Straight Razor Storage and Other Newcomes Questions.

Hello (it's my second day on board),


I've looked through the wiki but just want to test for understanding.


I know I'm probably going at this backwards, but for now I'm just collecting a few razors to learn the different brands and styles and for my boys to have when they're older. I'm getting what I think is good advice on choices from a couple of long-time collectors. I'm also starting to look at garage sales and estate sales for razors.


For safe storage for months at a time, it sounds like I can just...
Wipe them down with isopropal alcohol (30% water, yes?).
Blow them out with some canned air.
Quickly oil with mineral oil and then wipe off the excess. (Should I blow the excess mineral off with canned air? ... does the oil hurt the scales if they are not wood?)

Leave them out to dry in a non-humid, possibly warm place and then store them (open or closed?) on one of those silicon wipes in a closed drawer or such?

Along the way, I hope to find a decent pair and learn to shave with them to see if I really want to get deep into this hobby or not ... it already looks pretty addicting! So, is it reasonable if I find two inexpensive but decent used razors and have them professionally honed/sharpened, to see if I even like shaving this way before I buy the stones, strops, etc.? How much comfortable shaving will you get without stropping ... will it be enough to tell?


Glad to find this forum because I'm "lost as an Easter egg".


--Thomas

Welcome to SRP Thomas. IMHO a razor for shaving, without a strop is like a carriage without a horse. So get yourself a good strop. The strop conditions the edge and cleans the edge following rinsing and drying. I always do 20 round trips (back and forth) on leather before putting the razor away.

For long term storage I'd recommend what I've been doing with guns and pocket knives, as well as razors since the 1970s, with great success. The product is made by Birchwood-Casey and it is called R.I.G. (rust inhibiting grease). I apply it with a q-tip and wipe it off with a silicone gun cloth. The gun cloth becomes impregnated with the R.I.G. and you can just use the clothe by itself for a pretty good while until you need more of the grease. Never had rust on a blue steel gun, carbon pocket knife or razor, no matter how long it was stored.

Birchwood Casey: RIG Product Details

Last but not least, I never store my razors in the bathroom. I keep them where it is dry. I know that some do store theirs in the bathroom but I'd rather not take any chances.

Thomas,

+1 on JimmyHAD's suggestion of using RIG; I have used RIG for years (& years :)) on my razors & knives in 'storage' with complete satisfaction.

An excellent product :)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Thank you for your help guys. After this treatment, how do you store them? ... back in their original box, a drawer, opened, closed or what?
Anything special to the scales or just a clean cloth?

So starting out by having a professional hone them and me just doing the stropping would be OK? ... how many shaves will I get between hones with only stropping ... assuming I learn to do it correctly? (I just don't want to get a complete set of gear before I even know if I like shaving this way or not.)

If that makes sense, can you recommend a starter strop? I have my grandfather's ... could be anywhere between 40 and 90 years old ... but don't know if I could or should use it.

Thanks again for your patience with "another newbie",

--Thomas

Thomas,

I store mine in 'Klip-Lok' containers; these are polythene boxes, with a hermetic seal in the lid. I would think that the 'Rubbermaid' line in the US would have something similar.

Pop in a small bag of silica gel into the box, and the razors are ready for storage.

For those razors that have celluloid scales, I separate these out into a separate box, and check them often for the start of any scale decay/decomposition.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