Just finished my very first shave: got a question!

Greetings SRP, this is my second post, so still very new to the forum and also to straight razor shaving. I recently received a 'sight unseen' razor along with the 'poor man's strop kit' from Larry over at whippeddog.com (whom, by the way, I can't recommend enough: unbelievable service from that guy, and great products) and just finished my first shave minutes ago. It went better than expected; though I caught my left ear lobe pretty good, I survived with no razor burn and just one slight nick to the neck that disappeared with some cold water. Anyways, I absolutely loved it, and I owe it all to the posting you guys do here! After a good bit of research on the forum, this is what my set up was:

-Hot shower, exfoliating scrub to clean/prep beard, followed by conditioner.
-Rinse conditioner off, lather up with badger brush and Proraso,
-Pass 1 WTG, rinse and lather up again, pass 2 WTG (playing it safe!)
-Followed by cold water, alum block, and Proraso pre/post balm.

Overall experience was great, and I can't wait to strop for the first time and give it another go again tomorrow. Quick question though; Larry sent a few notes with the razor, and mentioned that one should keep the razor coated with oil between shaves. He used vaseline during shipment, and I gotta say that was a pain to get off without damaging the edge. Do you guys keep your blades covered in oil to prevent oxidation/rust between shaves? This is the first time I've seen anything on the topic, as I hadn't encountered that advice here on the forum or anywhere else.

Cheers!

Welcome to SRP and its wealth of information. As you have already read, there are as many approaches to doing a shave as there are members. I'm waiting for the one member that says his best shave are when he's hanging upside down from a trapeze bar. As for blade maintenance, I follow my mentor's approach. Strop a little before shave, strop a lot after shave. Clean razor. Make sure any and all moisture is removed. Slip of toilet paper between the scales to trap any water there. A small drop or two of mineral oil to coat the blade, especially at the pivot point. Wipe off excess till next use.

Remember, if you don't find it among the posts, ask, ask, ask. There is always an answer out there.

Shave safely

I do the same as mentioned above. Some may say its not necessary to put oil on after each use or strop after but its so easy so why not. But definitely dry off everything before you put it away at the very least.

Razorfeld has covered it nicely. My maintenance begins during the shave by using a dry to slightly damp sponge to wipe the lather onto. At the end of the shave, and being very careful of the edge, I wipe the blade with a pad of toilet tissue to remove any seen residue. I then strop and after stropping I add a small squirt of INOX from the pump bottle in my shaving cabinet, to the blade and pivot. I then wipe the excess off with a cotton ball. The cotton ball, while clean looking, is re-used and can be used instead of the spray when it gets a bit more oil saturation.

In short, a light film of oil on the blade after ensuring it is dry, is only going to benefit you in the long run.


Mick

Much like Mick, except my blade has never been "wifed" must be a rare and archaic shaving term :). I have a rag soaked in inox that I wipe my blade down with prior to storage.

¡ ʇnɔ ǝq oʇ ʎpɐǝɹ ǝɹoɯ puɐ dn puɐʇs ɹıɐɥ ǝɥʇ sǝʞɐɯ ǝzǝǝɹq ǝɥʇ ˙ƃuıƃuıʍs uǝɥʍ ʇsǝq sı ɹɐq ǝzǝdɐɹʇ ǝɥʇ

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MickR

At the end of the shave, and being very careful of the edge, I wipe the blade with a pad of toilet tissue to remove any seen residue.

---

This is something I have a question about - how do you clean a blade by wiping it if it's really the edge that's most crucial to get clean of water, residue, and such, yet it's the edge that's so sensitive and prone to being damaged/dulled by even such things as tissue and cotton swabs? How do you make sure the oil gets all the way out there to preserve that delicate edge without dulling it in the process? Do you wipe longwise, or in the direction you would if you were stropping, etc.?

