Thread: Oh for pete's sake. Help.

Ok, so apparently I'm a total moron.

Lacking mineral oil to oil my blades, and living in a very humid climate where regular oiling ain't a bad idea, I made due.

First time around was olive oil. No problems.

This time...

I used soy bean oil.

Apparently that was THE WRONG THING TO USE, because now after a couple days there is a sticky film on my blades.

I tried using dishwasher soap. Didn't really help a whole lot. Tried (very carefully)with an old toothbrush. Slight improvement, but still sticky. Cut my thumb open. Decided to call it a day.

What in the hell do I have to do to get this crap off? And I'm sure it's gotten in the scales too so even if I get it off, every time I close the blade... argh.

Here I was, looking forward to a nice shave...

Goddamn it.

acetone (Fingernail polish remover) should work.

Hmmm... this is weird.

My Wapi was all sticky and gross. Still is.

But I just took a look at my Rocca razor, and... most of it wiped right off. Hey, I can have a shave!

Why is one of them all sticky covered in film and the other is ok?

I hate it when that sort of thing happens

I would try using hot, soapy water and the toothbrush. I'd avoid harsh chemicals as much as possible as they can mark the blade or scales. Or both!

When you're cleaning it, rest the razor on a folded towel on a table. This means you can put a little pressure on it, the towel will protect the razor and the table top and the towel will soak up any excess water so its not sitting there in a small puddle.

I hope your hand is Ok as well..!

+1 to the Nail Polish Remover... I actually tried the same exact thing back when my paranoia got the best of me... Soy bean oil and everything -It was the only oil in the house-

I have a Dovo Best Quality 5/8 that rusted around the pivot a little, I figured it was a combination of bad environment, and the need for oil (Actually, I just let water get in the pivot and didn't dry it. Stupid, Jeremy, Stupid!) So I found the only oil in the house and went for it on my Gold Dollar 208... StupidER, Jeremy, Natural selection is going to kick my ass one of these days.

.... Abridged version: Mineral Oil (I believe that's lipstick remover?) worked fairly well, and nail polish remover did the job entirely (however, the Gold Dollar had paint on the hollow of the blade, and that came off with the oil, I may have scrubbed too fiercely, but that's just a heads up.)

Good Luck, Cassie!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

Hmmm... this is weird.

My Wapi was all sticky and gross. Still is.

But I just took a look at my Rocca razor, and... most of it wiped right off. Hey, I can have a shave!

Why is one of them all sticky covered in film and the other is ok?

Are there different finishes on the blade? If one is a mirror finish, that may make it easier to get the oil off.

And how long have they been stored? If one has been stored longer than the other, that may make it harder to get the oil off as it may have dried on more?

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

Hmmm... this is weird.

My Wapi was all sticky and gross. Still is.

But I just took a look at my Rocca razor, and... most of it wiped right off. Hey, I can have a shave!

Why is one of them all sticky covered in film and the other is ok?

Just a complete shot in the dark, but aren't Wapi blades stainless steel, and I dunno what a Rocca blade is... But it could be the different blade materials, or any myriad of causes... For instance, the Wapi could be more porous and is holding the oil more tenaciously, or the steel could be reacting differently... Also, different scale materials might be retaining/transferring more oil... Or, as Stu said, could be different blade finishes... Didn't even think of that..

Dunno, but Good luck again!

Cheers,
Jeremy

If you decide to try acetone or some other solvent don't get it on your scales (other than the Wapis, which are metal). It may soften or craze the material. Then you'll really be mad.

What you could try -ONLY if nothing else works, this may have averse effects, I just don't know- Is putting a VERY small amount of Goof Off, or other removers, on the center of a rag, then rolling the rag over the Goof off part so that the absolute minimum goof off contacts the blade, then wiping it only once, just enough to break up the oil, then use hot, soapy water and the toothbrush to scrub it lightly....

Last ditch effort though.

If anything I think the Wapi is more mirror-finished than the Rocca (it's a Soligen).

The blade on the Wapi is carbon steel - the scales are stainless. I'm assuming the Rocca is carbon as well. I think the scales are plastic.

I oiled them at the same time, so that's not it. They were sitting a few days I think. Work makes me too tired to do fun stuff sometimes.

Ah well. I'll be making a trip to the store tomorrow.

In the mean time, I'm gunna go at it with the Rocca. I'm trying out shaving cream tonight!