Thread: Drying off your razor...

Like everyone is saying, try not to get the pin area wet. Sometime it just happens so I purchased a small bottle of tuff glide Tuf Glide - Sentry Solutions and put a few drops in the epin area of all of my razors. I also leave the blade open (90 deg angel) in a safe place for a while just to help dry everythnig off. Pipe cleaners are good to dry the inside of scales with but the only thing you can get in between the shank and the scales at the pivot is dental floss, which is better than nothing. If you can get somethnig in the pin area that will last a while, like Tuff Glide, you will be able to rest easy. I don't have any problem with my blades rusting but I also store them near some large silicone sacks to help keep the moisture off them. I have 5 blades that sat in a cigar box for about 15 years without being disturbed. When I decided to try straights again I found the box and there was no rust or pitting on the blades. Nothing special, just a cigar box in a dresser draw. Good luck.

Originally Posted by xman

I blow through the scales at the pivot pin from the spine side before I put the razor away to clear any extra moisture which may have found its way in there. I suggest you do this and let the razor air dry before oiling or anything else. I find this works great.

X

X, what key do you find most of your razors are in?

I used to Sterol all my blades and wipe excess off with tissue paper. That was back when I stored my razors in the bathroom. Since then I keep all razors OUT of the bathroom and just strop post shave on leather after wiping the blade with a dry cloth and I'm good to go. I've never had a rust or corrosion problem. The climate and environment the razors are store in will make a big difference for many of us I'm sure. In Minnesota where it's Winter for six months, the air is so dry moisture evaporates at the speed of light. YMMV.

Chris L

Well, it seems like no matter how hard I try to keep it dry, I still end up getting some moisture around the pin area.

I went ahead with my rubbing alcohol decanter idea, but I'm not allowing the alcohol to touch the scales (much). I'm dipping the razor in til the scales almost touch the alcohol, then removing it, tilting it backward to allow the alcohol to run back and off the tail. Yeah, a little bit ends up on the scales, but not much, and it quickly evaporates. I think the minor amount the scales might suffer is more than offset by the potential rust I'm preventing. And I know if I went with Xman's harmonica method, I'd end up blowing on the wrong side and inadvertantly widen my mouth in the process.

what about using a blow dryer to dry it off around the pin

My razor gets soaked. I wash it between strokes under running water. After use, I wipe the blade on a damp face cloth. Then I dry it on a towel and then I dry all the gaps and between the scales with tissue paper. Never had a rust problem.

I think the trick is to hold the tissue paper around the pin area and let it absorb the water from the area.

Originally Posted by Chris L

X, what key do you find most of your razors are in?

All my razors are Bb's.

Rinse, one light lap on a towel, alcohol wipe, strop 2-8 laps on leather or newspaper, then mineral oil. It's humid where I live (in the warmer months).