Thread: 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).
.02

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.