Thread: metallic stench

I have a nice DD goldedge. when i got it a couple months ago I soaked it in barbicide for some 20 minutes and polished with maas. I do this with almost all my razors.

after being in a dovo (from classic) PVC coffen, it has an odd metalic stench, kind of amonia like, so I've assumed it might be a maas hangover, but I don't know what it still stinks and none of my other razors do. I see no evidence of any kind of rusting or rotting.

Is it possibly the gold wash?

Cat man : Did you polish the scales and bolsters with MAAS too????

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Cat man : Did you polish the scales and bolsters with MAAS too????

I think so. Can't remember. Should i do it again (or doing so a bad thing)?

Sure smells like celluloid rot to me. If you've oiled the blade that may be providing a bit of protection for now.

I do oil it for sure. I've also used it and it's great [once I got it honed right which took a while oddly].

I thought about celluloid rot, but I can see both the inside and outside of the scales and I don't see anything odd. And there is no nastiness on the blade that I can see. And it's really a metallic esque smell. Never seen celluloid rot so I have no reference point, but if it was, would I see something?

Also, if I take it out of the case and air it out it doesn't smell so bad, but when I put it in the coffin again it seems to re-find it's aroma. Which made me think some kind of rot, but I just don't see anything. The scales look fine. Does that make sense?

edit; I looked at Bill Ellis's page on celluloid rot and I don't have any of the corrosion pictured. The fact that the rot involves gases might explain the rot but I have a feeling I'm dealing with something else that stinks. Don't know if that's good or bad.

When cellloid breaks down the nitrates in it outgas, usually giving off a vinegary smell.

The bolsters on your scales might be chrome or nickel plated brass - perhaps the Maas got underneath and you are smelling the reult of a mild electro-chemical process, or even just the brassy smell of the underlying metal.

Regards,
Neil.

Just a thought, you mention the Dovo coffin and noticing the aroma after placing it in there. Quarantine the Goldedge and put another celluloid scaled razor in the dovo coffin and see if you find the same aroma after leaving it overnight.

Never say never with razors::: rule #1

But if you polished the scales and bolsters with the MAAS that is a normal smell.. You cleaned off the Brass bolsters and MAAS gives off a slightly ammonia/metallic smell when you do this on DD's I have cleaned more than my share of them... Now if you get a sickly sweet vinegary smell that is BAD, but normally you can see the start of celluloid rot fairly easy on DD's there is usually a swelling in one spot by the time they start to smell....

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Just a thought, you mention the Dovo coffin and noticing the aroma after placing it in there. Quarantine the Goldedge and put another celluloid scaled razor in the dovo coffin and see if you find the same aroma after leaving it overnight.

I did formerly keep another razor in that coffin and had no issues, so if the coffin has a problem, it got it from the goldedge.

I have a feeling that the poster that said some kind of reaction is going on between the bolsters, celluloid and maas may be right, as the mass can get stuck under there.

One think I want to try is just using the razor all week. The process of cleaning and oiling it everyday may sort out the issue.

edit: the coffin is probably just jacking up the smell because it's PVC. If it was paper/oilcloth it would probably just absorb it/pass it through.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Never say never with razors::: rule #1

But if you polished the scales and bolsters with the MAAS that is a normal smell.. You cleaned off the Brass bolsters and MAAS gives off a slightly ammonia smell when you do this on DD's I have cleaned more than my share of them... Now if you get a sickly sweet vinegary smell that is BAD, but normally you can see the start of celluloid rot fairly easy on DD's there is usually a swelling in one spot by the time they start to smell....

ok this nails it. its gotta be the MAAS plus the brass bolsters and it is an ammonia smell.

And there is zero swelling and zero rot like corrosion. Edit. Also just remembered it didn't smell when I got the razor (and if it had been rotting I'm sure it would have). It only smelled after I cleaned and pollished it.