Thread: What do you guys do with your DE blades between shaves?

I usually just loosen the mechanism and rinse and leave it on end a few hours and then put it away till next time.

The biggest problem, since I use the DE now and then and rotate them is remembering how many shaves I had with each blade.

I actually started a shaving journal when I started wet-shaving. I've never journaled anthing in my life, but every morning when I get to the office the first thing I do is enter " '58 Gillette TV Special, Astra SP 2nd day, Semogue 1438brush, Cella soap, Clubman A/S" Then if there were any notes good or bad, I add them. Otherwise I'd never be able to keep track with 6 or 8 in rotation. When I get to where I can do a whole shave with my straight, it will be even harder. It sounds like a pain in the rear, but it just takes a minute, and gives you an excuse to "re-live" the shave.

Java, that's pretty impressive. I certainly lack the discipline for that. Just finished my second shave with my DE and, this could be blasphemy, but I might like it better than all of my straights.
Sure, it isn't as gritty or manly, but the amount of time saved is a big plus. I also like the way my face feels right now. This could be due to preshave ritual though. I am working on conversion of a coworker at the moment. Thanks all for the the great advice regarding blades. I too live in the South, adjacent to the Mississippi river none the less. HUmidity is certainly a factor. I have several high carbon kitchen knives, and I never have trouble with rust on them.
Hardly any redness immediately after shave.

I leave the blade in but with occasionally take it out clean off any built up gunk. I stopped keeping my blades in the bathroom a while ago.

I'm just starting out with a DE, but have been using a SR for a year. For my straights, I created a drying box (cedar box with rubber gaskets to keep out the humidity; I fill the box with rice) that I have been using after I wipe down the DE with a tissue. I break my three piece DE down, remove the blade and place them all overnight in the box.

That's a good idea Silents.

Originally Posted by forrestp38829

I am almost embarrassed to ask this, but what is proper treatment for DE blades between shaves?
I have been a long time Straight razor shaver and just recently, for convenience sake, switched over to DE.
Something that I never had to worry about when using straight razor.
-Easy, just dry the blade and put the razor away.

Should I just dry the blade and put it back in the razor? Should it stay out? As with most metal, the less handling, the better? Right?

I am really surprised by just how delicate these little blades are. Good thing they are disposable.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Will

I use a DE razor about once or twice a month (use a straight razor almost exclusively now). The DE razor I use is a Merkur Slant 39C. What I do after shaving is take the razor completely apart, wash and dry thoroughly, and let it sit apart during the day. That evening I reassemble the razor. After washing and drying the blade, I let it lean against the wall upright during the day. I am convinced that soap and whisker residue is what dulls the edge so when I clean it after each use I get more shaves per blade.

I always used oils to protect my knife blades when I was designing and selling custom made hunting knives so when I started DE shaving I looked up to see if Blades needed the same treatment. This is what I found ~

Amazon.com: Blade Oil 0.25 Ounces: Health & Personal Care

However, that seemed a bit pricey so I used Coconut Oil and Hemp Seed Oil. Seems to work well. I rinse with very hot water - I use a kettle - then shake dry and dip in oil.

Rust is what dulls blades quickly, if you keep your blade dried off and in a dry environment it'll last longer. Don't let gunk build up on the blade. It might not be necessary to clean it off after every shave but it helps to keep a relatively clean blade.

I leave the blade in. I do push the razor across a towel (as if you are pushing a rake) just to dry the edge. Then I store the razor in a hanging holder.

Wow - I can't believe some of you actually remove it, treat it, and replace it later... I never heard of that for a DE. It's a very cheap, disposable blade! My straight razors are another story entirely...