Thread: Rusting on Hart Steel Razor

I have bought a Hart Steel Razor from Classic Shaving. It is the best razor I have ever shaven with, I must say. However I have a slight problem with it. I have been using it for about a month. Then I went onto a trip for a week during which time I left the Hart Steer Razor at home. Yesterday when I back home, I found the razor has developed tiny patches of rust in the areas where the scale meets the blade in the mid line. I have removed it by rubbing it with a towel and the rusty reddish color has come off. However, the areas were left with a darker blemish of steel gray. Is it possible to restore the blade back to the original color?

My next question will be how to prevent it from rusting again. I know I should oil it and wrap it with anti-rust paper if I intend to put it away for some time. But a few days of not using it?... Do you guys oil your razor everyday? I have other razors which I left in the same bathroom untouched for several weeks and they are still OK. I know the kind of steel has a lot to do with this. But just a few days???....

You should be able to clean that junk off with some metal polish and always remember to oil your blades after each use.

As for storage, I wouldn't store razors in the bathroom since the humidity is higher than other parts of the house. Not only that, but if you have younger children with curious fingers you're asking for trouble. I always keep mine on top of the mantle in the living room.

Originally Posted by hon

I have bought a Hart Steel Razor
...snip...
Yesterday when I back home, I found the razor has developed tiny patches of rust in the areas where the scale meets the blade in the mid line.
....snip...
But just a few days???....

Yes in hours even. The cleaner the steel the quicker it
is likely to rust.

Do get in the habit of applying a light coat of mineral oil
with a drop extra at the pivot and handle/ jibs area.

I mentioned cleaner because many shave soaps are
made with an extra bit of fat/oil and that little bit seems
to help prevent rust. I do know that some days I tend to
clean and polish my latest new shiny new razor and yep
remove the thin protective layer.... MASS to the rescue.

A thin layer of mineral oil does not completely rinse off while
shaving or rinsing so it lasts a while. Long enough that
it is easy to forget to apply a little bit of oil on a regular basis.

Also when putting a razor up it is important to think about
how you do it. If you put the razor in a sealed coffin, wrap
it in airtight paper even wax and oil paper the water cannot
evaporate. In some ways casually putting a razor on the shelf in
an open air razor stand is "better" than sealing it up in
a case of caution (exceptions for small kids and visitors apply).

Mineral oil is not the only oil but it is good, inexpensive and easy to find....

You guys are awesome!!

I don't have mineral oil right now. Will cooking oil do the job?

Hello, hon:

I use camellia oil and it works wonders for me.

Regards,
Obie

Following the shave I always throughly rinse the blade and then wipe it with a Kleenex tissue and check inside the scales for any water droplets. During the shave I always try to avoid getting the scales wet but if there is any moisture in there I run the tissue through the scales. Twenty laps on horsehide and then I wipe the blade with a silicone gun cloth and store the razor in a dry environment. This method has been working well for me to avoid any rust.

Preventing rust is not hard.
First if you have a small bathroom that steams up the mirrors when you take a shower or bath. Do not store your razor in there.
Wipe your razor off after use with a dry towel then with tissue papar, leave the blade open to dry completely. As Jimmy said use a silicon cloth to wipe the blade before storing. Keep the pivot point clean with dental floss unwaxed with a little oil on it.

If your razor DOES NOT have gold wash on it you can polish the metal with flitz metal polish that leaves a protective wax like coating on the blade and scales.

I store my razors in a cigar box that has been sealed on the outside with polyurathan. That seals moisture out. I keep several packets of desicant in there. Once a month I set my cigar box out in the sun opened up for 30 minutes to make sure the inside stays completly dry. I leave my desicant packets in there to dry out also.

When I get a razor out I close the box and never leave it open so it stays dry inside. I have never had a razor rust storing them this way.
Even razors that I am working on and sanding down and storing without oil or anything.

Hope this helps some of you.

Silver2

Will cooking oil work? Personally I wouldn't use it. Use some sort of oil that is designed for steel. Some of us use simple WD-40 or 3-n-1 oil...it's something you have around the house most of the time. Be sure to wipe it off well considering it may irritate the skin.

Given where the rust appeared, I'm guessing that there was water and/or lather on the scales themself. After shaving, you have to clean both the razor and the scales (inside and out) to avoid this problem.

There was a mention above about oils in soap preventing rust - I have found exactly the opposite to be true. Some of the worst staining/devils spit that I have ever seen has been from lather on the blade. I have no idea why, as I have no chemistry background and I don't know what's in soaps. Definitely get all the soap/cream/lather off before putting your razor away.

Food oils, from what I've heard, are unstable and will oxidize. For this reason, mineral oil or similar is a better choice. The only exception seems to be camilla oil, but I don't know why.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Given where the rust appeared, I'm guessing that there was water and/or lather on the scales themself. After shaving, you have to clean both the razor and the scales (inside and out) to avoid this problem.

There was a mention above about oils in soap preventing rust - I have found exactly the opposite to be true.
.....snip....

Looking back I did mention that soap seems to keep a blade sound....
holli4pirating is CORRECT you still MUST clean off the soap and
lather.

My observation was that hot water rinsing and wiping clean a blade that you
uses each day works for some. Perhaps it is the resulting thin layer of insoluble
soap scum and a managed patina that works. This is not sufficient for storage
and also does not help the pivot, tail and jibs. So a light layer
of oil is clearly the right thing.

The cigar box with a drying agent inside trick of Silver2 is a good one.