Thread: please help! is this rust?

So, I am the proud new owner of a beautiful dovo special 6/8. I live in the midwest, where it is really humid. I shaved with my new dovo 1 time, used a sponge to wipe it during the shave instead of water, rinsed it with hot water after my shave, wiped it dry, used 70% isopropyl 2x letting it evaporate to be sure it was completely dry. Then I rubbed baby oil all over the blade and stored it in my room (not in the bathroom) in a SRD sheath. Here is a picture of my new razor....is this rust??? water marks? This is pretty frustrating. I even tried a Q tip with some MAAS and the marks did not come off.

I had a carbon steel blade and had rust start on it.

Looks like a little of both. I use a bit of tissue to polish the blade dry/remove water marks (mind your fingers), I swipe it down from tang to tip, wrapping the tissue over from the spine and keeping fingers shy of the edge. Then I fold it over the edge and using gentle pressure and reverse the blade out of the fold. I do it several times working along the entire edge. I don't know if that's the right thing to do, but it works for me in keeping the blade clean, dry and free of water marks.
As for what looks like rust on the edge, try stropping to see if it will get rid of it. Otherwise you might have to give it a light hone.


Mick

I do not store my blades in the boxes, they trap any humidity. I do not know if this is the case with your razor. Maas should have done the trick.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I do not store my blades in the boxes, they trap any humidity. I do not know if this is the case with your razor. Maas should have done the trick.

Thats what I was thinking after looking at MAAS's website. I have only ever used simichrome as I've only been using straight razors 3-4 yrs & wasn't aware of this site & the info/knowledge here.

I doubt a q-tip will have much polishing force. It may require a bit more elbow grease!

Simichrome and Maas are pretty much the same thing, I would try again using a different applicator other than the Qtip.

thanks for the help. I did try again and used quite a bit of force with a paper towel and most of it came off after a few minutes of rubbing....will try again tomorrow. The sheath I store it in is the SRD leather sheath; it is not completely enclosed. I can't wait to get out of the midwest!!!

You might get a silicone gun cloth and wipe it down with that after drying,
If you are going to use alchohol use the 91% stuff.
I store my razors in a cigar box that I painted the outside with polyurathan and put some desicant packets in with the razors.
no problems yet. I don't even oil them.

Silver2

JoeD spoke a bit about rust at the recent WNY meet. Red rust is caused by... I don't rememeber - either bases or acids. Black is caused by the opposite. The stuff in soaps causes black; the stuff on your skin red. I want to say black is base and red is acid....

Eithar way, it looks to me like you didn't get all the lather off your blade befor you put it away, or perhaps there was some in the scales. Regardless, if you are more careful before you put your blade away, it should minimize reoccurances. Rinse the blade well, keep the scales dry at all times, and let the blade sit open for at least a few hours after your shave. MAAS may reduce the staining, but it may take more than that to get rid of it. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it too much.