Rust On Blade?

I've had a string of bad luck with my introduction to straight razor shaving. But i think this could be the worst.

I posted previously about my first shave. But after i was done i wiped the blade and put it in it's case. i guess because the handle is wood it held moisture.

So there's now what it appears to be rust on the handle, and a couple spots on the blade.

Is there something i should do to treat the blade immediately? Is this serious?

It appears to be rust colored stains, and superficial.

It's a Dovo Juniper wood Brucke with a carbon steel blade:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Just use a little oil and a soft cloth, but be careful not to get too close to the edge. That should remove it but may leave some staining.

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Is there anyway to do it without staining it?

And how do i prevent this from happening again? I google searched and read that carbon steel blades have a propensity to do that, and that rubbing alcohol after a shave will help??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

And how do i prevent this from happening again? I google searched and read that carbon steel blades have a propensity to do that, and that rubbing alcohol after a shave will help??

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search this forum, not google
the wiki is your friend

What are the best ways to treat my blade after i shave so that it doesn't rust again?

Reverse the chronological order and you've got it.

Answer:

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Dry your razor thoroughly, always avoiding the edge. Then apply a thin coat of oil.

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Question:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

What are the best ways to treat my blade after i shave so that it doesn't rust again?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

What are the best ways to treat my blade after i shave so that it doesn't rust again?

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Don't put it in the case after use. If it's the same as mine (the blue tin presentation case with foam inside) it's a perfect device for retaining moisture and causing rust. Also avoid keeping it in the bathroom where it is likely to be humid.

After use I just leave mine on a desk in my bedroom. I put it under a fluorescent desk lamp which doesn't noticably heat it up, but I figure even a tiny bit of heat is enough to encourage drying.

I wrapped a velcro strip around my razor to keep it closed. Not tightly, but snug enough so that when I slip it on it acts as a good safety device. A rubber band could do the same thing but you want to avoid forcing the blade into the scales or marking them.
http://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry1.JPGhttp://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry2.JPGhttp://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry3.JPG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gugi

Reverse the chronological order and you've got it.

Answer:

Question:

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"ways" it's plural because i wanted multiple ways to work with. He posted one way. i guess that was too much to reason for someone of your obvious capabilities though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Try reading my last post and also explore the wiki.

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yeah i did. That was one way. I posted it publicly because I want first hand opinions, and empirical advice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rajagra

Don't put it in the case after use. If it's the same as mine (the blue tin presentation case with foam inside) it's a perfect device for retaining moisture and causing rust. Also avoid keeping it in the bathroom where it is likely to be humid.

After use I just leave mine on a desk in my bedroom. I put it under a fluorescent desk lamp which doesn't noticably heat it up, but I figure even a tiny bit of heat is enough to encourage drying.

I wrapped a velcro strip around my razor to keep it closed. Not tightly, but snug enough so that when I slip it on it acts as a good safety device. A rubber band could do the same thing but you want to avoid forcing the blade into the scales or marking them.
http://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry1.JPGhttp://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry2.JPGhttp://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/dry3.JPG

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Yeah I got a similar one, but a wood handle. Same case and foam though. i immediately put it in after drying it, so that's what probably caused it. It was my first shave, so i guess it was a learning experience.

Thanks for the helpful advice though. It made it worth having to read through the pointless commentary to get to it. :)

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Originally Posted by j03

"ways" it's plural because i wanted multiple ways to work with. He posted one way. i guess that was too much to reason for someone of your obvious capabilities though.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

yeah i did. That was one way. I posted it publicly because I want first hand opinions, and empirical advice.

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If you didn't like their responses, why not just ignore rather than posting rude replies? :shrug:

LOL, and I thought you made a grammatical mistake....

"Best way" - singular, unless you believe there are several different ways that are equal in any possible aspect, not only the end result, but the effort involved, etc. Suppose you believe that. I would point out that anything but the end result is extremely subjective, therefore the adjective 'best' is to say the least inappropriate, i.e. what is best for me is probably not the best for you. I would have omitted 'best' altogether.
For example, if I close the razor while leaving it to dry I will have rust in no time, yet it seems to work rather well for that stainless micarta in the picture above, at least for now.

In any case the common sense and science say steel rusts in the presense of moisture. I can refer to you to a few hundred scientific papers on how the process happens, but seeing how much work you are willing to do yourself, I doubt you will bother to even read the titles of them.
So, the common sense answer it - don't leave the steel in contact with moisture any longer than absolutely necessary to shave. I'm sure that you are smart enough to come up with several ways to do this, like wiping it with a water absorbing medium, using a hair dryer, heat gun, toaster, furnace, luminescent light... You can even update us with what is the 'best' way for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

Yeah I got a similar one, but a wood handle. Same case and foam though. i immediately put it in after drying it, so that's what probably caused it. It was my first shave, so i guess it was a learning experience.

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No, you are wrong, what caused it is that you put it in before drying it.

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Originally Posted by j03

Thanks for the helpful advice though. It made it worth having to read through the pointless commentary to get to it. :)

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Oh, I'd love you to ignore my pointless commentary - I dare you ignore it. Just make sure to take pictures of your razor right now, so that you have a reference of what the steel looks like without rust on it,

Enough with all the hostility and patronizing. I'm a noob, this is a noob forum, hence why i'm here explaining any mistakes i have made.

