I was wondering... does one have to put oil on a blade every time you use it if it's a carbon steel blade? Or is a good wipe down sufficient?
Printable View
I was wondering... does one have to put oil on a blade every time you use it if it's a carbon steel blade? Or is a good wipe down sufficient?
You will find that most people only oil their razors if they are putting them away for "storage" for a period of time. It is best to just rinse your razor , dry it well and let leave it out and open for a bit after use before putting it away. You should encounter no problems this way.
I always put oil on my blades when I'm done shaving. It's cheap insurance.
I just wipe mine off well. If I start to get some water spots on the blade, I will take a Q-tip and rub them out with some Maas polish.
For the ones I don't use regularly, I put a coat of oil on them though.
Imho, I agree with coachmike. I watched Lynns dvd, and he adresses it. He says what Mike said, it's only needed for longer periods of storage. I stored my razor this past summer, and I didn't use oil on the blade, and it's a high carbon straight {Dovo Bergischer Lowe}. In early October, when I went to use it, thankfully there was no rust. I was worried about it too! That is just my experience. But, if it takes worry, just do what my friend red96ta does, and use it. Just make sure, if you do use it, that you wipe the oil off very well. I found it to irritate my skin, and I don't have sensitive skin. Imho, what I use to clean, disinfect, and dehydrate water, is Barbicide wipes. They work well for me. They also make my razor shine very. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13.
I always oil mine after every shave. The more humid areas might make it more useful. I don't see any disadvantage to using the oil as long as it's a "skin-friendly" type.
Some of mine have sat months un-oiled in a box in my dresser and have no rust. I have some of those silicon dessicant packs; maybe that helps. I bought one of those Camelia oil bottles from SRD, but it's enough for a lifetime.
On a side note, straightrazor13, I only use clove oil to oil my blades. Never had a problem with the stuff. On top of that, clove oil is an analgesic and tends to temporarily deaden nerve endings. Heck it's what dentists use inside your fillings to calm the nerve down after being drilled.
Clove Oil 4 - 4 oz - Essential Oils
four ounces of clove oil last an eternity...
I have used peppermint oil on my multi-blade cartridge razors for a decade or more. It isn't cheap, but it does have antiseptic properties and smells nice. It helped keep my cartridge razors sharper longer. Now I wipe my straight razor down a few times per week.
Thanks so much for all the replies. I think I may want to oil it just to be on the safe side. That is, once I get mine.
If you were so inclined, you could wipe it down with a silicone cleaning cloth, like you use for guns...
I use Camellia Oil for long term storage, as previously stated. Other than that, I just leave mine out to dry...
That is intresting, red96ta. Thats the first time I ever heard,of the use of clove oil, for use of blade preservation. Cool. Erickghint, good luck in choosing, a pre-honed shave ready straight razor. If you need help or advice on choices, let me know. The main factor is price, or budget. Start inexpensive, is always a good choice. Make sure, the razor is shave ready, and read the wiki, and you will need a strop. Good luck. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13.
It depends to some degree on the oil content of your soap and shaving style.
If you use a pre-shave oil you may have a lot of oil floating in the basin.
Same for some of the hyper rich shaving soaps.
Same for post shave lotions... you may find that your hands have just the right oil content
that washing and gently wiping the blade in the last bits of water in the basin are
all the blade needs for a week.
When in doubt get in the habit of using a lightly oiled/waxed micro fiber cloth to wipe the blade down.
That reminds me -- I need to drill some holes in my plastic storage boxes for ventilation.
WONDER PHOTOS REVEAL UNSUSPECTED FACTS ABOUT Razor Blades and Shaving
Here's an old article somebody else on SRP flagged a while ago. It shows some photos of the edge of the razor, comparing an edge that was protected by vasiline vs. nothing. The unprotected edge rusted quite quickly.
Based on this, I put a dab of mineral oil on a tissue and "strop" the edge of the blade against it.
-Chief
I like that stropping idea.....I'm always trying to figure out ways of using less Camellia oil.Quote:
Originally Posted by BHChieftain
Just an FYI, when applying oil use it sparingly.
I've seen a few posts where people have mentioned that their scales have been stained by excessive use of oil.
If you do use too much and stain your scales, you can get most of it out. What you do is wrap the blade in a thick layer of cloth and secure it with tape, then wrap the scales in tissue paper and put them on top of a radiator on a low heat. This will sweat the oil out of the scales and hopefully reduce any staining there is.
Personally I dont oil my blades. I only have three razors plus a restored microtome and I use them all fairly regularly so I just make sure they are good and dry before I store them. I check them over pretty often as well, and if there are any marks I get them off with a Q-Tip and some MAAS.
As I add to my collection I will invest in some camelia oil or mineral oil just to make double sure I keep my razors in top condition.
I am in the UK however, and we dont get that hot or humid so its probably not such a pressing problem. If you live somewhere humid, or near the sea, I would argue that you need to oil on a regular basis to protect your blades.
But whatever you use, dont overdo it! You only need a very thin coat of oil.
Since we live in the same city, I would imagine that if just drying works for you, then it should work for me (humidity not really playing a role in anything). Oil for long term storage seems easy enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by zib