Thread: Water/Soap Marks. Begone!

This is a 3 part question.
1) how do you folks prevent water and soap marks from your razor;
2) are certain soaps more likely to leave spots?
3) how do you remove those spots and what products do you use?
Thanks H

1) I never let my blades get wet. Lather is wiped off onto a dry wash cloth. After finishing the shave, I wipe the blade again with the wash cloth, then strop the edge 5 strokes on a lightly oiled (food grade mineral oil) newspaper strop, and finally wipe the entire blade with a very lightly oiled tyvek cloth.

2) Not that I have noticed.

3) Same as I would remove any light patina issues, I would polish the blade with Maas metal polish, simply because it is what I have.

Hi Hass
Just make sure the razor is dry and clean before you put it away. I use 1st press olive oil on mine and anyone who replies will have something different, I also use Maas polish to remove the patina (mind your fingers) I think the cheaper soap will leave more marks because of the way it is made.
I agree with Utopian a quick strop once it is clean and dry ( I use the linen side, again personal preference ) Then a drop of Olive oil.
Good luck with the shaving mate

i put Renaissance wax on all my razors and have had no problems with water spots or rust. the only part i oil is the pivot ( of which i do my best not to get wet). a wipe with dry toilet paper a strop on linen and leather is my routine.

I have heard it called wet shaving. So I rinse my blade with running water from the sink. My hands get wet so the razor, scales, and even the pivot gets wet! When done shaving, the blade gets the attention before my face. Proper drying with tissue, 10-12 laps on the linen, a final wipe to get rid of the fingerprints and a few seconds to admire my efforts, then into the razor burka it goes.
My blades have developed a little patina and a few spots; I believe it is called character...

However, if I had spent twenty plus hours hand sanding and polishing the blade... in that case, I might consider a stain on that blade to be bad character. Maas for that.

Maybe you should consider calling it not-so-wet shaving and save yourself a lot of trouble.

Perhaps I am just lucky to live in a desert. I would not say I am nonchalant about getting my tools wet, but I also don't go to lengths to prevent it. I do not have your experience, Utopian, but I have not had any problems with my habits/methods/whathaveyou.

If I experience otherwise, I will change my habits to more closely follow yours... and add another reply to this thread acknowledging such.

I don't worry about it. I used to but don't these days.

When it's time for a honing I use some simichrome and take it off.

Originally Posted by cau

Perhaps I am just lucky to live in a desert. I would not say I am nonchalant about getting my tools wet, but I also don't go to lengths to prevent it. I do not have your experience, Utopian, but I have not had any problems with my habits/methods/whathaveyou.

If I experience otherwise, I will change my habits to more closely follow yours... and add another reply to this thread acknowledging such.

Oh, I'm not trying to convince you to change anything, but water in the pivot can be quite the pain and is the easiest source of corrosion. I just figure that keeping that area dry is easier than drying it.

1) Rinse blade well, wipe it off with a damp cloth, and dry it well before I do anything else... including dry my own face.

2) I have found Proraso White to leave the heaviest film, but they all kinda seem to.

3) As mentioned, MAAS or Mothers metal polish with an old sock will do the trick.

Originally Posted by hasstar

This is a 3 part question.
1) how do you folks prevent water and soap marks from your razor;
2) are certain soaps more likely to leave spots?
3) how do you remove those spots and what products do you use?
Thanks H