Thread: severe rust after 3 days

I've never seen a new blade look like that, I would guess some chemical got on it.

I never oil my blades except for a few in long term storage. I rinse my blade in very hot water and wipe off, strop 10 laps on linen/leather and air dry with the blade open over night (or at least four hours).

From my experiences with cell rot, the part of the blade in the scales is rusted and the spine area is always pristine. This would be the exact opposite of an example of normal circumstances regarding cell rot. For this to happen in three days time is highly uncommon, even if water is the culprit. If it's a knockoff thiers issard, it's the first I've ever heard of. Leave the excess oil on the blade, wiping it off after applying it isn't going to help. Send it to me and I'll fix it up, PM for specifics.

First I have ever seen that heavy of rust on a fairly new blade. I have to agree with those that said it looks like a chemical reaction of some sort.

O.K.,, my guess,,,

You wiped the blade with your thumb & forefinger (the reason why there is not much damage(rust) down the middle),, the edge was not touched, obviously, its sharp (you didn't strop it a few times after the shave to dry the edge),,,the blade seated in the scales , sealing & forming a protective line , thus the sharp line of rust covering the exposed spine.

You actually forgot (we all do) to oil it. Wet spine in leather case,,,,

Just looking at the rust pattern makes me fairly certain that some aerosol chemical got on it. Would be very interested in seeing a photo of the other side. One thing I am certain of is that this was not caused by oiling or not oiling the blade, or by water on the blade or cell rot - none of those would cause a rust pattern like that. On the other hand, commercial grade bathroom cleaners are caustic as hell and will do exactly this type of damage to carbon steel in a heartbeat. I will be happy to clean it up for you and rehone it free of charge if you would like. At any rate, I don't believe that there is anything intrinsically wrong or defective with your razor and wish you the best of luck in getting it sorted.

Originally Posted by sqzbxr

Just looking at the rust pattern makes me fairly certain that some aerosol chemical got on it. Would be very interested in seeing a photo of the other side. One thing I am certain of is that this was not caused by oiling or not oiling the blade, or by water on the blade or cell rot - none of those would cause a rust pattern like that. On the other hand, commercial grade bathroom cleaners are caustic as hell and will do exactly this type of damage to carbon steel in a heartbeat. I will be happy to clean it up for you and rehone it free of charge if you would like. At any rate, I don't believe that there is anything intrinsically wrong or defective with your razor and wish you the best of luck in getting it sorted.

A wet spine in leather for three days could do that,,, I don't see who would enter his room & remove his razor from the pouch & apply a chemical,,,,

& if chemical got to the razor in the case by accident,,,, lets see the leather case,,,,

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I have to agree with tbs, it does look as if the part of the blade that was above the scales was exposed to some sort of chemical. Bathroom cleaning spray perhaps ?

Is the other side of the blade consistently rusted like the front ?

I am also interested if both sides are the same. The scales seem to have protected it.Deodorant, hairspray, maybe air freshener. A wet blade before oiling it wouldn't follow such a perfect line.

Yes it does look like it could have been exposed to an aerosol spray of some kind.

Just another point of information ...... IMHO ...... I'm no restorer of razors, but I'd say that the razor will never look 'like new' again. at the very least there will probably be some pitting, and maybe some of the etch, if not all, gone. That is not to say that it couldn't be brought back to looking real good.

I wouldn't wait too long either because there is some corrosion at the bevel and if it sits long enough it might go too deep to avoid taking a bit of the blade down in width.

Originally Posted by gr4444

...This was in a motel so I don't know if the maid maybe splashed water on it while cleaning...

Hmm... This is what I was remembering when I postulated cleaning spray - I didn't remember that it had been put back in the case. I remember having some very light rust issues with leather cases when I first started out and they have sat unused in a drawer since then. Wet or damp steel against leather could be a real disaster for sure!

Originally Posted by sqzbxr

Hmm... This is what I was remembering when I postulated cleaning spray - I didn't remember that it had been put back in the case. I remember having some very light rust issues with leather cases when I first started out and they have sat unused in a drawer since then. Wet or damp steel against leather could be a real disaster for sure!

I missed the Hotel part.... OOOOPS

My vote goes for cleaning spray.