toothbrush and toothpaste, but I dont know if I have ruined it already or not :/

its an honest mistake I never knew or read on the forums about discoloration this fast.

also, for the razor care what is the most effective way to oil the blade? cant i just use some olive oil and wipe it on the blade or should I get something special?

also, i am thinking about getting me a stainless razor but I had read that those are harder to hone, what are your inputs on that?

thanks guys!

vinegar? bah, no problem. your blade is just fine. yes it started reacting with the metal and that discoloured it. but that will come off with some maas or at most a buffing compound.

that won't ruin your blade. smile its fine

~J

I would stay away from olive oil or any vegetable oil on my blades. As olive oil ages, it turns rancid and raises in acidity levels; your blade may not like that. Most authorities here recommend mineral oil as it is mild enough to be even ingested in small quantities and will hold up as it ages. My two cents.
Ernest

What you did was force a patina into the carbon steel. Old trick to help retard rust on kitchen knives. Depending on the acid content of the vinegar, the exposier time, and kind of steel, would depend on the ammount of damage done. I'm betting your edge is gone though.

I'm not much for polished blades (easy to rust), while I don't force a patina I will let it develop over time. I get teased at work cause I use carbon knives that are all kinds of colors from the different layers of patena on them, but they don't rust and I can spot them anywhere in the kitchen.

Hone it up and strop it up... should be just fine.

I use mineral oil that is food safe (marketed as a laxitive), it works great.

i am in the process of getting a new blade anyway until I fix this one, but what is mineral oil exactly ( where can I find it at the grocery or walmart etc? )

I've heard baby oil and mineral oil were essentially the same thing, can anyone clarify?

I'm a newbie as well and have been wiping my blades with tp and a little rubbing alcohol, followed by one of those microfiber cloths i use on my glasses.

the medicinal use of mineral oil is a "laxative and topical skin emolient" you can find it in the pharmacy section of most any store. it looks like colourless oil and it's pretty cheap

baby oil is mineral oil but most times it's scented or has some other additive like aloe. it's also more expensive