Thread: Cleaning the Blade

Well I cant find anything about this, so I was wondering. What is the proper technique for cleaning a blade during and after a shave? Do you rinse with water? Doesnt that risk rust by the scales and tang?

I hold mine by the tang, just past the pivot, and rinse with very hot water (helps it evaporate faster). I find that holding it just past the pivot allows my hand to block water from going into the pivot. I then dry the blade with a white, cotton undershirt. I hold it by the tang in one hand, and wrap the shirt around the blade from the spine side at the heal and pull to the toe. I then look at the bevel, and if there seems to be anything there, I do a light strop on the shirt. Next, blow out the pivot and look over the blade for droplets. If she's clean, I usually give her some strop love on leather.

I rinse with hot tap water and then blow air through the scales and wipe the blade dry with a terry cloth with a stropping motion. Then I apply sterol to the blade.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I rinse with hot tap water and then blow air through the scales and wipe the blade dry with a terry cloth with a stropping motion. Then I apply sterol to the blade.

+1 on the...blow and wipe method. I don't use sterol, but I do strop on a neatsfoot oiled strop afterwards and that seems to work for me, so far.

I also leave the razor slightly open on my razor box for a day, just to make sure it be dry. Mebbe I could bypass that last step if I used sterol but I am cheap.

Depends on the razor, but mostly I just rinse the blade with hot water, blow out the pivot, then wipe the blade with a towel or tissue paper, then strop a few passes to ensure the edge is dry. I then place the razor in another room in the open position to air dry. So far I've not had any problems with this, especially with a razor that is used daily or every other day or two. I don't even use oil, unless the razor is going to sit.
For stainless razors, I do almost the same procedure, although they are a bit more forgiving.

John P.

I haven't been rinsing mine off, just wiping them on a cloth and then coating the whole blade and tang with a light film of mineral oil, so far so good.