Thread: Too Much Camelia Oil?

Can you put too much camelia oil on your razor? I noticed that a razor that I applied camelia oil to developed rust. The razor was completely dry when I applied the oil, so I am a little confused. I had the razor stored for a few months. Thanks for any help.

Oil does dry up. It can't be trusted over several months. I think some sort of wax is a long-term option, and I've heard of this gunky gel stuff that's more like grease and certainly not pretty but which will get the job done. You'd wanna coat the blade in it and wrap it up with plastic or something. At least those were the options for swords.

I'd say the long-term storage did it, but if you put so much oil on the blade it's beading up and dripping, you're going over the top. I keep a rag in a ziplock bag slightly damp with mineral oil for my swords. Puts a nice thin layer on my blades so thin you can't even tell it's there (without touching it).

It's also possible that the oil you used is slightly acidic and could have stained the razor over time, but I know nothing about it, and this is unlikely if it's commonly recommended. Also organic oils can eventually go rancid, so I wouldn't use them for long term. Idk what that would do to the steel.

A lot can happen over a few months. If the scales are bone horn or timber they can hold moisture. I don't know if plastic can. The razor also may not have been as dry as you think. Steel absorbs water especially after restoration processes.
Best thing is to refresh the oil periodically as Camellia will go rancid in time & cause rust unless you have a fairly airtight storage solution.

Camelia oil is a vegetable oil and so is actually a fat rather than a true oil. When it goes rancid and breaks down, it becomes acidic and can cause corrosion. I'm not sure that this would be a significant factor in just a few months though.

I would contact Straight Razor Designs and ask Lynn or Don as they sell and use it all the time on their blades.It was used on katanas in japan so take that into consideration,but I would still contact them.Lynn will reply if you send him a message.Oh yes,I use it and so far no problems.

altshaver,

For the razors in my rotation I use Sentry Solutions TufGlide.

For medium term strorage ( a few weeks to a few months) I use Ballistol; for longer term storage (> few months) I use a rust inhibiting grease (in my case RIG grease). The grease stays put

The various corrosion inhibiting greases for firearms also work well.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

if your looking for alternative oil stay away from 3 in 1 oil. had a few blades coated with it and the edge broke down. ended up with micro chipping just from storage for a few weeks.

Originally Posted by altshaver

Can you put too much camelia oil on your razor? I noticed that a razor that I applied camelia oil to developed rust. The razor was completely dry when I applied the oil, so I am a little confused. I had the razor stored for a few months. Thanks for any help.

Tell us more about the razor's scales.

If you have a set of celluloid scales that is 'devolving' into
acid fumes and stuff nothing will help except darkness
and ventilation.

The pattern of the corrosion can tell the sharp eyes
of folk here a lot -- pictures please --

Tuf glide and mineral oil... have longer shelf lives
than a vegetable oil. Having said that camelia should
be good for a couple months. By rubbing a thin layer
on a razor day in and day out you will develop a
protective surface/patina that is good for a lifetime.

Blind archival storage for months is a different problem.

Some waxes are well thought of especially since the
large shiny bits of the razor are not involved in shaving....
Renaissance wax keeps getting mentioned it is even on
Renaissance Wax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A well buffed wax is good protection.
Also MAAS and Simichrome polish seem to leave a protective
layer so give it a buff with tissue to remove the rust (seed)
spots for now.