severe rust after 3 days

[gr4444]

EDIT: See my post #36 for what I believe happened (hint: only myself to blame). Original post intact as follows:

just bought my first straight razor ... a Thiers-Issard Spartacas. I shaved about three days straight with it ... lightly coating in mineral oil each day. Then I put it in its case for three days after coating with mineral oil. After these three short days it is severely rusted ... I can see deep pits in the cutting edge and on the spine. It is far too bad to shave with or even for me to begin to attempt to clean it up. The rust pits are deep, and have gone far beyond cosmetic damage. This was in a motel so I don't know if the maid maybe splashed water on it while cleaning ... or left puddled water around the razor in its case ... but it was dry and rusted when I pulled it back out.

I am really shocked that such an expensive item can so deeply corroded in such a short period of time.

I contacted the dealer I bought it from who ignored my questions on how it could have corroded so quickly and offered to restore it for over $70. I really don't want to sink an additional $70 into something so delicate especially since I live in a very humid place. Is this type of quick severe rusting normal in straight razors? Did I buy the wrong brand? a bad steel? could mine been some sort of quality defect from the factory? Could I have been duped with a cheap counterfeit knockoff? Any help or advice appreciated. Thanks!

[JimmyHAD]

Welcome to SRP. Sounds quite unusual. Please post some photos of the blade. Close ups preferred.

[gr4444]

yes ... I should have done that. Thanks for the reply!

[gr4444]

thanks for the reply! you can see the photo in my previous post. It is fairly hi resolution so you should be able to zoom in.

[Firefighter2]

Wow, that's unreal. It almost looks like the maid spilled drain cleaner or something on it. I can't see water rusting it that extensively in 3 days.

[gr4444]

that could be (the cleaner). who knows what goes on when they clean or what they use. For sure the mineral oil was good. It was a new brand bottle from CVS.

Wow, that's unreal. It almost looks like the maid spilled drain cleaner or something on it. I can't see water rusting it that extensively in 3 days.

[Redcane]

gr444 that razor is for sure fixable. Send it to a vendor and have them work it out.

[thebigspendur]

If I didn't know better it almost looks like celluloid rot. Whatever did that it's a chemical reaction type thing. Something in that oil you used or something came in contact with the blade to do that.

[JimmyHAD]

If I didn't know better it almost looks like celluloid rot. Whatever did that it's a chemical reaction type thing. Something in that oil you used or something came in contact with the blade to do that.

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 notice that the stamping on the tang is deep. In recent years I had heard they began etching the logo on the tang. Is this a NOS vintage razor ? Are scales wood, or some natural material, or are they possibly celluloid ? In a way it does resemble cell rot, but that would be extremely accelerated cell rot, and the scales are probably not celluloid.

I would be concerned to figure out the cause if it was my razor. Getting another, or getting that one fixed and having the same thing happen would be a bummer. If you have a carbon steel knife blade take it and put the mineral oil on it, put it in the case that the razor was in and see if one or the other is the culprit.

Last but not least, if the vendor wants to charge you for the restoration you might be just as well, if not better off, looking at our SRP member services in the classifieds. Unless you have a lot of confidence in the vendor's capabilities. There are some guys in our classifieds that are state of the art restorers.

[32t]

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.