Thread: Post shave razor care

I just had one of my converts come and ask me about the post shave razor care of straight razors. (especially letting razor dry before oiling) the one thing I wasn't clear on. But anyway he was drying with TP sheets then automatically applying oil. Yikes I then proceeded to tell him to let razor set for at least 12 hours on a microfiber dish drying pad (one just for razors) just to let any moisture around pin to dry out. Then when razor is truely dry to apply oil. My point being I think as mentors, friends, relatives, or acquaintances we should cover all bases with newbies and maybe even make a list of all things to tell them while using straights. What's you guys input? Also if you had a "list" what would it have on it/what order would you put things in? This should be interesting.

You have opened a lengthy thread. There are as many ways of doing as there are people that shave. After my shave I rinse the razor off. Dry it on a folded up tissue,using a stopping stroke, spine first, both sides, three or four times.. TP in between the scales for any trapped moisture. Do the strop dance. Wipe blade again and oil. Used to just put a drop on and rub both sides and pin area, now, in a tallish, narrow jar like from olives a mixture of three eyedrops full of mineral oil and the rest alcohol. Shake well. Dip just the blade in. Sterilizes and thin oil coat at the same time. Carefully close the razor and put it back in rotation.

Will be interested to see ALL the other ways we come up with. Also one major rule to tell them. Don't drop it, don't drop it, don't drop it!. Shave safely.

I'll be honest. For post shave razor care I fold a piece of toilet tissue over the spine and wipe it then strop it a few times and put it in a drawer. The drawer has a microfibre clocth to prevent scraoing from the wooden drawer bottom. But for me thats all there is.

Geek

Do you have a lot of razors or live in a humid area? Because I live in a berry humid area also when IM done with my razor it will probably be 2.5 to 3 weeks before using it again

Originally Posted by Swerve

Do you have a lot of razors or live in a humid area? Because I live in a berry humid area also when IM done with my razor it will probably be 2.5 to 3 weeks before using it again

I live in western Oregon. Rainy winters generally, snow in the mountains of central Oregon and eastern Oregon. Springs can be very rainy. But generally not that humid to speak of. I'm working on building a 14 day rotation and getting a rack for the wall for them (SRP member in Georgia builds them). Currently they are in an enamel tray on a microfiber cloth.

I don't live in a very humid area and it can be a month before I use the same razor again. Post shave is a wipe down with folded toilet paper in a stropping motion for the blade, the tang and between the scales get a wipe too. The razor is set out to air dry for a couple of hours before being put back in a converted table ware box for storage. I oil them up if I go on holidays with mineral oil. I only strop the razor the night before next mornings shave. So far so good.

You have to take into account the environment in which you live and adjust your post shave razor care accordingly. There really is no one correct way to do post shave razor care because of that.

Bob

Apparently 80 - 90% humidity year round on average. I have in rotation at tge moment 12 if I remember rightly lol. I don't really do rotation in that I just really pick a razor when I shave. Some razprs ill use fpr a month sometimes ill chage twice a week amd I'm sure I have a couple that have seen no action in almost a year. I'm very disjointed lol.

Geek

The method is remove from case and strop set on microfiber prep soap put strop out of bathroom. (poor ventilation) Then shower, get out open door, run new hot water in brush soaking cup, rework lather, apply lather, shave rinse and strop motion dry razor on hand towel, set aside, rinse face apply aftershave and bumpstopper 2, dry razor with tp and allow to dry 12hrs then I have a little glasses cleaning towel that is superfluously saturated with oil and is closed up in a loupe snap case. When telling a newbie I add to practice stroping with a buterknife and belt to the very beginning and I add to the shaving portion to only shave the parts of your face that your comfortable doing. And at the end I add that every 3months or so the razor will need honing. Also you can slightly renew the edge with a cromium oxide strop witch is normally a paddle strop. Also I teach that it's best to rolling x when stroping, and I tell them not to even try to hone because first of all they won't have the right things to home with. Also and this is important don't rinse razor and move it around (like stirring a drink) you'll damage the blade and after rinsing dry in a stroping motion on a washcloth or hand towel before making another shaving stroke on face, also short strokes are your friend and do best. One other thing I tell him before giving him the SRP.COM address is how to stretch face and how the passes go, and also I tell about all of the junk razors and good razors. So far I've honed about 30 razors for my converts.