Whats the best way to keep my blade looking good?

Im still pretty new at this (about a month in), and the first few times i shaved i just dried my blade off and put it away but noticed the blade was cloudy like it had some soap residue on it.

Since then i been carefully using my fingers and some dial handsoap on the blade then rinsing it off and then drying it, this keeps that nice shine to it. Is there anything else i should do to keep my blade looking nice?

Reason im asking is because i just got a DOVO best quality 6/8 in the mail today!!! Happy days

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k...rynot/dovo.jpg

Hello. I'm also new, I also have the same question, and I also recently got a new Dovo :D

I have to ask. Do you apply the oil after every shave? Is it completely nessecary to remove the oil with soap before every shave?

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Originally Posted by CallMeVexed

Hello. I'm also new, I also have the same question, and I also recently got a new Dovo :D

I have to ask. Do you apply the oil after every shave? Is it completely nessecary to remove the oil with soap before every shave?

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Correct me if im wrong vets, but i believe the oil should only be applied if the razor is stored for a long period of time. They are shipped to you with the oil and all you need to do is wipe it off and give it a initial stropping.

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Originally Posted by CallMeVexed

Hello. I'm also new, I also have the same question, and I also recently got a new Dovo :D

I have to ask. Do you apply the oil after every shave? Is it completely nessecary to remove the oil with soap before every shave?

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Welcome to SRP :)

I do apply oil after every shave as I live in a fairly high humidity area.
Anything food grade like Camelia oil won't hurt your strop or your face so a careful light wipe pre stropping is all that's needed.

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Originally Posted by shorynot

Im still pretty new at this (about a month in), and the first few times i shaved i just dried my blade off and put it away but noticed the blade was cloudy like it had some soap residue on it.

Since then i been carefully using my fingers and some dial handsoap on the blade then rinsing it off and then drying it, this keeps that nice shine to it. Is there anything else i should do to keep my blade looking nice?

Reason im asking is because i just got a DOVO best quality 6/8 in the mail today!!! Happy days

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k...rynot/dovo.jpg

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I had that same soap scum issue with my new dovo. get some maas polish, and it wipes right off.

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Originally Posted by MNRazor

I had that same soap scum issue with my new dovo. get some maas polish, and it wipes right off.

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What is this maas polish you speak of..? lol

If you go the Maas route, be careful near the edge, it's easily blunted by any abrasive. Rinsing in hot water and wiping carefully cured the staining problem for me. I've never stored my razors with oil but as the RAD sets in, I'm going to have to sooner or later.

Be careful using Maas over any type of gold plate etc. It'll wear it off before you realise what's happening.

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Originally Posted by ben.mid

Be careful using Maas over any type of gold plate etc. It'll wear it off before you realise what's happening.

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Here's the link to the thread about a gent that used Maas and removed the gold wash on his razor.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...alousness.html

After I wipe my blade and scales with a dry towel (don't forget the inside of the scales) I take a drop or two of olive oil and rub gently on my hands and then wipe the blade. I then wipe off gently and store in a silver cloth bag with slots that I made for my razors. I only have a five day rotation of razors and thus use them frequently. The amount of oil that is on the razor is minute. I do wipe the razor down with a dry cloth prior to my next use.

I do a lot of woodworking and for extended periods of storage, I will use Camilla oil. I do not use it when I am actively working in my shop only because I do not like the feel of the oil on my tools. During active use I use a good quality hard wax and wipe it off.

Lewis

If you buy a new razor especially with mirror finish and Gold trim the best way to maintain the like new finish is to put some oil on the blade and put it in a storage container and never use it. No kidding.

If you use a razor its eventually going to begin to show wear and marks and the gold will begin to fade to matter how anal you are about it.

The best bet is to oil it after each use and use a little metal polish like maas or simichrome periodically or some cape cod polishing cloths. if the razor has gold trim your basically out at homeplate the gold comes off way too easily to use anything strong enough to remove markings. I prefer plain blades for a working daily use razor.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

...or some cape cod polishing cloths...

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So there is a use for this stuff!

Probably the easiest way to keep a blade in pristine condition is to not use it for shaving.

I put a bit of mineral oil on a piece of tissue paper and wipe the blade on it. Dont like to get my fingers too close to the edge.....