I have put down my hand full of salted almonds to answer this. I fold up a tissue into a pad and wipe the blade as if I was stropping it - spine leading. Any other way could damage the edge and your skin. I will now resume eating almonds. Shave safely and satisfyingly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 10Pups

¡ ʇnɔ ǝq oʇ ʎpɐǝɹ ǝɹoɯ puɐ dn puɐʇs ɹıɐɥ ǝɥʇ sǝʞɐɯ ǝzǝǝɹq ǝɥʇ ˙ƃuıƃuıʍs uǝɥʍ ʇsǝq sı ɹɐq ǝzǝdɐɹʇ ǝɥʇ

---

1
0
p
u
p
s
,
y
o
u
r
'
e
w
i
e
r
d
.

I don't use oil- just dry well with TP, minding the scales and pivot. I then strop after to dry and polish the edge. I keep the razor open in a razor stand usually over night. I replace my blade it the morning to my cedar pen box that I store my rotation in. Inside the box I keep packs of silca gel that keep the nix bone dry... Never ran in to a problem this way. I know a ton of folks who use Rennisance Wax. People swear by that stuff.

Welcome aboard....we also have a thread called " Cut of the Day " you can post some your mishaps there and be in good company as well..:) Sounds like your off to a good start...but don't get too cocky...cus that blade will and I do mean WILL bring you back to earth. Stropping is a whole nuther craft in it self...watch some videos of stropping..and then you can ruin your edge LOL....we have a done it..!!! ENJOY

Oh....and don't keep your razors in a steamy bathroom..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lumberjack89

This is something I have a question about - how do you clean a blade by wiping it if it's really the edge that's most crucial to get clean of water, residue, and such, yet it's the edge that's so sensitive and prone to being damaged/dulled by even such things as tissue and cotton swabs? How do you make sure the oil gets all the way out there to preserve that delicate edge without dulling it in the process? Do you wipe longwise, or in the direction you would if you were stropping, etc.?

---

Razorfeld has given you one method of wiping the edge, and that is probably the best way. I fold the tissue pad over the edge, and while very gently pinching it over, I slide the blade straight out like stropping. This only wipes a small portion of the edge at any one time, but it does both sides at the same time.
I don't use cotton swabs, I use cotton balls. Much more edge friendly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

I have put down my hand full of salted almonds to answer this. I fold up a tissue into a pad and wipe the blade as if I was stropping it - spine leading. Any other way could damage the edge and your skin. I will now resume eating almonds. Shave safely and satisfyingly.

---

Thanks Razorfeld.


Mick

Great, thanks for all the advice everyone! I have some more questions, but this thread is rapidly devolving into an all out newbie fest on my part, so I'll head over to the Beginners section with the rest of my queries. I hope to restore and one day forge my own razors, as most any physical object I become fascinated with usually ends up on the "list of things I can build with hand tools", so hopefully I'll be back here before too long with some slightly more interesting posts.

Peace.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

I don't use oil- just dry well with TP, minding the scales and pivot. I then strop after to dry and polish the edge. I keep the razor open in a razor stand usually over night. I replace my blade it the morning to my cedar pen box that I store my rotation in. Inside the box I keep packs of silca gel that keep the nix bone dry... Never ran in to a problem this way. I know a ton of folks who use Rennisance Wax. People swear by that stuff.

---

After a water / soap disaster I started doing the same. During the shave, wipe with towel, good hot water rinse after primarily on the blade. Thorough dry of blade and scales, place in stand. If I'm going to rotate a razor, after air drying, into the container with the others and several packets of silica gel.

I remember opening something, and there were a few packs of this silica gel, like a lightening bolt, I realized I could use these to ensure a dry store for my razors - now, like razors, I hoard the little silica packs! :hmmm:

Let me congratulate you for your efforts. You have asked a good question regarding after shave bl ade protection. It was suggested to me to get a tall and narrow olive bottle, empty & clean, add 3 eyedroppers of mineral oil and then fill with alcohol. Shake to mix, there should be a very small amount of mineral oil at the bottom of your bottle if you did this correctly. Now, after a post shave clean and strop of your razor, all that is necessary is to dip your blade into this mix.

