Thread: Always check inside the scales

Just wanted to warn other newbies what I did last week. I just recieved a loverly vintage Wostenholm from Invisible Edge; shaved with it ; Great. Washed and dried the blade carefully then stropped it to clean the edge and closed it up and put it on the shelf for three days. What I did not do is check inside the scales to make sure they were clean!
When I opened it again there must have been a small dollop of shave cream inside the scales which has now given me a dirty great big rust spot on both sides of the blade! It never happens on your old stuff!
Anyway managed to polish the rust off but it has pitted the blade both sides. Steve may be able to get it out for me when I next send it for honing but a lesson learned.

Thanks for the tip.

I'm saddened to hear that the wosty had accident - wasn't it the shoulderless one with "very neat" etching? You snatched it right before me, but no hard feelings =). I'm happy that it went to a member of this forum.

I usually leave my razor open to dry out before putting it away.

I screwed up one of the razors I was restoring by disinfecting it with hand sanitizer and leaving it closed on the tabletop. I was trying to remove moisture, but there was too much water in the sanitizer. Well, never again.

I'm sure Steve can bring it back to buff for you.

Take a piece of toilet paper and slide it between the scales and wipe clean.

I usually put mineral oil on the blade before putting it back in its home.

I have a quick look between the scales, then blow the water out. I wipe over with tissue & leave the blade slightly out of the scales overnight to air. I've never had a problem & it only takes a minute.
I know it's not always practical if there's children around though.

Yep that's the one. Sorry about you missing it.

I'm glad this thread came up guys cause I have a question regarding corrosion. First off I'm a noob. I got my first blade a couple weeks ago from a member and I have noticed with my use that the tang has gotten discolored, how can I prevent this and/or get the shine back?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Ramusico

I'm glad this thread came up guys cause I have a question regarding corrosion. First off I'm a noob. I got my first blade a couple weeks ago from a member and I have noticed with my use that the tang has gotten discolored, how can I prevent this and/or get the shine back?

Thanks

Hi,
To prevent it, just wipe it down with a tissue reallly well and ensure it is dry. I put a dab of mineral oil on a tissue and "strop" the edge with it to oil the edge (rust will corrode the edge pretty fast), then wipe the rest of the razor down with a light coat. But oiling the entire razor should not be really neccessary unless you live in a humid environment...(I still would oil the edge).

To shine it back up, you can use a metal polish like Maas, and a soft cloth. Just note that metal polish will strip off any gold leaf really quickly, so if you want to preserve the gold, you'll need to wipe around it (I prefer a shiny razor to the gold, so I just polish away...)

-Chief

Originally Posted by mutters

Yep that's the one. Sorry about you missing it.

No worries, mate. I got another good razor =)