Thread: Post shave razor maintenance?

So I picked up my razor this morning and there was a little ring of orange rust where the blade rotates around the pivot. I looked closer, and there are also little dark spots that resemble the tarnish that develops on silver.

So what am I doing wrong?

I've had my razor for just 2 days, and after I shave with it I dry it off and put it back in the box it came in, which is in another room (not the bathroom). It kind of feels like I didn't do a good enough job drying the razor off between the scales, but I am not sure how to get it any dryer before I put it away.

Should I be wiping the razor down with some sort of oil after every shave?

I would recommend it. Many of us do.

But you found the famous water hiding spot at the hinge pin.

I take a thin barber towel wrapped over the end of a spoon and run it between the scales to make sure any dribble is wiped up. After wiping my razor with a clean barber towel, I set it down on the towel with the blade out about 20 degrees while I finish getting ready. At the end, I wipe the blade one more time with a clean tissue, wipe the blade down with a Choji oil soaked piece of felt and then wipe off the excess with the same tissue. Then I fold and put the razor back in the rack.

It might sound excessive, but my razors look great.

If you use oil, you MUST have them wiped dry and take off the excess oil. I have found that oil can trap moisture at the steel and you get the little black spots underneath it.

Best of luck.

Water and carbon steel have been long time enemies...as you have recently learned. Red rust is normally fresh rust. First, try to keep all water away from the scales & pivot point. If you notice water or cream on the scales, make sure it is dried. Try the above mentioned method or you can use toilet tissue and a hair dryer. You can use the above mentioned Choji oil, mineral oil, or even a oil used for firearms (most have great rust inhibitors!). Guess which one I use. Just wipe down well before you strop and use it or the gun oil may irritate.

I try my best not to get water in places other than the blade. I find that it is very important to keep my hands reasonable dry when I shave. After I finish shaving, I use a towel and remove the excess of water. I do a few laps on my strop and leave the razor open for several hours until it dries, then I close it. This has worked for me.

Al raz.

I just dry it off an put it away. I've been doing this for years and it works for me. I don't get water on my hands or the razor scales when I shave, and I minimize the amount of water running down the blade to the pivot point.

As far as corrosion goes, you only need to worry about rust (red iron oxide). The gray patina you will see is actually protective.

I agree with Alraz, keep the razor and your hand, dry. Don’t let any water get near the pivot pin.

Buy some Micro Fiber towels and keep one handy while you shave. Micro Fiber will keep your hand and razor dry after rinsing.

They will also completely dry you blade when finished. I leave the razor I shaved with, out on the counter over night on an unbleached paper towel, just in case… and never get visible rust. I do oil a blade that I do not intend to shave with the following day. I use Q-tip & gun oil.

An alternative to Micro Fiber is Unbleached paper napkins. They are more absorbent that regular paper towels or napkins. Starbucks has donated bunches to my razor drying experiment.

Costco sell 30 Micro Fiber towels for under 15 dollars, in the Automotive/Tool section. Toss them in the wash with your bath towles, even though it says not to. They will shrink some but not that much. At less than 50 cents each, they will last for years. They are also the best thing for cleaning glass.

Any metal polish, rubbing compound or 000 steel wool will remove the surface rust. Or purchase a Fiberglass contact cleaning pen from an electronics store for less than 5 dollars to remove rust.

Marty

I dry the razor with a towel, then strop, then I use a micro fiber cloth that I keep on hand that I have treated with tuf-glide dry lube rust preventer. I quick wipe with the cloth will remove any doubt of rust. I also have a tuf-glide applicator that I put a dab on the hinge pin occasionally.

.

I thoroughly soak everything. There's water on the scales, the blade, in the pivot, everywhere.
When I'm done though, I blow hard through the pivot & scales, wipe the lot with a tissue & importantly, leave it out overnight to air dry. Not had any problems.
If you can shave without getting the vulnerable areas wet, that's better, but it's not for me.

I'm new to this whole straight razor shaving, only been at it for a month or so, and I have three razors in rotation. I use a different one each day, I do get them wet, I wipe them, blow them, and strop them after use. I then leave them in my bedroom after use and have not noticed a rust problem. My best guess is that putting the razor back in the box after use is not allowing it to dry properly.

Leave it out of the box outside of the bathroom after use and see if that helps.

Ed

I'm sure I'm but I do my very best to keep my hands very dry, and developing good technique will keep your hands dry. I definitely urge you to wipe the razor dry and strop. I strop 25 strokes on leather after each shave to ensure the edge isn't moist. This is working well for me so far.

Note: Some razors do blemish quicker then others, ie: Wapi, and W&B are subject to blemishing quicker imho as compared to German steels. Maybe it's carbon content or age, I'm not sure. I'm no expert but just my experience.