Oiling my only razor?

So, I have read multiple threads on here, but I am not quite sure who/what to side with. Maybe there is not a right or wrong answer on this one..

I live in Missouri, so we do get rather humid here in the summers, but of course my razor stays in the house away from major humidity outside, and I do not store it in the bathroom where I shower.

Is there a need for me to oil my razor if it is the only razor that I use every couple of days? Shaving pattern looks like this:Shave, no shave, Shave, no shave. Every other day, basically.

If I should oil, what should I use (and I am sure that this is personal preference..)?

i would say its up to you.....I personally oil my razors but i have a god number of them so the rotation may take a wile to get back to one! when i do oil them i use Chamomile oil....but like you said its a YMMV thing and if you are making sure they are TOTALLY dry before closing them and putting them away you should be fine.

It is a ratio of time without oil to time with. Being your only razor it is lots of work to kep it oiled and it goes without every could days when you plan to use it anyways. Diminishing returns I would say. If you enjoy the process then sure it will help otherwise just make sure it is dry and hit it with some polish every now and then when it looks tired. An easy oil I have found is Clippercide spray which barbers use to spray on scissors and stuff between uses, includes bacteriocide and light cleaners and oils in it. Just a quick shot on each side and done. No need to wipe it on after you spray it or off before the next use. Very convenient.

I don't oil mine, I have 11 in my rotation and shave every 2-3 days. So it may take 3-4 weeks for me to get back to a razor. I rinse with HOT water,dry, the a few laps on the strop after every use.

Given your high humidity, I would think it best to oil your razors after use. I'm fortunate enough to live in a fairly dry climate where this isn't nearly as critical. I picked up Japanese blade oil from SRD to be safe tho....now to use it more often. :)

I keep a microfibre cloth in my shaving shelf saturated with mineral oil. One or two swipes before putting it into the stand work for me.

Oil or not oil? What will it hurt?

Gonna go with the oilers on this one. I have 20 or so razors in my rotation but that's not the point. I consider it part of the ritual, part of this whole wet shaving gig. And I live in a dry area where it's probably not necessary. But a little goes a long way. I shake the bottle, open the cap and dab my finger on the inside (of the cap), and that is plenty to oil one razor. I just spread it around, tang and all, and I try to get as close to the pivot pin as I can. If I am worried about the pin I will put some on a Q-tip and get in there better. No offense to you that don't oil, we all appreciate the old ways and taking the extra time to get a good shave, but I find it a little funny that some will still site the extra time it takes as a reason not to do it. Takes about 37 seconds on a slow day. Mineral oil is what I use, cheap and won't hurt the steel or your face (or your strop for that matter, we're talking about a very small amount).
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Needed or not I always oil a carbon blade.My high priced oil is the free stuff that came with my wahl beard and hair trimmers.Just a drop does the job,needed or not.

i mainly oil only for long term storage. most of my blades are old vintage one with nice patinas so the not oiling is less of an issue. that being said.. i oil my damascus steel razor after every use they just seem slightly more prone to rusting then sigle steel razors are, at lest in my experience YMMV. oil of choice food grade mineral oil.

Good question!!

First off, everyone's answers are great!! It shows that everyone is diligent in caring for their razors. Kudos to all!

Yes, YMMV. When I had just one razor, I carefully wiped it dry not only on the blade, but between scales and around the pivot pin. Then I used the Camellia oil. Then the next day, I wiped off the oil and use the razor. Now I have 12 razors in rotation, I keep all my razors oiled. If I still only had one razor, I would oil it after each use. To me, the oil is cheap insurance.

What kind of oil? Well in my opinion, I would stay away from anything with petroleum base or distillate. I recall reading posts from members using 3 In 1 Oil, I don't think that is very good for your skin. The same applies to WD-40, it has petroleum distillates too. Both can burn or irritate some skin types. I suggest you use a natural or organic oil. Some shavers like to use olive oil, Camellia oil (that's what I use), cooking oil, mineral oil, and I know a couple guys who use Renaissance Wax to protect their razors. We have a poster in this thread who uses Chamomile oil, great idea! There is a poster who doesn't use oil, he makes sure the razor is dry, that's cool too, he's still taking good care of his razor nonetheless.

When using the food type oils, if the razor is sitting a few days, just make sure the oil doesn't get rancid.

Always keep water/lather out of the blade pivot area. The pivot area is hard to wipe dry and is a prime location for water stains and rust to begin. The only time I had a stain/rust issue beginning was when I let water get in the pivot area of a carbon steel razor. Preventing stains and rust is a lot easier than trying to remove these blemishes.

After shaving, I rinse the razor's blade below the shank/pivot in hot running tap water and wipe dry. The heat helps dry the razor. Keep the blade tilted down to prevent water from running into the pivot area.

I then strop the dried razor and wipe the blade and between the scales with a small rag slightly damp with camellia oil. The oil damp rag is stored between uses in a small plastic former pill container always ready for use that I keep next to my strops. The wipe rag can also be used to wipe carbon steel kitchen knives. The rag is only slightly damp with oil, but leaves a thin barely visible film on the wiped blades and does not leave fingers wet with oil.

