Thread: Pitting. . .?

What exactly is pitting? Does it come before or after rust?

Thanks

Originally Posted by drumana

What exactly is pitting? Does it come before or after rust?

Thanks

Pitting is basically small pits or holes in metal from where rust has eaten the metal. Its usually under black rust and you can't miss it.
If you have a razor with thick black crusty stuff on it, you can pretty much guarantee when you get rid of that black crusty stuff (black rust) you will have a lot of pitting.

Perhaps someone could post a pic for Drumana?

OK. . . I get the idea. Thank you. Is there a name for the black/grey spots that appear on the carbon steel blade if not dried out carefully or left in a humid environment?

Originally Posted by drumana

OK. . . I get the idea. Thank you. Is there a name for the black/grey spots that appear on the carbon steel blade if not dried out carefully or left in a humid environment?

Those are more than likely just watermarks. If you have them just give your razor a thin coat of oil, once its thoroughly dry and she'll be as good as new.

Aha! Thanks again. . .

Just think of rust like a cancer on ferrous metal. Once it starts if its not promptly removed when its just on the surface it grows and deepens and as it deepens it eats into the metal and then the rust flakes off and you have pits. Eventually the entire piece can be consumed by it. Basically its just a chemical reaction. Rust is just Fe0 also called Limonite which is the mineral name.

Pitting is just the result of random etching due to rust. Think of it as a natural form of etching, the process of removing metal to engrave a pattern into the metal of the blade or tang.

Sanding can easily remove surface rust but sanding to the degree required to remove all pitting is often not practical, because the pitting is so deep.

Here is an example of pitting in a Clauss razor that has been sanded to remove all surface rust. The first photo shows initial sanding to remove all surface rust. Though finish sanding to a mirror polish has not been completed, there is no sign of rust at normal magnification. The second photo is at 65X, showing residual pitting not visible to the naked eye.

A case of "enjoy the razor while you can" then!

Well, no, because if you take care of the razor properly, the rust/pitting will not get any worse. I have a few ugly razors in my rotation that I haven't yet bothered to sand but I keep them dry and lubricated and I have no worry about them degrading.

In other words, you can "enjoy the razor while you can" and after you're gone your grandson will also be able to enjoy that same razor while he can.

I would love to see/imagine my grandson using my razors that would be the coolest thing possible. Where is that light oil?