Preventing Oxidation

When you are done shaving --- how do you lay up your razor so that oxidation doesn't occur?

Welcome to SRP. After rinsing under hot tap water and wiping dry with a kleenex tissue I strop 20 to 30 round trips on leather to remove any micro crud from the striations in the bevel. Then I wipe it with a silicone gun cloth impregnated with rust preventative and put it in a drawer away from the shaving area.

After drying the razor (as above), I put a dab of mineral oil on another tissue and "strop" the edge with it, then I wipe down the rest of the razor with a light coat. I would think doing a few laps on the strop then oiling would also work well.

I don't live in a humid place, so I probably don't need to oil at all but it's really oxidation on the edge that I worry about so good insurance. Someday I should run some tests on oiling the edge vs. not and see if there is any difference in how long the edge stays shave ready...

Here's a link that does show the effects of oxidation on an edge (I forget who on this site originally shared this...)

WONDER PHOTOS REVEAL UNSUSPECTED FACTS ABOUT Razor Blades and Shaving



-Chief

Steel and water and 02=oxidation. You can't stop it from a practical point, you can minimize it. Just make sure your razor is totally dry before putting away and coat the steel with some oil. Stropping should remove the microscopic rust that forms on the very edge.

i use a mixture of camellia oil and rubbing alcohol (mix about 1/2oz oil to 3 1/2 oz of alcohol) shake well and apply with a cotton ball. when the alcohol dries up, it will leave a thin layer of oil to protect the blade

after drying it i leave it open resting on the spine, edge pointing upwards for any residual moisture to airdry. later on i close it, i think i'd be comfortable doing that in about 20minutes or so, but since it's never been a problem i haven't bothered to experiment and find out what's the minimum time that would work well.

I rarely rinse the blade, it's best to keep it away from the faucet and the chance of a ding in the blade. I wipe all of the lather and stubble from the blade with a dry towel, a silicon gun cloth wipe down is next before storing the razor in an open position in the display case.

I dry the blade with a stropping motion on a towel then put the razor away in its case. I have been doing this for several years and to date, no problems with rust. Treated this way, carbon steel blades will eventually take on a grey patina. This is also oxidation, but is not harmful and is in fact somewhat protective (it can be removed with metal polish if you do not like the apperance).

You can provide some additional protection by giving the blade a light coat of oil. A light mineral oil works as well as any, and is usually significantly less expensive. Sewing machine oil or food grade white oil are good choices. Most vegetible oils are slightly acidic, so I would tend to stay away from these as they may actually promote oxidation. I would also avoid WD-40 or other silicone containing oils as I would be a little nervous about these comming in contact with a nick or abrasion during shaving.

BHChieftain: Thanks for the link to that document. I saved the high-res photos, turned them into a PDF, compressed it, and uploaded it to the Wiki here:

File:Photos-reveal-unsuspecting-facts 1931.pdf - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thanks. Great inputs ...now i just need to clean up the blades. Please enjoy the holidays!