Thread: Straight Blade Care

For all those straight blade shavers out there...what is your post-shave routine, as well as products used, to ensure top quality care of your blade?

Try to keep the scales out of the water,,,, wipe dry the blade,,,,Q-Tip dry the inside,,, strop,,, heavy coat of mineral oil on the blade,,,, wrap in a handkerchief & set on counter top until it's used again,,, 3 blades in the rotation at a time.

I live in a fairly dry area (Coastal Canada), but here's what I do: when getting lather off the razor, I run the blade only under hot water and wipe lightly on a towel, I never get water near my pins, then after I wipe between the scales with toilet paper and I dry off all parts of the blade/scales the same way. When that's done, I strop on linen 5 times, strop on leather 5 times and put it away. I've never had pitting yet. I have about 15 blades and only leave the next to be used in the bathroom, the others are kept in another room in a spyder knife case :

Yes, try to keep the razor as dry as possible, especially at the pivot or dry thoroughly when finished shaving.

I always keep my hand dry during shaving, I use a Micro Fiber towel to stay dry and wipe the pivot dry during shaving.

After shaving I rinse the blade in hot running water and wipe with the micro fiber 2 or 3 times, then hand strop about 10 laps and store open on a glass tray, a vintage butter dish.

Strop on linen the next morning then leather or paper CBN strop.

BTW, there are different quality of Micro Fiber, cheap ones do not do much, good one suck up water, you have to experiment to fine good ones, try some of the Automotive Finish maintenance web sites. I buy several and toss in the wash with regular towels. They say not to put in dryer, but I do. They shrink a bit, but I think, they dry better if they tighten up some.

They are also great for drying a brush.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

BTW, there are different quality of Micro Fiber, cheap ones do not do much, good one suck up water, you have to experiment to fine good ones, try some of the Automotive Finish maintenance web sites. I buy several and toss in the wash with regular towels. They say not to put in dryer, but I do. .

I do the same. Have yet to see degradation in the absorbency.

I don't care about no stinking water (but I am a fanatic about where the blade is at all times whether wiping on a big natural sponge, the occasional rinse or sitting on the towel on the edge of my sink). Post shave I carefully wipe the blade with a barber's towel, then with tissue which I run through the scales. Now a environmentally approved blow with a camera lens blower, finally Ballistol applied with a Japanese camellia oil applicator then a light 2nd wipe with clean tissue. Then the razor sits partially open on my bureau. Feels like it took longer to write it than to do it.

Hirlau pretty much said all of it.

Remove the moisture on the blade with toilet paper. According to Robert Williams' site, this also polishes it slightly
Insert a piece between the scales to dry the inside of them, just in case
Rub some kind of water-repellent on it. Oil (any kind), vaseline, renaissance wax, etc

Some people also strop their blades after using them, but others say it's unnecessary. One has even said that too much stropping can be damaging to an edge, although I don't really think this is valid because a strop is very soft on the edge, not like honing.

After shaving I wipe with stropping motion (to remove crud) on wash cloth I used to soften beard then run hot water over blade to heat up blade and promote drying. Next I wipe on dry towel, stropping motion, followed by 20 felt and 50 leather and finally run a piece of toilet paper between scales to dry and moisture there. Leave the razor lying out in open air for several hours before putting away.

I don't leave my str8s in the bathroom. Instead I keep some in racks that I made in the bedroom and the rest in rolls (from Whipped Dog) in the closet. Been doing this for the past 3+ years and no problem with rust.

When I first started shaving with a str8 I kept a couple razors in a coffee mug in bathroom cabinet. One day I noticed some rust on one of the razors, that was the last time I left one in the bathroom.

“Some people also strop their blades after using them, but others say it's unnecessary. One has even said that too much stropping can be damaging to an edge, although I don't really think this is valid because a strop is very soft on the edge, not like honing.”

The purpose of stropping is to polish the bevel and edge, it will not damage it, unless you do it wrong, it will clean and enhance the edge.

So, do a simple test. Look at your razor with magnification after you shave.

What you will see is soap, hair, skin, blood and oxidation (rust), all of which will hold moisture and eat your edge. All that has to come off…

Wiping with a cotton towel will get most of it off. Wiping with a Micro Fiber will get more, wiping with tissue will get 95 percent off.

Stropping will get 100 percent off.

So do a test and see what, it will take to leave your blade dry and clean.

Hand stropping is quick and after 3 rinses and wipes with a Micro Fiber works for me.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

“Some people also strop their blades after using them, but others say it's unnecessary. One has even said that too much stropping can be damaging to an edge, although I don't really think this is valid because a strop is very soft on the edge, not like honing.”

The purpose of stropping is to polish the bevel and edge, it will not damage it, unless you do it wrong, it will clean and enhance the edge.

So, do a simple test. Look at your razor with magnification after you shave.

What you will see is soap, hair, skin, blood and oxidation (rust), all of which will hold moisture and eat your edge. All that has to come off…

Wiping with a cotton towel will get most of it off. Wiping with a Micro Fiber will get more, wiping with tissue will get 95 percent off.

Stropping will get 100 percent off.

So do a test and see what, it will take to leave your blade dry and clean.

Hand stropping is quick and after 3 rinses and wipes with a Micro Fiber works for me.

Never saw that number before. Thanks for posting.