Thread: Rust on my edge

I may be entirely full of fertilizer here (won't be the first - or last time), but I've gotten downright supersticious about edges having oil on them immediately. Granted - I'm in western Oregon where rust never sleeps. My Wackers will rust in minutes. I've had several blades that will start showing rust in the time it takes to take a leak. Yes, its weird, and I don't know why some rust so fast, but some do. Beyond visible rust, I've had blades I've honed where I dry them and wait until the next day to strop and test. HHT performance drops if I don't have the edge coated w/ oil. So - superstition or not - I've come to think of an uncoated blade as a dull blade.

Originally Posted by pinklather

I may be entirely full of fertilizer here (won't be the first - or last time), but I've gotten downright supersticious about edges having oil on them immediately. Granted - I'm in western Oregon where rust never sleeps. My Wackers will rust in minutes. I've had several blades that will start showing rust in the time it takes to take a leak. Yes, its weird, and I don't know why some rust so fast, but some do. Beyond visible rust, I've had blades I've honed where I dry them and wait until the next day to strop and test. HHT performance drops if I don't have the edge coated w/ oil. So - superstition or not - I've come to think of an uncoated blade as a dull blade.

Than I guess I need more oil so I can put it on my blades religiously

Originally Posted by pinklather

I may be entirely full of fertilizer here (won't be the first - or last time), but I've gotten downright supersticious about edges having oil on them immediately. Granted - I'm in western Oregon where rust never sleeps. My Wackers will rust in minutes. I've had several blades that will start showing rust in the time it takes to take a leak. Yes, its weird, and I don't know why some rust so fast, but some do. Beyond visible rust, I've had blades I've honed where I dry them and wait until the next day to strop and test. HHT performance drops if I don't have the edge coated w/ oil. So - superstition or not - I've come to think of an uncoated blade as a dull blade.

You are wise. any edge by its very nature has a VERY high surface area at the apex (which just happens to be the WORST place to develop any sort of corrosion on a razor). This large surface area offers more birth sites per unit volume for rust/bloom/corrosion to develop. What is even scarier is you cannot even see the spots sometimes, but you will feel them! Part of what a strop does is removal of surface bloom on the edge...but if it gets too big, the strop will not be as effective.

There are many ways that an edge looses its keenness. Oxidation is one (perhaps totally avoidable) method. Dulling from use is the only one you really want

Some other notes to understand from just the pic, That is a little bit different grind, which is why is is presenting a bit of a challenge.. See the hollow then the stiffer 1/8 inch of steel that makes up the edge ..

Here is some info in this thread about the grind, http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...al-scales.html look especially at the discussion from #19 and beyond in that thread..

Breadknifing that type of grind created a much larger problem then a Breadknife on other grinds, also if you are into that much of a reapir and still on the DMT it tells me that you Breadknifed it and then started setting the bevel which will take hours... There are step by step ways to do it that make it way easier and way less problematic..

You have compounded quite a few problems into one repair which, with the info that I have from that one pic I can't figure out the overall fix...


Basically the rust is a minor issue, and the solution is hone faster