Any good steel protecting oil such as a gun oil would work, but camellia or mineral oil are often used because they are eatable oils and any residues that may remain on a blade wiped clean of oil should not adversely affect ones face. Camellia oil is sold by tool and knife vendors and has been used on Japanese swords.

I wipe my straight razor blades and scales once in a while with Renaissance Wax, but a silicon wipe for firearms preservation would also be good. Wipe preservatives off the blade immediately before restropping done before the next razor use. Storing razors in humid heavily used bathrooms may be risky for rust.

Always wiping your razor with an oily rag after use or touching metal as a ritual (as is done with firearms) will ensure that you will never pickup your razor that has not been used for a while and wonder where the rust came from. For me, looking at an unnecessary cosmetic blemish caused by neglect before each shave, especially one caused by me, is an unpleasant reminder that detracts from each shaving experience. I expect to see normal wear and tear on a well used razor.

HTH

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Originally Posted by pmburk

Yes, YMMV. When I had just one razor, I carefully wiped it dry not only on the blade, but between scales and around the pivot pin. Then I used the Camellia oil. Then the next day, I wiped off the oil and use the razor. Now I have 12 razors in rotation, I keep all my razors oiled. If I still only had one razor, I would oil it after each use. To me, the oil is cheap insurance.

What kind of oil? Well in my opinion, I would stay away from anything with petroleum base or distillate. I recall reading posts from members using 3 In 1 Oil, I don't think that is very good for your skin. The same applies to WD-40, it has petroleum distillates too. Both can burn or irritate some skin types. I suggest you use a natural or organic oil. Some shavers like to use olive oil, Camellia oil (that's what I use), cooking oil, mineral oil, and I know a couple guys who use Renaissance Wax to protect their razors. We have a poster in this thread who uses Chamomile oil, great idea!

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I think I am going to purchase some Camellia oil; I'm going to see if I can't pick it up somewhere here in the STL area. Thanks for the advice!

Just pick up some mineral oil.. Any store with a pharmacy section will have it in the laxative section

It never hurts to use a bit of oil after every use, but I don't think that everybody has to. A lot depends on the razor's usage and the humidity levels. I guess if you start to notice rust, it's time to use oil. If you do use it, I just use mineral oil and it seems to work good.

I'm sure I can find mineral oil. What about this? Spring Valley Pharmaceutical Grade Tea Tree Oil - Walmart.com

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Originally Posted by MrAlex2You

I'm sure I can find mineral oil. What about this? Spring Valley Pharmaceutical Grade Tea Tree Oil - Walmart.com

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I went to the link you provide, I see no reason why you can't use it. Heck, give it a try and let everyone know how it works out for your razor.

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Originally Posted by MrAlex2You

I'm sure I can find mineral oil. What about this? Spring Valley Pharmaceutical Grade Tea Tree Oil - Walmart.com

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I don't see why not, tea tree oil is a mild oil that uses include polishing wood & mold control, I have never heard of anybody using it on their razor but I'm sure it should protect it. P.S. Walmart should carry mineral oil as well.

If you love your razor and don't want to see rust...take a few seconds and oil it...as for what to use? I have used vegetable oil for 2 years on my dovo with no problems...You can get a 4 litre jug at most grocery stores for about $2.00 lol :)

would be nice a light machine oil but in a mini pump spray that doesn't fan out too much. lots of clippercide comes out to the amount that actually is needed or hits the blade.

Alex, I live in the KC area and I do not oil my blades unless I am putting one up for a while. If you have central air and heat there should be little problem.Another thing I do is that I NEVER rinse a blade under the faucet. I will use a dry towel to wipe off lather. No water means no rust and keeping the blade away from the faucet means no dings to hone out. Good luck and enjoy SRP.

A dropper bottle is all you need. A couple drops on the blade then smear it around with your finger on both sides; you're done.

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Originally Posted by groovyd

would be nice a light machine oil but in a mini pump spray that doesn't fan out too much. lots of clippercide comes out to the amount that actually is needed or hits the blade.

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Baby oil and eyeglass cleaner spray bottle (empty from dollar store) I spray both sides once, never had an issue.

I usually put a bit of oil on a piece of toilet paper and then "strop" the razor on it.

Thank you everyone, for your input. It's interesting to see the different tactics that people use. For now, I have decided to use EVOO, which is more natural (I thought) than canola. I just dab a little on both sides of a folded TP piece and rub it on both sides. I'm afraid of rust! Trying to be safe ;)

Couldn't olive oil go rancid?

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Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Couldn't olive oil go rancid?

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It could, but wouldn't I be safe because I am using it either everyday, or at least every other day?

I believe if it's a thin coating, you should be okay.

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Originally Posted by MrAlex2You

It could, but wouldn't I be safe because I am using it either everyday, or at least every other day?

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