After every shave I run my razor under really hot water which heats up the blade, then i wipe it down with a tissue to dry it off (the heated blade evaporates the water quickly), careful not to get any water into the pin by the scales. Then I put a couple of drops of regular mineral oil on another tissue and wipe the blade (using a "stropping" action to get the edge. I do this more to protect the edge from rusting than anything else.

I also used Maas metal polish to shine up the balde occationally. I have goldwash on my razors, and decided I like a shiny blade better than the goldwash, so I don't worry about the Maas stripping it away (which it does in short order).

-Chief

After every shave I rinse off my blade, wipe it with a towel, and then dip it in a 0.5% solution of mineral oil in isopropanol. The alcohol removes all water and the residual oil protects the blade.

Actually, another good everyday oil is sewing machine oil.


Lynn

I really should get a pilot's license as once again my comments will show that I am flying in the face of collected wisdom: I don't oil my razors if they are in my shaving rotation and they don't get rusty. At least I can't tell that they are corroded and they don't shave as if they are corroded. If one is familiar with the Popular Science(?) article from the 1930's, one will realize that rust starts quickly and can be shown on 3000 power photo-micrographs. A member here (mparker) is a great advocate of using the linen strop to remove that micro-corrosion before stropping on leather.

I don't have 3000 power photo-micrographic capabilities, so I can't see any of that nagging micro-corrosion and the bevels still look shiny and the blades are not red with rust, so I blithely stumble on without oiling the blades, but I do use the (mparker) linen precaution - just in case... However, at the finish of my shave I do wipe the blade between my thumb and forefinger under quite warm water to remove any lather scum and then turn the tap to scalding hot for a final rinse. Once thusly rinsed, I wipe the blade and shank dry, close it only enough to keep the edge protected, and put it on the razor rotation shelf in my bathroom. When I shelve the razor the blade is dry and still very warm to the touch. My opinion is that dry steel is going to rust very, very slowly in a room with relatively normal humidity or normal relative humidity. :confused: Humidity from showering is exhausted out - enough so that the mirror does not get fogged.

Oiling is probably a good thing to do, but the lube/protectant needs to be wiped off before the razor is used again - at least for me as I hate a slippery razor. I'm challenged enough with just handling one that's nice and dry. :boohoo:

good luck & eschew corrosion :tu

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Originally Posted by Bruce

I really should get a pilot's license as once again my comments will show that I am flying in the face of collected wisdom: I don't oil my razors if they are in my shaving rotation and they don't get rusty. At least I can't tell that they are corroded and they don't shave as if they are corroded. If one is familiar with the Popular Science(?) article from the 1930's, one will realize that rust starts quickly and can be shown on 3000 power photo-micrographs. A member here (mparker) is a great advocate of using the linen strop to remove that micro-corrosion before stropping on leather.

I don't have 3000 power photo-micrographic capabilities, so I can't see any of that nagging micro-corrosion and the bevels still look shiny and the blades are not red with rust, so I blithely stumble on without oiling the blades, but I do use the (mparker) linen precaution - just in case... However, at the finish of my shave I do wipe the blade between my thumb and forefinger under quite warm water to remove any lather scum and then turn the tap to scalding hot for a final rinse. Once thusly rinsed, I wipe the blade and shank dry, close it only enough to keep the edge protected, and put it on the razor rotation shelf in my bathroom. When I shelve the razor the blade is dry and still very warm to the touch. My opinion is that dry steel is going to rust very, very slowly in a room with relatively normal humidity or normal relative humidity. :confused: Humidity from showering is exhausted out - enough so that the mirror does not get fogged.

Oiling is probably a good thing to do, but the lube/protectant needs to be wiped off before the razor is used again - at least for me as I hate a slippery razor. I'm challenged enough with just handling one that's nice and dry. :boohoo:

good luck & eschew corrosion :tu

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Gee.......I wonder if where you live has any influence over your opinions.......:)

Lynn

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Originally Posted by Bruce

If one is familiar with the Popular Science(?) article from the 1930's, one will realize that rust starts quickly and can be shown on 3000 power photo-micrographs. A member here (mparker) is a great advocate of using the linen strop to remove that micro-corrosion before stropping on leather.

