Thread: Post Shave Maintenance

Dear Fellow Razorheads-Although I realize that immediately stropping after a shave is a no-no, what should I do otherwise? Do I need to use rubbing Alcohol on the entire blade or just wipe the blade dry, ensuring that no water is in the pivot points? FWIW, I have built up a 1 week supply of straight razors and hope that between CAREFUL stropping and use that I will get some mileage out of these blades before I have to do any light honing with a Balsa/Chromium Oxide strop. At least that's the plan Thanx again for any advice-Gearhead222

Wipe it dry. If you have water between the scales, get that out, too. As you move along shaving, you'll (hopefully) get to a point that you never get water between the scales. There's no great reason for it to be there, really no reason to have wet hands when you're handing a razor or rinse anything but the blade. So the pivot should stay dry out of method, and same with between the scales.

I wouldn't do anything after shaving other than pull the razor through a towel, whatever towel you're using to dry your face. It shouldn't oxidize if it's dry. If I were in your shoes (and basically i am, i guess), I would use one razor and strop that one each day. Set the others in a dry place and use a razor for a while instead of rotating through all of them and using each once a week. You'll have a better and more consistent edge and shave that way.

Rubbing alcohol, oil and all of that stuff is not necessary unless you live somewhere that it's impossible to keep the relative humidity below about 65%. Somewhere around that point is where carbon steel will oxidize without you getting it wet. Without that, not much will happen, but if you use the same razor for several days in row, you'll have the cleanest edge possible because any oxidation that does occur will have a day to occur and not a week.

Thank you for the very detailed reply! Great info! Copying for reference!-Gearhead222

I immediately strop my razors post-shave....is that a no-no? Damn. I also get plenty of water between the scales - though there is no reason for it to be there, I seem to find plenty of reasons all the same.

Razors need to be dry (when not shaving with them) so they don't rust. End of story really. Do what you need to do to ensure that, and your life will be fine.

James.

Hmmm, I don't recall ever hearing that stropping after shaving is a no-no, but this is what I do:

I thoroughly rinse the blade with hot water and wipe it dry with toilet paper pinched in my fingers. I let it air dry while I clean my brush, apply alum etc. Then I strop 10 linen 15 leather before setting the razor down to air dry for a few hours (frequently over night). Then I wipe the blade with some mineral oil and store it away. I've never had any issues with rust or water staining with my routine.

I have heard that if you wipe dry and put the razor up and leave it alone for 24-48 hours the edge will repair itself (Steel with a memory like some plastics?). I have done this by rotating my razors. I have also stropped my razors 25 strokes after drying them and puting them away, each time open, into a canvas holder, to insure that edge rusting does not take place, then strop another 15-25 times just before shaving.

I have not experienced much gain from the razors repairing themselves but, when I strop after using, I have noticed that the edge seems to last much longer between sharpenings or having to go to a pasted strop for edge restoration.

Not saying anything other than what I have found so far.

Well, the old "edge realigns itself" thing has been around for ages. It was among one of the first questions I posted on here. All I can say is that in the intervening years I have found, through experimentation, that stropping provides a better edge than not stropping. So if the edge is realigning itself, it is not doing it as well as with the help of a strop.

James.

That's an old barbers tale. And speaking of barbers they used then same few razors to shave every day over and over again.

I guess it's one of those topics that will always be debated without statistical proof.

I have worked with a lot of blades and steels and have yet to ever witness any sort of auto-realignment of an edge.

I was taught to avoid words like 'always' and 'never', but I have never seen any detriment brought to any blade from proper stropping technique...and therefore always strop after use when possible.

I suppose the traditional "YMMV" belongs here, but I am not sure I have stumbled upon any solid data or studies to support the "rest the blade" camp.

Here's my routine:
Careful spine first wipe down with a face towel.
Stropping with linen / leather about 15 or 20 passes
Swab with a light coating of camelia oil