Thread: 'Black' stains on razor - hard water?

I would post pictures but it has been very difficult to take them in order to see what is going on - I hope someone will recognize the situation and there wont be a need...I of course use standard care with the razor and strop after use and store in a dry place etc etc...none of my other razor have this but of course different steels can react differently...

My Wacker razor (standard finish) - mostly on one side - has several very slight small thin black - greyish 'stains'...as if you were drawing a dotted line along half the razor...

I have read hard water can do this and I do have hard water...is this it?

What can I do to fix this? use a high grit sandpaper to remove them? send to one of the big restore guys to fix?

Nothing?

Use bottled water if I use this razor again to prevent any further staining?

Thanks in advance.

mark7777,

You're not the only person to have this problem. So do I as well as other SRP members. In fact, there is a thread in another SRP forum that discusses this same issue.

I would caution against using sandpaper as a first choice to remove them. It is too abrasive and you will scratch your blade. Try the least abrasive remedy first. Perhaps some mineral oil on the blade that you rub with a tea towel or some other type of cloth? See if that can remove the stain. Other than that, I am reluctant to give you any other advice.

IMO the next step is to consult with a more experienced str8 razor restorer who is a member of SRP to find out what the next step might be.

Take care.

Try some metal polish like flitz to see if you can "wipe/rub" the stains off. It is probably the water, but I have softer water here & can't be sure or relate.

Do you keep your SR's in one location like a cup? I've read somewhere here that sometimes some older scales just start deteriorating & the gasses are caustic. Just something to throw out there to check out.

Once my razor has dried overnight - they are all stored in a wooden glass lid display box outside of the bathroom...so there is no moisture...

I agree any sort of sandpaper is a bad idea but it might be the only 'real' way to remove the stains - in which case Ill keep the stains...

And even entertaining the idea of using bottled water is tiring...not practical...

It would be interesting if a company could develop some sort of liquid formulated product to counteract this - would probably sell well...

I would try Metal Polish first(maas,fitz,etc...)

Then if there is still marks remaining, maybe try some Turtle Wax premium rubbing compound.

I have started using mineral oil on my blades again. I noticed when i pulled some blades out that i had not used in a while, some spots had developed.

Oiling the blades before storing is a good idea.

The stains can be due to water left on the blade, condensation, or soap residue. Be sure to check the blade and inside the scales before putting blades away. This is the reason I keep the tang, pivot, and scales clean and dry at all times - even while shaving.

I get them too and I have a water softener. Maybe it comes from the KCl I don't know. All I do know is oiling the blades which I do religiously doesn't stop it however a light dab of Simichrome takes them all off.

Oxidation. This type of oxidation is, however, actually protective of the steel. If you want to remove the stains for asthetic reasons, metal polish will work.

In my early days of straight shaving I found that I had closed a razor with some shave lather between the scales. This had caused a black stain on the blade that I have jet been able to polish off. Upon researching metal rust I found that acidic liquids form one type of rust and base liquids for the other. One is red and the other is black. I forget which one is which. Most soaps and shave creams/soaps are a little off neutral in their ph to counter the ph of our skin oils and break up the skin oils. That is why some soaps are harsh on people with 'sensitive' skin. Be sure to get all of the shave soap/cream off your razor before storing and after wiping it down do your best to avoid touching the metal. A coat of mineral oil or the like will help. I use Tuf-Glide. I know my skin oil will rust or corrode most metals.