Thread: Oil for rust prevention

Maxi reminded me of this from the Toronto area meet. Holli keeps those little silica packs in with his razors to pull out any of the moisture.

I read somewhere (I think JimmyHAD posted it, not sure though) that oil does not work that well for long-term storage, as it can (apparently) leave nasty spots. To be on the safe side, I leave mine to dry and wipe them with a silicone sponge.

+1 on those silicia (sp?) packets. I tell my friends to give them to me whenever they buy something that comes with them. I throw a couple in my display case and it helps me sleep at night knowing I'm fighting the humidity.

I used baby oil until I got razor oil and it worked fine, the only problem is that is goes on kind of thick and the smell just doesn't seem to match such manly hobby :P

On a side note, if I put a layer of renaissance wax on my blades do I still need to put razor oil on too? Do you put the wax on every once in a while or after every shave?

Originally Posted by MattCastle

+1 on those silicia (sp?) packets. I tell my friends to give them to me whenever they buy something that comes with them. I throw a couple in my display case and it helps me sleep at night knowing I'm fighting the humidity.

I used baby oil until I got razor oil and it worked fine, the only problem is that is goes on kind of thick and the smell just doesn't seem to match such manly hobby :P

On a side note, if I put a layer of renaissance wax on my blades do I still need to put razor oil on too? Do you put the wax on every once in a while or after every shave?

The silica packs can be purchased in different sizes. A google search should turn up some sites that sell them and good gun shops carry them. I picked up a few large packs in canvas at a gun show.

The Ren wax should be good for a long time. The areas that hit the hones or strop would probably wear free of the ren wax faster.

The biggest culprit over moisture for rust is the oil from you skin (hands and fingers). Everyone is a little different but for the most part, skin oil is acidic. When I first got into Tool and Die work the old school test would be to put your hand on a piece of steel for a minute or two and come back in a week. If the steel rusted you didn't get the job. So, be sure to wash and wipe all of your finger prints off the blade before you put it away and try not to touch the metal after wiping it down.

That makes a lot of sense. I'll keep an eye out for how much I paw my collection from now on. Ill stick with the wax and the oil though, i doubt together they could do any harm.

Thanks for your help.