Thread: Razor care after my daily shave

Hey Guys,

I want to get some feedback on what to do with the razor once I've finished shaving. I plan on using the same razor every couple of days, so I need a plan for drying, cleaning and storing the razor for that amount of time. I figure if I put away the razor for more than a week I'll put on some vaseline, but is that a daily chore? (I shaved yesterday then patted it dry on a towel then gently rubbed a little rubbing alcohol on the width and spine of the blade - not the edge - with a cotton swab. It's chillin' in the closet now.)

Also, my brand new Dovo looks like it has tiny brown spots. Is that rust? How do I take that off without damaging the blade? Even though I bought the cheapest Dovo I want it to last.

Thanks for the feedback as always!

I rinse mine thoroughly after shaving, dry them, then give a quick 10 canvas/ 10 leather strop afterwards then pop them away.

I live in the UK, so humidity isnt so much of a problem though..!

You can get those little spots of with MAAS. Just apply it with a Q-Tip. I've had them on my DOVO Blackstar. Its not full blown rust, just a little tarnish, but you can easily remove it.

For longer term storage you can use camelia oil or mineral oil. I dont see why you couldnt use Vaseline as well?

Just dont apply too much oil as it can mark porous scales!

Good luck!

For the spot get some metal polish such as Semichrome, Maas or Flitz. It will remove gold wash so be careful. I am careful during the whole shave to avoid getting the pivot area or the rest of the scales wet. After the shave I rinse the blade in hot water and wipe it with a tissue. I strop 20 or 30 on the leather to remove any invisible micro gunk from the bevel.I wilpe the blade with a rust preventative. A lot of guys use Tuf Glide, Ballistol, mineral oil.

Rinse, dry and put it away. If you want you can apply a thin coating of a light mineral oil.

I give my baldes a good strop before cleaning them and wiping them dry with toilet roll as this is one of the best dry materials in my bathroom.

Vaseline can be used, but use the smallest little bit as other wise its like a magnet for dust and ends up like a silver furball - talking from past experiance lol!

I would tend to agree with the other guys on here with regards to tarnish spots but if they are blackened then they are steel stains that cannot be removed without metal being removed.

Also do not touch any gold wash with any type of solvent or it will no longer be gold!

But as you will all know this can be the norm with high carbon steel

I wouldn't do any of the things your doing. If your concerned about disinfecting, get some Barbicide at your local Sally's beauty supply. Mine has a nice glass jar with a metal lid. It looks cool on the counter, You can disinfect anything in there, combs, brushes, blades, etc...Once your done shaving, rinse the blade, wipe it down with a clean towel, and leave it out to dry while your getting ready or what have you. Once dry, you can wipe it down with Camellia oil, or mineral oil. Wahl clipper oil, available in Wal mart is mineral oil. I wouldn't use Vaseline.

+1 with my friend Jimmy. Maas, Mother's mag and aluminum polish, or the other's will help remove the spots from your blade.
they may be rust or water spots...I find water spots are harder to get rid of.

Once done rinse in hot water and wipe dry then let stand while you are cleaning your brush and applying finish. I then add a coating of Ballistol with an applicator. The applicator is great since it keeps your fingers away from the blade and protects the edge. This accomplishes two things. One it stops any chemical reactions on the blade and it preserves the sharpened edge against rust.

Here is a pic of the applicator that I got from Japan Woodworker.



I have been using this process for a year now and there are no more surprises on my blades....none!


Take Care,
Richard

after use i usually strop about 10 canvas and 10 leather and if i am going to not use the blade for a couple of days i apply a mixture of alcohol and camellia lightly. when the alcohol drys it leaves a very thin layer of the oil on the blade. make sure you wipe off before stropping or shaving.
i have a 3oz fliptop bottle i got from walmart. i used about 1/2oz camellia oil and fill the rest of the way with isoporyl alcohol. shake well before using. straight camellia or mineral oil is a little thick and messy IMO.

OK now I am confused! I thought you were not supposed to strop a razor after shaving with it because the edge is out of alignment. I thought you were supposed to put it away for twenty four hours before any stroping. Can someone clear me up on this. Mack

Originally Posted by mackie

OK now I am confused! I thought you were not supposed to strop a razor after shaving with it because the edge is out of alignment. I thought you were supposed to put it away for twenty four hours before any stroping. Can someone clear me up on this. Mack

you are gonna here a varied reply on this one. i have been told and use a strop before (bout 15 linen and 30 leather) and after (10 linen and 15 leather) and it works well for me. you may want to ask others on their thoughts, people like jimmyhad, gugi, lynn, and so on. i came to my method on my own after asking quite a few.