Thread: Staining/pitting

Hi guys, a bit of a beginners question here I think. Due to a first shave incident a couple months ago involving wet scales, my blade has some stains where it comes in contact with the scales when closed, and a few stains a little bit above the edge. Disappointing to be sure, but I figured they were just cosmetic and so left them. However, I noticed today a darker spot on one of the stains, and I can't tell if it has been worsening and maybe started pitting, or I just somehow looked at it differently (shown in this photo)
So my question is, does this look like pitting, and what can I do about this? I figure this would be caused by moisture in the scales being against the blade, though I dry the scales and oil the blade with mineral oil after every shave. Any other preventative measures, and any way to remove this? I've read that metal polish easily removes gold wash; if I apply the polish carefully with a Q-tip might I get away with it? Or is it still not advisable? (if it is, what kind of metal polish should be used, and how?).
Here are two more photos showing the stain on the other side, and (kind of) the staining above the edge.

Thanks!

I can't really make out any spotting on your blade, so I don't think it is too bad. Yes, metal polish will remove any staining/patina that forms but you want to avoid the lettering and of course the edge. I personally use Flitz, but most any metal polish will work just fine on a simple carbon steel blade.
After shaving, I use bathroom tissue to dry off the blade and scales immediately after shaving. I then strop a few times on linen to make sure the edge is dry and leave the razor open on my razor shelf. I put it back in its proper place next time I go to pick a razor.
Remember that if you are dealing with carbon steel, so staining can and will happen. Take care of your razors and you won't have any real problems save for an occasional spot.
Enjoy the hobby, and don't stress out over a little discoloration!

I can't make out anything from the photos. What I do after shaving is wipe the blade off gently with a bar towel, then strop it, and leave it out opened to air-dry for 1-1/2 hrs. or all day as the case may be. Once it has dried like this, I dip it into a solution of 4 pts. methyl alcohol to 1 pt. pharmacy grade mineral oil and again leave the razor out opened for around 15 mins., for the alcohol to evaporate (alcohol can attack the scales). Then it is folded up and put away. No problems for me in using this method, which really sounds more complicated than it is.

Hi guys, thanks for the feedback. I'm still trying to get a feel for spotting and assessing problems. Seems I should let the razor sit open longer, as it is I've only been giving it 10 or 15 minutes before oiling it and putting it away. It's fairly humid where I live, as well...
Also, sorry for the quality of the photos. I've marked the staining on them here in blue, and the darker part that I'm worried about in pink on the first photo (kind of hard to see, but it's inside the blue area).

You've been given some good tips here. And you're right, metal polishes will remove gold wash. An easy thing to do is simply place some tape ( masking , the blue stuff etc) over the gold as some insurance. Then go ahead with the polish and work out the spots.

Remember to not leave your razor in the bathroom because of the moisture. And in place of oiling I've be very happy using Ren-wax to protect my razors. No mess , neat and clean.

Just one additional thought to add to the others here. If a razor isn't completely dry, oil can trap moisture against the blade, so unless I'm not going to use the razor for a week, I don't oil them at all and I never oil them within 24 hours after use. May not be necessary, but it has worked for me, and I live a a beach town with .5 miles of the Atlantic, so it's fairly humid, always, as I imagine Shanghai is.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Just one additional thought to add to the others here. If a razor isn't completely dry, oil can trap moisture against the blade, so unless I'm not going to use the razor for a week, I don't oil them at all and I never oil them within 24 hours after use. May not be necessary, but it has worked for me, and I live a a beach town with .5 miles of the Atlantic, so it's fairly humid, always, as I imagine Shanghai is.

I'm baffled your razors aren't rusty. Maybe you have air conditioning ? That dries the air.

The oil over a not completely dry razor theory is an interesting one. I remember Neil Miller mentioned it once. The problem with the theory is that steel needs water plus oxygen to cause rust so leaving a razor unoiled, therefore, unsealed from oxygen should cause more rust than less.

Just a FYI. In a humid environment your fingers will also leave water on any part of a blade that you handle.

I use a water displacing spray that has a high oil content on all blades & I use it right after shaving. I feel I hedge my bets that way.
I've seen some steels rust whilst honing so I treat them all with the same paranoia.

Humidity was 100% here yesterday

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I'm baffled your razors aren't rusty. Maybe you have air conditioning ? That dries the air.

Ok, I do have a/c which I use when it's hot, and it reduces the interior humidity to 55%, but the other 8 months (today is 82%/ 72 degrees F), I don't. I do run them under VERY hot water, dry with a tissue including between the scales, and leave them open overnight on my bedroom cable box, which is always warm. I then put them in an Alembic (pelican like) box with dessicant, or a gun type individual dry sack, but...almost never oil. Long term I do wipe with Ballistrol before storing longer than a month. I guess it's part really really anal drying, part handling care, part luck & part water content. Never had rust on any, yet.

I use A/C most of the year, humid place. Treat my blades with TufGlide before first honing, nary ever an issue. Years.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I use A/C most of the year, humid place. Treat my blades with TufGlide before first honing, nary ever an issue. Years.

AC most of the year?

Love to get you up here in February, take a walk along the beach and the frozen lake, -27C with the wind chill, bracing, you can spit and it will freeze before it hits the ground sometimes, and you could soak a strop in neatsfoot oil and it would dry out in about three days....I can hang a wet brush by the window, and it will be bone dry in three hours.