I don't have 3000 power photo-micrographic capabilities, so I can't see any of that nagging micro-corrosion and the bevels still look shiny and the blades are not red with rust, so I blithely stumble on without oiling the blades, but I do use the (mparker) linen precaution - just in case... However, at the finish of my shave I do wipe the blade between my thumb and forefinger under quite warm water to remove any lather scum and then turn the tap to scalding hot for a final rinse. Once thusly rinsed, I wipe the blade and shank dry, close it only enough to keep the edge protected, and put it on the razor rotation shelf in my bathroom. When I shelve the razor the blade is dry and still very warm to the touch. My opinion is that dry steel is going to rust very, very slowly in a room with relatively normal humidity or normal relative humidity. :confused: Humidity from showering is exhausted out - enough so that the mirror does not get fogged.

Oiling is probably a good thing to do, but the lube/protectant needs to be wiped off before the razor is used again - at least for me as I hate a slippery razor. I'm challenged enough with just handling one that's nice and dry. :boohoo:

good luck & eschew corrosion :tu

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My razors are in a relatively humid basement and a completely humid locker room. It takes just a moment for me to dip a razor in my solution and it lasts for a long time before I have to top it off--just under one year. I have never bothered to wipe off the oil. I just strop a couple strokes on leather to remove the oil from the edge and to help condition the strop, then strop linen and then back to leather. I've been doing this for years and the small amount of oil transferred has had no ill effect on my strops. I just consider it to be easy insurance.

BTW, I've seen rust form on an edge 5 minutes after honing using just 10x magnification. Definitely always remember to strop or oil right after any honing session.

Well, there we go, mentor-a-mentor: to rust or rust not. I gotta get a loupe and get into the loop to take a peek at my edges. Obviously I'm missing something albeit borderline obvious. And when I get the loupe I'd better get some loube, er... oil.

While I may not have been doing well, I thought I was doing OK. Man, reality can be so cruel. :banghead:

Or maybe I should sherlock the bathroom to see just why things aren't corroding away in there with frightful rapidemente. Or maybe the fact that it rained yesterday for the first time in a month and a half has something to do with it. One could speculate endlessly about the room that wouldn't rust - or dash out and get some loube, er... oil - just in case.

:mexwave:

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Originally Posted by Bruce

Well, there we go, mentor-a-mentor: to rust or rust not. I gotta get a loupe and get into the loop to take a peek at my edges. Obviously I'm missing something albeit borderline obvious. And when I get the loupe I'd better get some loube, er... oil.

While I may not have been doing well, I thought I was doing OK. Man, reality can be so cruel. :banghead:

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Now hold on there, no gauntlet was thrown. First, my "shave pit" is likely much more humid than most shave dens. Second, I have never bothered to NOT dip my razors this way, so I have no proof that it actually makes a difference. I've been doing it this way for about five years--ever since I first started straight shaving. I have access to discarded isopropanol from my lab and I already had lots of mineral oil so there is no cost, so I just thought what the heck this is insurance. Now I have seen rust arise post honing as I described, and it comes up very fast, but I have never bothered to look under the scope for rust post shaving. I doubt if I would see it arise in the same manner as that of freshly cut steel.

The true test of whether or not you have a corrosion issue on your edges is the quality of your shaves. If you have rust on the face of your blade, that's nothing more than a cosmetic issue. If you have rust on your incredible thin razor edge, then you are going to have a dull razor very quickly.

If you do want to go Mentor-a-Mentor, how about Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Sunday, huh? :argue: Naniwahs at noon? Who's your second? I'm going to try to get Lynn.

:overkill:

I have an Outer's Silicone Gun Cloth. I use it and a great product that is unfortunately no longer available called R.I.G. (rust inhibiting grease) to wipe my razors down after I rinse, dry and strop following the shave.

IME any good oil will do. The important thing is to throughly rinse the blade and to strop it on leather after wiping dry. This will remove any micro gunk that may be in the striations after shaving.

As Lewis mentioned I also take a look inside the scales and make sure there are no droplets in there before i close the blade and put it away. If I see any moisture I run a kleenex tissue through the scales and make sure all is dry.

Unfortunately if you have hard water, as I do, it seems to leave water spots on mirror polished blades. Not as prone to do so on a satin finish IME. I haven't found a way to stop that and I just live with it. :boohoo:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Now I have seen rust arise post honing as I described, and it comes up very fast,

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+1 very disconcerting when I first saw that phenomenon. Another reason to have a microscope or at least an eye loupe as part of the honing arsenal.