Attempted cleaning of a carbon steel Dovo straight razor. Help needed please!

Hey everyone,

I'm brand new to SRP and I've only been using a straight since July (a little over two months) and I need some help with a problem I noticed yesterday, that got a whole lot worse today. But to start, I should preface it by saying that I shave with my straight razor almost every day with this past week being the exception due to being away for a bit...but when I pulled out the straight yesterday it appeared to have developed a lot of tarnish along the spine and the tang...and one small spot close to the cutting edge.

So I scoured the web looking for a solution until I came across a website that told me to do the following to clean the razor:

1) Apply Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner and it should take off most grime, and some tarnish...but otherwise leave a clean surface for the rest of the process.

2) Apply a toothpaste to the blade to give it a good shine and to be able to brighten up the good parts, while making the tarnished marks stand out better for the last step.

3) While the blade is still wet, apply a steel cleaner and scrub it in with a sponge to work out the tarnish and then dry it off immediately.

Thinking this was relatively harmless and worth a shot, I tried it out...but as soon as I applied the steel cleaner it gave the carbon steel blade a gross yellow tint to it, and what blows my mind is that the razor went from being fairly sharp (passed the nail test and cut through paper with ease) to getting caught in my nail and not cutting even one hair with a fair amount of pressure.

Now I think it may have been the cleaner that was used...because I noticed afterwards that it was an aluminum based powder meant for stainless steel but it was advertised as an all purpose steel cleaner when I bought it.

But regardless of what the culprit was...I just need help figuring out what to do next to make my razor usable and make the discoloration of the blade go away. Any help would be appreciated. And go easy on me, I realize I made a mistake with it...but I guess it's now a task that I won't try again without more research from people who actually know what they're talking about

Thanks in advance guys.

-Pat

Cleaning before honing is always recommended as the abrasion and overall cleaning process may have dulled the blade. I dont know if the cleaning agents have anything to do with it but a fingernail can dull a very fine edge easily. I would think from your description it needs to be honed.

Ohh it definitely needs to be honed there's no doubt about that...but is there anything I can do for the discoloration? I know the pictures aren't the best...but you can see a yellowy tint if you look close enough when before there was no such color

You have some etching on the blade. I would try some metal polish first like flittz or brasso even. Carbon steel needs to be dried very well. I strop on clean felt and leather after every shave to ensure no oxidation. Try the metal polish first and see. If you try to buff it out, you may lose the etching. Its up to you.

Okay I'll give that a shot thank you for the advice

I want to say get some Blue magic, maa's, or mother's, polish (I think Blue magic works best out of the three, plus I think it leaves a coating on the blade that will help protect it). Not sure what your routine is after the shave, but here's what I do, rinse the blade with tap water, strop the blade, douse some rubbing alcohol on the whole blade and wipe it down with with T.P and back in the rack it goes, out in the open closed and out of harms way (if you have kids). No rust, or tarnish problems.

Edit: After reading Phrank's Link - Use Hot water to rinse, as was said in that thread the heat from the blade being in the hot water should help evaporate water.I'm still going to say use Rubbing alcohol, it should displace any remaining water

It's like time traveling...check out what happened with my DOVO 5/8th.

I still weep:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...er-ruined.html

This still hurts!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickrais

But regardless of what the culprit was...I just need help figuring out what to do next to make my razor usable and make the discoloration of the blade go away. Any help would be appreciated. And go easy on me, I realize I made a mistake with it...but I guess it's now a task that I won't try again without more research from people who actually know what they're talking about

Thanks in advance guys.

-Pat

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It is important to note that your blade remains entirely usable! Apart from the noted need for honing of course. What you have here is an aesthetic problem, and nothing that will effect the actual performance of the blade unless there is oxidation on the edge itself.

One man's tarnish is another's patina. :) Most of the razors I use regularly are mid-19th century Sheffield blades that have all sorts of patina. Personally, I love it. It drives other guys crazy, and they chase the mirror finish. To each his own.

In the end it is a personal thing so if the tarnish is bugging you (as I suspect it is!) then by all means to what you need to do to get rid of it. But just be aware that 'usability' of the blade has not been harmed in any way by the presence of tarnish, assuming the edge is clear.

Thanks everyone for the replies, Chris I will try your advice out when I get a moment...and Phrank, its almost comical that we went through pretty much exactly the same problem with a similar blade. And Cangooner, you are completely right...its more of an aesthetic problem then anything at this point given that a quick honing will solve my usability issues, but I guess I was just flustered that it became unshaveable in about five minutes...thanks for pointing that out though

Have a good one guys.
-Pat

I just bought a vintage eugene berninghaus or something like that the other day at my antique store with the same issue and blue magic metal polish/ cleaner removes the problem with no issues :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickrais

Thinking this was relatively harmless and worth a shot, I tried it out...but as soon as I applied the steel cleaner it gave the carbon steel blade a gross yellow tint to it, and what blows my mind is that the razor went from being fairly sharp (passed the nail test and cut through paper with ease) to getting caught in my nail and not cutting even one hair with a fair amount of pressure.

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Pat, I read your post and just sat here at the keyboard shaking my head is wonder :(

That had to be the worst advice for cleaning I have seen written about SR's ever

TNT = "The Nail test is NOT a test for sharpness by a user it is for a Honer to use at very low stages of bevel setting
Cutting paper ???? Really Really Really bad

You have a ton of reading to do here on SRP

Clean it get it honed and while it is away being fixed study the beginner articles they really do help..



"Cutting Paper" :aargh: Just the thought of that on a good edge made my teeth hurt like fingernails on a chalkboard...

Umm ya. The "paper test", paper is made from...yep, wood...paper is the worst thing to test the sharpness of any object even scissors. There's a reason a hairdresser gasps if their scissors were ever used on paper. As Glen has said do some reading here on SRP and get a grasp on the techniques and tests used to get yourself on the right track.