Thread: Creating Patina

Hi, I've been interested in old razors with nice patina lately; and shaving with them essentially 'as is' after honing; as much as possible (i.e. leaving them as original as possible). I haven't actually started yet (in the process of buying some patinatious razors (nice made up word, there)).

Ages ago I read somewhere a thread about creating 'patina'. I also around the same time read a thread where someone 'suspected' that Aloe Vera pre shave oil or cream stained his razor. I said at the time that I'd do a little experiment, to see if Aloe Vera could be used to introduce 'patina' to make a razor look old. I said I think it'd be cool to be able to use a natural product (I can't remember what could also be used). That was weeks ago. I did a small experiment last night where I smeared Aloe Vera 'juice' straight from a plant I have onto my De Pews razor. The result is below.

Basically, it created a brown stain. The razor was clean, though I always wipe them with Eucalyptus oil before putting them away. This oil is VERY light. I left the razor on my desk in my bedroom overnight. It gets cold in there at this time of the year and a little damp. The picture is the razor when I got up at 06:30. It took quite a bit of rubbing to remove it this evening, using Eucalyptus oil, a rag previously used with 'Brasso' (a metal polish), i.e. impregnated with Brasso years ago, and Turpentine.


So, what I learnt was:
* If you're using actual Aloe Vera as a pre shave oil it MAY not be a good idea and it'll be important to clean your razor, and
* I guess it COULD be used to 'introduce patination' esp with repeated applications, of via a dropper or toothpick, etc
* The colour is definitely brown. I myself would like a more grey-ish colour if I did want to make a razor look old.

PS, this post fits in two places, I think, here and the pre-shave section, so I'll put it in both locs if that's OK. Also, if anyone knows where those other threads were (about aloe vera staining a razor and introducing patination) it would be good linked to here, I guess.

Carl