But the blade was wiped and i'm sure it was dry when i put it in the case. i postulate the moisture in the air from after the shower might have absorbed into the protective foam, or the wood in the handle might have held some water.

Assume nothing j03!

These guys are really trying to help you out and it will do you no good to alienate them from you!

Yes, my pleasure to meeting you!

Let me then introduce myself, as well - I'm one of the mods in the newbie forum and I have studied for a living how rust develops. I also keep about 10-15 carbon steel razors in my small bathroom and I like hot showers so it gets pretty humid on a very regular basis. Almost all of them have tarnish or pitting which attracts condensation and rust. They have plastic, horn, ivory, and wooden scales. None of them have developed any rust, so I must be doing something properly.
I have also had blades who have rusted because I have closed them with moisture.

The advice you got initially is the best and i think that you should follow it. This topic has been discussed countless times ,as you can convince yourself if you do a search on older posts. It's really simple, and it's not a topic of some deep controversy which everybody has to find and do it in their unique way.

I suppose nobody mentioned Tuffglide, so that's something you probably want to look into.

Well, I'm really done with this thread. If you still think there is some other special method out there, feel free to bump your thread every now and then soliciting more advice.

I leave my razors anywhere and everywhere. If you dry it, and strop it a couple of times before you put it away, it will be fine. Don't put it in a case filled with foam...ever. That's just a bad idea.
Also. I think you may need to learn some tact along with how to take care of a piece of steel.

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Originally Posted by gugi

Yes, my pleasure to meeting you!

Let me then introduce myself, as well - I'm one of the mods in the newbie forum and I have studied for a living how rust develops. I also keep about 10-15 carbon steel razors in my small bathroom and I like hot showers so it gets pretty humid on a very regular basis. Almost all of them have tarnish or pitting which attracts condensation and rust. They have plastic, horn, ivory, and wooden scales. None of them have developed any rust, so I must be doing something properly.
I have also had blades who have rusted because I have closed them with moisture.

The advice you got initially is the best and i think that you should follow it. This topic has been discussed countless times ,as you can convince yourself if you do a search on older posts. It's really simple, and it's not a topic of some deep controversy which everybody has to find and do it in their unique way.

I suppose nobody mentioned Tuffglide, so that's something you probably want to look into.

Well, I'm really done with this thread. If you still think there is some other special method out there, feel free to bump your thread every now and then soliciting more advice.

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My mistake was putting it in the case and closing it. The foam must have absorbed moisture through condensation, as it was in the bathroom during the shower. i wiped it, and it was dry before i put it in though.

i'll check out tuffglide though

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ditch Doc

I leave my razors anywhere and everywhere. If you dry it, and strop it a couple of times before you put it away, it will be fine. Don't put it in a case filled with foam...ever. That's just a bad idea.
Also. I think you may need to learn some tact along with how to take care of a piece of steel.

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yeah i learned a lesson i suppose. i won't be doing that again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

yeah i learned a lesson i suppose. i won't be doing that again.

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Good enough, brother. I wish you luck with your future straight razor endeavors. A lot of forums are full of jackasses that troll and otherwise make negative comments. This isn't one of them. The guys here will steer you right. I suppose that's an anomaly on the internet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j03

My mistake was putting it in the case and closing it. The foam must have absorbed moisture through condensation, as it was in the bathroom during the shower. i wiped it, and it was dry before i put it in though.

i'll check out tuffglide though

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This could very well be what happened, sorry youve been having such a tuff time with a new hobby. hope things get better. FYI, nobody can feel the emotion in your text or read your facial experssions as they read your posts, its very easy to misunderstand whats being said, I dont think anybody meant any disrespect. God bless and good luck! BTW,IMO, they(Dovo) probably shouldnt be using foam in those cases.

I make it a practice to give my razor a few seconds under a low heat blow dryer after towel drying it. That seems to take care of any moisture that I might have missed with the towel. It seems to work well. So far, anyway.

I wipe the razor and leave it on the counter for about 10 minutes while I clean up. Then I do about 15-20 laps on the strop to make sure the edge is dry. That does the trick for me.

I'd ditch the case if you want to leave the razor in the bathroom. Try a mug, which I know a lot of people here use, or a tooth brush holder with openings wide enough for your razors. Not one of the closed holders though for obvious reasons.

If you're using the blade often I don't think you need to oil it every shave though doing so definitely won't hurt it. I really only oil the blades that aren't in my standard rotation. Or if I go on a stropping binge, then I strop and oil them all.

Either way I'm sure you'll find what works for you.

Another way:
I dry by wiping, then lightly stropping on a soft towel. Then strop 2 to 5 laps on leather to make sure the edge was dried. Then Ballistol, Mineral, or Camellia oil applied with a cotton ball or small cosmetic pad.

The problem is the wood. It's untreated, unfinished and very porous. The rust is concentrated around the surfaces where the blade contacts the scales. It may also be that the wood's chemistry is contributing, many conifers (including juniper) have acidic wood.

If any of you are wondering how I can make these I assumptions, the razor in question is sitting on the desk next to me. I'm fixing a few issues with it.

This should serve as a lesson to all you scale makers. ALWAYS seal wood scales in some way, at the very least on the inside surfaces of the scales.