Thread: Oh for pete's sake. Help.

Originally Posted by Stubear

Possibly a silly question, but does this mean you could use a dab of petrol on a rag as well? Would that work?

And what about methylated spirits? Could that work here?

You can use petrol on a rag. That is ok.
I'm not sure about the methylated spirits (denatured alcohol?), but cannot see why they wouldn't work as well. At least with the knife and razor blades, but i wouldn't use those liquids with any engine etc parts where is also anything that could melt (rubber/paper gasgets and seals etc).

So I gave a shot to cleaning my Wapi. I went the acetone rate, because I could get it easily and inexpensively.

When I began, I noticed right away my razor looked... quite stained. I was hoping this might come off with the acetone...

No such luck. The sticky crap came off, but my Wapi now looks as the pics below indicate. A little bit of pitting (not on the bevel) and a couple superficial rust spots were there before, but this staining is new. I can also see little rusts spots dotting the blade.

It's on the bevel too. Crap. If it's just cosmetics I really don't care that much, but is my edge likely to be messed up?

I've (obviously) got a strop, and now I have a barber hone. So I guess if it need some work I can give it my best shot. But I've never honed before, and I don't know if a barber hone will be enough. I just don't know.

Well, I'm gunna strop the hell out of it and try to have a shave. I guess I'll know where I'm at then.

Man, I don't know what it is about me and this Wapi, but I seem to abuse it never endingly.

Wow ! that rusting is from Soy oil ??? Geez don't use that again. Bad news that its on the bevel but rust is not selective.
Use your barber stone as intended, few light strokes, then strop lightly. rinse & repeat till its up to scratch. If it shaves like a rusty knife after a few attempts send it back & I'll clean it up.

It's really confusing because the Rocca looks no worse for the wear. Most of the oil wiped right off.

I checked that blade again tonight, after having a good shave with it day before last, and it still looks good.

Also, you'll notice one side of the Wapi is significantly worse than the other. And the rust spots that were there before are also on that side only. The other side seems to resist damage more easily.

Basically, I'm really confused as to how and why this happened.

Well, I'm going to strop it well and give it a try tonight, without honing. I do see a little bit of discoloration on the edge, but no rust spots that I can detect. Maybe it'll be ok. Not sure.

If not, time for baby's first honing.

P.S. I'm leaving NZ to go back to the States in 17 days, and leaving Wellington in 15. I'm actually planning to ship my razors, and some other stuff, back to the States before I go, because I trust the post more than airport baggage handling. So, no time to get it honed on this side of the world, but thank you Oni.

I guess this will give me a good opportunity to practice honing. And it's nice to still have one straight that I know for sure is still in working order while I figure it out.

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

It's really confusing because the Rocca looks no worse for the wear. Most of the oil wiped right off.

I checked that blade again tonight, after having a good shave with it day before last, and it still looks good.

Also, you'll notice one side of the Wapi is significantly worse than the other. And the rust spots that were there before are also on that side only. The other side seems to resist damage more easily.

Basically, I'm really confused as to how and why this happened.

Well, I'm going to strop it well and give it a try tonight, without honing. I do see a little bit of discoloration on the edge, but no rust spots that I can detect. Maybe it'll be ok. Not sure.

If not, time for baby's first honing.

P.S. I'm leaving NZ to go back to the States in 17 days, and leaving Wellington in 15. I'm actually planning to ship my razors, and some other stuff, back to the States before I go, because I trust the post more than airport baggage handling. So, no time to get it honed on this side of the world, but thank you Oni.

I guess this will give me a good opportunity to practice honing. And it's nice to still have one straight that I know for sure is still in working order while I figure it out.

Just a wild guess, but the stainless scales on the Wapi may attract more moisture given the right circumstances but when people say vegetable oils oxidise more quickly , well, that's quite an example
Safe trip.
Keep ya head up

Hmmm. Maybe I should spend some serious time cleaning inside the scales. Perhaps that's the problem - there may be left-over gunk in there from the oil, or anything else.

I did wipe the inside down with the acetone, but I may go back and do it more seriously now.

To be sure, to be sure

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

Hmmm. Maybe I should spend some serious time cleaning inside the scales. Perhaps that's the problem - there may be left-over gunk in there from the oil, or anything else.

I did wipe the inside down with the acetone, but I may go back and do it more seriously now.

I found the best thing ever for metal is lint free cloths, i picked up 3 for about $5. They dont leave any dust or anything, and if you put the right amount of oil on them, it distributes a fine layer of oil evenly over the blade. I have an oil one and a cleaning one. I use the cleaning one to get inside the scales to get water and stuff out as well as getting water and finger prints of the blade. And the oil one for wiping the blade with oil.

The thing with oxidation (or more loosely known as rust), is that if a blade is going to rust, it will rust in the place exposed the the LEAST amount of oxygen. So if that layer of stuff is sticking to the blade, the rust will form under that sticky stuff, so the oil wont protect it. Whereas oil in direct contact with the blade will protect it from rust. Thats why cars often rust in places you cant see. This could also be between the scales and the blade at the pivot point. (Please correct me if im wrong about this, i studied this 2 years ago at university, but i still have my chemistry textbook so i can double check it if need be)

Maybe some 2000grit wet and dry over the blade will get the stuff off it? As well as some superficial rust.

Well, if there was any doubt about the Eastern Block's ability to put some mean stuff together, it ends here.

The Wapi is still shaving.

I will admit I did something a little absent minded and used a soap I've never tried. It took more work to lather and I didn't get the water balance quite right - drier than usual.

So, it made the shave slightly more difficult. I am pretty sure this is mostly the soap though.

I reckon when I ship off my razors and we meet again on the other side, I will likely end up trying my hand at honing in the near future. I think it would be a good idea either way - just to get the rust off the bevel. Hell, I may do it here. Not sure yet. Stuff's just so chaotic that it's hard to think about trying to learn something new right now.

At any rate, it's fine for the moment, and I will be sure to oil it *really* well.

Couple of thoughts. Were both razors exposed to the same products before you put the soy bean oil on them?

Also, I wonder if the high protien content of the soy bean oil is the culprit here?