Thread: Proper After Shave Maintenance

After I shave with a staright I rinse repeatedly and dry with a lint free barber towel, being sure to get the business edge of the blade but not cut the towel. I then spray with Clippercide, as suggested her on SRP and let dry open. I noticed after sending a razor to Lynn to hone that he applied a more viscous looking product, maybe that made by Dovo or something.

What's the proper way to treat a razor after a shave to protect it and the edge while removing the soap so it doesen't etch the blade?

I am no razor expert, but I would assume that the razors only need to be oiled every few months, or if they will be stored and not used for an extended period of time.

I did happen to talk to Lynn about the type of oil used and it seems that many diferent types can used. I will be using the same oil I used to lubricate pistols.

oil is a good idea, "too much or too often" is an oxymoron. As for the pistol oil, be it Break Free or something from Sentry Solutions, I personally avoid that sort of stuff for blades that will be on my face. The razor abrades the skin slightly, and unless you totally wash it off before each use, it could cause irritation at the very least. If I'll be storing something for a long time, then the Tuf Cloth is fine, but for my regular rotation I use STEROL by Dovo. My guess is that's what Lynn had on there.

Jeff

Normally, I dry the razor by wiping the blade down and leaving in open on the sink while I dress. Keep in mind, for me, that usually only the blade gets wet during the shave. After dressing, I usually strop it on leather and put it in a mug for future use with a bunch of others. For long term storage, I do wipe them down with the Tuf Cloth. When I ship razors I normally coat them with Camilla oil. You can also use the Sterol, sewing machine oil, mineral oil or several others. This has always worked pretty well. The humidity up here is pretty low too. I also don't close the bathroom door when showering (no kids at home) so the bathroom really never gets steamy either. Lynn

I don't have to worry about the kids in my bathroom Lynn, it's the cats that I have to watch.

That being said, I follow pretty much what Lynn does, except for stropping before putting them away. I also store my razors I'm currently using in a ceder jewelry box lined with foam. It's pretty humid here and I've yet to have any issues.

Originally Posted by threeputt

oil is a good idea, "too much or too often" is an oxymoron. As for the pistol oil, be it Break Free or something from Sentry Solutions, I personally avoid that sort of stuff for blades that will be on my face. The razor abrades the skin slightly, and unless you totally wash it off before each use, it could cause irritation at the very least. If I'll be storing something for a long time, then the Tuf Cloth is fine, but for my regular rotation I use STEROL by Dovo. My guess is that's what Lynn had on there.

Jeff

Break free isnt actually oil and I dont even like inhaling that stuff let alone having it touch my skin! The good gun oils are great for metals and don't have any additives I can think of that would irritate skin...but I'll find out for if I wake up with a rash lol.

Everyone has their own little ritual they follow. I usually wipe down good after a good rinsing and blow out the water from the scales and pivot points then let it sit open an hour or so. Since I usually have a 30 blade rotation I wipe em down with sterol. I think if you only have a few that you rotate every day you don't need the wiping with oil step.

I don't oil my razors lately, but if you must use oil, best bet is oil without aditives, i.e. mineral oil (100% parafinoll) or natural oil that doesn't go rancid, i.e. Camilia oil. After all, that is what samurai used on their swords for 1000-s of years...

Nenad san. Hai.

what type of stores could I find Camilla oil in? It is too damn expensive to use my good oils (they cost about $15.00 per ounce). I havent seen this stuff around anywhere, maybe I have been overlooking it. Can I get it at a pharmacy or supermarket, or only at an art store type place??

JL, try this: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/i...ROD&ProdID=756

Monte