Drying off your razor...

All seven of my razors are just plain ole steel. I've been careful about drying them off post shave as best as I can, but the tang area (especially around the pin) is just too hard to get dry.

So I'm thinking...If I put a tall decanter full of 91% isopropyl alchohol on the sink, and dipped my razor in it all the way up to the monkey tail after shaving, would this be an effective way to displace the water and prevent rust? Would it damage the old bakelite or celluloid scales?

I'd sure hate to be responsible for rusting out these 100+ year old gems I'm using to hack hair off my face.

I know that the alcohol doesn't get on well with some scale materials, so test it out first.

I think the best thing to do is to keep water out of the pin area altogether. When I rinse the razor, I use my thumb and forefinger to cover the tang near the pin to keep the water out. I also keep the water pressure low so it won't run up the tang.

Jordan

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Originally Posted by jnich67

I know that the alcohol doesn't get on well with some scale materials, so test it out first.

I think the best thing to do is to keep water out of the pin area altogether. When I rinse the razor, I use my thumb and forefinger to cover the tang near the pin to keep the water out. I also keep the water pressure low so it won't run up the tang.

Jordan

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Same here. When I rinse my razor off under the sink, which isn't very often as during the shave I wipe it on a cloth to remove the built up lather and cuttings only rinsing it at the very end to remove any soap residue. Then I just towel dry the damp blade, neever getting the tang area wet.

Keeping the area dry sounds like a much better idea than exposing old scales to alcohol repeatedly.

Do any of you guys keep a little dressing of light weight machine oil around the pin area just in case it gets a bit damp?

I'm probably being paranoid here, but I'm working darn hard at restoring these blades to rust/pit/stain/defect free condition, and *really* want to prevent any rust, etc. from re-appearing.

Some guys apply Cammila(sp?) after every shave for rust protection.

I would look for a more natural/ healthful alternative rust preventer than machine oil just in case some got into an open shaving cut off your razor sometime.

I also do my best to keep moisture away from the tang and tail of the razor. I only need to rinse the lather.
When water does sneak in there, I dry it off with a paper towel as best as I can and then hope for the best. Others have resorted to using blowdryers (on low, I assume.) Whatever works, I guess. You could probably oil the pivot area daily as well if you wanted to play it safe

Could someone tell me what type of scale material is not compatible with alcohol?

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I also do my best to keep moisture away from the tang and tail of the razor. I only need to rinse the lather.
When water does sneak in there, I dry it off with a paper towel as best as I can and then hope for the best. Others have resorted to using blowdryers (on low, I assume.) Whatever works, I guess. You could probably oil the pivot area daily as well if you wanted to play it safe

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Agree here. It is best to try to only rinse the blade so that the water doesn't come in contact with the pin. Sometimes leaving the razor open for a while after shaving to dry will help, but if the pin area is saturated, it may not. The preventative drop of oil may not be bad either, but you may have to tighten the pin some.

Lynn

I have had problems with this in the past, so I decided to solve the issue with a cross-discipline approach:

I treat all my razor blades with Militec1 and low heat, (this is intended as a lubricant/rust preventative on firearms) and have no had any rust at all since doing this, even if I put the razor up soaking wet.

It's important to put the Militec1 on hot (150F) metal or it won't bond right for some reason.

This is the one thing with razors that I guess I don't have OCD on.... I dunk the whole razor when shaving I rinse the whole thing...
I hold it tightly after shaving and snap it with a flick of the wrist to get the water off wipe it dry on a towel and then use a tissue sprayed with WD-40 to wipe down the blade.. I leave the razor open until the next day then chose another, and put that one back in it's spot....
So far so good I have never had a rust problem since I started doing this about a year and a half ago... Obviously you have to wipe the blades before shaving again....

I don't know whether I would even recommend this way of doing it but it works for me...

Wipe it dry, then oil it (Woodcraft has a nice spray dispenser of Camella oil that really does the trick for me), put it away until you use it again....

My Dovo stainless razors simply get dried off, no oil required!;)

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Could someone tell me what type of scale material is not compatible with alcohol?

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I don't know of any scale material that doesn't like IPA but, some finishes on wood scales aren't particularly fond of it. On others I spray the blade and pin area and then wipe. Works for me.

I would avoid Alcohol and any natural material, wood, bone, or horn. Its drying effects could harm or stain these materials over time.

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,

You kiss your razors goodbye until the next shave? Now that is dedication!

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

You kiss your razors goodbye until the next shave? Now that is dedication!

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Actually I said 'blow', but let's not quibble, shall we? :rofl2:

I've had some "plastic" scales get tacky and then take on kind of a "cloudy" looking finish after coming in contact with alcohol - the scales that came with my Union Spike razor come to mind. I don't know exactly what the material is.

Jordan

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Originally Posted by Seraphim

Wipe it dry, then oil it (Woodcraft has a nice spray dispenser of Camella oil that really does the trick for me), put it away until you use it again....

My Dovo stainless razors simply get dried off, no oil required!;)

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I've asked Santa for a Dovo Stainless for Christmas. I'd really like a stainless for my daily shaver, because my OCD makes me spend another ten minutes making sure the razor is completely dry before I strop it and put it away.

I have a bottle of mineral oil in my shave den that I apply about once a month with a piece of toilet paper. It also doubles as a decent laxative.

bj

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

then use a tissue sprayed with WD-40 to wipe down the blade..

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Ding. FTW! WD-40, duct tape and you're pretty much set for anything in life :)
I've been using that on my forged golf clubs for years. Found a couple of pin head size rust? stains on my new Bergischer. Wiped right off. It'd nice if it came in a Bay Rum scent.

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.

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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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Chris L

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

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All my razors are Bb's. :D

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).