Thread: How to remove black shmutz

I have a brand new TI carbon steel razor that I've shaved with twice. I thought I had been careful to wipe it dry and air it out after use, but upon taking it out of its case two days since I last used it I noticed a few areas that bear a kind of oily looking black discoloration. It doesn't wipe of with a wet or dry towel. What is this and how do I restore the blade to its mirror finish?

Thanks in advance.

Rick

Sounds like what I think of as "water spots". They sometimes appear a day after shaving from moisture left on the blade or if the air is humid and you don't dry the blade enough. Try just polishing the spots with MAAS or another metal polish. If it doesn't come out that way, posting pictures would help to "diagnose" the problem. I'd guess MAAS would do it.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Sounds like what I think of as "water spots". They sometimes appear a day after shaving from moisture left on the blade or if the air is humid and you don't dry the blade enough. Try just polishing the spots with MAAS or another metal polish. If it doesn't come out that way, posting pictures would help to "diagnose" the problem. I'd guess MAAS would do it.

+1, If you're putting your razor away just after shaving in a black leather case, you might be leaching black dye to the blade. Razors need to dry before storing them in leather.

I have to get some MAAS.

I'm pretty sure now that it is oxidation from moisture. I probably didn't let it dry enough before returning it to its box.

This is unorthodox, but try scrubbing it with a clean dollar bill. I don't know what 'grit' currency is, but it seems to work.