Thread: Post-shave Razor Care

I dry the blade, then let it sit out while i clean my brush, wipe the counter, throw on some osage.

Then i strop 20-20. Wipe down with mineral oil and put back in its coffin and into drawer.

Has worked for me so far.

1. I dry the blade and scales thoroughly with a towel being sure to blow all the moisture from between the scales and especially at the pivot pin.

2. I cleanse the very edge with rubbing alcohol in a stropping direction only.

3. I also strop the blade on leather only for a dozen or two laps to smooth the edge. Some say that oils on the strop will also coat and protect the edge from corrosion.

4. If the razor is going to be stored I will coat the blade in mineral oil. Petroleum jelly works very well as will many other oils so long as there is no moisture on the blade and the oil will not break down. Coating the edge of your daily shaver with oil after every shave should lengthen the lifespan of your edge considerably!

5. My rotation is stored in a cedar cigar box in my sock drawer. Cedar is a moisture absorbing wood and as I live in a relatively damp climate I try to be sure.

X

I live in the tropics, so I have found out the hard way that proper storage and care are very important. I recently found rust on a number of my straights that I had not dried properly. So now I have a post shave razor care process.
After the shave I wipe dry with a towel and then do ten or so laps on the strop. That is really only just to keep it clean. In my opinon a towel doesn't do a very good job of drying a razor (especially if it is the towel you have just used to dry yourself).
After wiping the razor dry I like to hold it infront of a fan for a minute or two just to make sure it is completely dry. Then I store it in a box with the rest of my razors. This box also has a number of moisture absorbing thingies, like you get with a new pair of shoes.
I don't like oiling my blades because if the blade is not perfectly dry the oil can trap the water in the pores of the steel,(I'm also lazy) but that is just personal preference.

Originally Posted by Kenrup

I rarely get moisture in my scales. Nevertheless; I store my blades in a display case in my bathroom with the blade slightly open from the scales. I also have silica packs in the case. I rinse the blade in hot water, then towel it dry. Should I by chance get moisture in the scales, I will use tissue to dry it out and put a drop of Sterol in the pivot area. I have had zero rust problems over the years.

I like the silica pack idea! Beats eating them...

-Chief

These are some great ideas, thanks!
Any chance this could become a wiki entry - "Post Shave Razor Care"?
What's the process to start a new page on there? Can a just normal member do it?

Yeah I would use a bit of maas and a soft cloth to remove the spot. It should come off easy. Do it sooner rather than later otherwise you can have some real problems.

As far as post shave goes I dry it with a microfiber towel then use toliet paper. I let it sit out in a dry part of the house for the day while at work then I come home and coat the blade in camelia oil and store with the rest of my razors in its box or in a razor roll.

I would suggest rinsing with hot water before wiping dry. Be sure that no water drops are visible on the blade or handle. Then store outside of your bathroom.
The hot water heats the blade. Any water residue remaining will evaporate into the comparatively cool surrounding air. I store my razor in a cabinet in the room next to my bathroom. Bathrooms are always humid (for obvious reasons).
Using these techniques I have not had a problem with rust.

I made teh mistake of presuming it was dry enough and now there is rust at teh swivel and the same little spots where it touches the scales. I tried taking the spots off with Mother's Billet polish but that didn't do it particularly well so I hit it with the buffing wheel and jeweler's rouge
then it never goes back in it's case with any moisture at all