I tried using oil, but it was such a pain to get it off it didn't seem worth it. Now I just dry the blade with toilet paper and store it away from the bathroom. I NEVER get water near the pivot so have no need for oil there. I found that oil in the pivot area just attracts and retains dust. I've kept all my old razors this way for over two years, and I've never seen spots, rust or any blemish at all. I'm sure oil works, but I've never seen a need for it.

I do nothing.....I mean noooooothing. Last swipe from my chin, under the water to rinse up on the shelf (in the steam bathroom) ready for next time. I believe that most of the members here have 30-40 razors so it might be months before it is used again. I have 7 so each one is used once a week. I wouldn't worry to much about it. It probably also helps that all of my razors are....ummm.... ugly too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Welcome to SRP and its wealth of information. As you have already read, there are as many approaches to doing a shave as there are members. I'm waiting for the one member that says his best shave are when he's hanging upside down from a trapeze bar. As for blade maintenance, I follow my mentor's approach. Strop a little before shave, strop a lot after shave. Clean razor. Make sure any and all moisture is removed. Slip of toilet paper between the scales to trap any water there. A small drop or two of mineral oil to coat the blade, especially at the pivot point. Wipe off excess till next use.

Remember, if you don't find it among the posts, ask, ask, ask. There is always an answer out there.

Shave safely

---

Just shaved hanging upside down from the towel bar this morning. Went great. The blood rushing to my head puffed up my face so the skin was nice and taut. All I had to do to rinse was raise(lower) my arm over(under) my head to get the blade into the bathtub, which had been filled with warmed ghee. The oiliness of the ghee worked wonders in reducing blade chatter on the skin. And the subsequent blood ran easily up my face and then off from my high cheekbones, making lovely splash patterns in the yellow ghee.

Can't wait to heal and try again!

You think that's weird try cold water shaving.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Headcrowny

Just shaved hanging upside down from the towel bar this morning. Went great. The blood rushing to my head puffed up my face so the skin was nice and taut. All I had to do to rinse was raise(lower) my arm over(under) my head to get the blade into the bathtub, which had been filled with warmed ghee. The oiliness of the ghee worked wonders in reducing blade chatter on the skin. And the subsequent blood ran easily up my face and then off from my high cheekbones, making lovely splash patterns in the yellow ghee.

Can't wait to heal and try again!

---

Alright smart aleck. you know your'e starting something (NOT THAT I DON"T MIND THE INTERCHANGE TO COME) with that posting. A new thread. How many different ways can I shave out of the ordinary? Don't say I didn't warn you.

Humor is worth more than money, any day. Shave safely in what ever position is comfortable for you.

Welcome, and congrats on your first shave being a success, (except for the cuts, but that happens to the best of us!) I use a thin layer of mineral oil on my blades between shaves, it's cheap, odourless, and keeps them clean. You can get this in most grocery stores or pharmacies, it has many other uses. Good luck!

I find the grains of a ground up Unicorn horn makes an excellent pre-shave, great scales, and extends life by hundreds of years!! :shrug:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phrank

I find the grains of a ground up Unicorn horn makes an excellent pre-shave, great scales, and extends life by hundreds of years!! :shrug:

---

I have already mentioned elswhere the frozen unicorn tear hone, cant remember exactly but I think they are around 3 million grit. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Alright smart aleck. you know your'e starting something (NOT THAT I DON"T MIND THE INTERCHANGE TO COME) with that posting. A new thread. How many different ways can I shave out of the ordinary? Don't say I didn't warn you.

Humor is worth more than money, any day. Shave safely in what ever position is comfortable for you.

---

If I remember rightly, some time back we had a photo comp that required shaving in strange (public) places. There were some good ones amongst them too. :)


Mick