Had a BAD shave today--tons of painful razor burn, even while I was doing it.

I suspect it may be because about a week ago I started following some advice I read to oil your razors after you've used them and dried them, with a thin coat of either a light gun oil or mineral oil.

So I've been dipping my finger in mineral oil and lightly lubing each side + spine and tip. Of course, I move my finger from spine to blade as I do each side

I let them sit for a few minutes with oil on, then wipe off the excess, wiping spine to blade but not with any kind of pressure applied.

'm wondering if apply and wiping off oil that close to the cutting edge is mis-aligning it?

Here's my SOP shave drill. It's usually done after a hot bath or shower, but not always. If not, I do wash my face first. Then...


  1. Boil water on stove since tap doesn't get as hot as I need.
  2. Use a tiny bit of HOT water in cup for lather.
  3. Fill up basin with HOT, dilute as needed with tap, have hot towel & silvertip badger brush soaking
  4. Apply hot wet towel to face & neck area as long as it stays hot
  5. Remove towel and apply pre-shave oil
  6. Repeat #4
  7. Remove towel and apply lather
  8. Repeat #4
  9. Set towel aside and re-lather. NOW we're open for business!
  10. Use Zowada lace wood damascus 6/8" for face except for moustache and part of chin area
  11. Use Dovo Inox 3/8 or 2/8 SS razor for tight areas like moustache, part of chin, and neck
  12. Blot face & with now-cool wet towel
  13. Rinse face & neck with LOTS of coldest water out of tap
  14. Blot face & neck dry with dry towel (never rubbing--that's bad for your skin. Just blot.)
  15. Generously slap on some kind of Thayer's Witch Hazel--usually the blue-label medicated.
  16. Air dry Thayers by waving hand around.
  17. Apply rose Trumper's Skin Food
  18. Repeat #16
  19. Apply after-shave--usually Castle Forbes 1445
  20. Apply regular moisturizer to non-shaved areas of face

Could putting on the mineral oil with my finger be misaligning the blade? (I remove it by running the razor under hot water...unless I'm fixin' to strop, in which case I wipe it with a towel, from spine out to blade.)