Thread: Preserving my Razors

My razors have been sitting in a box since I moved a couple of years ago, and recently I checked on them and they all had a fine amount of rust. Now while I am feeling like an idiot, I would like to keep more damage from happening to them. I don't want to restore them so much as keep them from rotting. I also don't want to spend much time with this.

Should I use electrolysis and then coat them with camellia oil/mineral oil?
Can I use a vibration tumbler with the scales on?

Should I just smother them with oil and not get the rust off?

Thanks!

I would certainly get the rust off. Rust is like cancer. Tiny amounts of free oxygen within the particles of rust will create more rust.

Get it off, and get it off now.

Once it's off, you've got a lot of options. Camelia oil works well, 5-10% mineral oil/rubbing alcohol will create a great "dip" for protect your razors by driving off water, and leaving and ultra thin layer of oil behind. (I completely ripped off that last one)

Alternatively, they can be sealed with wax. Simply take a broken candle, and rub them like you're coloring them with a crayon. Heck, you could even use a crayon to do it. It's ugly, but provides a really thick air/water proof coating that will last for ages if you're storing them in a box rather than using them.

Last but not least, clean them up, and then use them every day. Daily use it the best way to keep any metal object from oxidizing, be it a silver bracelet or a straight razor.

Ok, so what is the easiest way to get the rust off without removing the scales?

Originally Posted by mpols1968

Ok, so what is the easiest way to get the rust off without removing the scales?

It all depends on how much rust and where it is, and how good of a job you want to do.

Post a few pics and we'll have a better idea.

Dave

Sorry for the quality of the pics. Some blades are worse than I thought:

If you want to salvage those, you're going to have to send them to someone for some heavy duty buffer work.

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

Camelia oil works well, 5-10% mineral oil/rubbing alcohol will create a great "dip" for protect your razors by driving off water, and leaving and ultra thin layer of oil behind. (I completely ripped off that last one)

Worse, you ripped it off badly! It's closer to a 0.5% solution.

Originally Posted by Utopian

If you want to salvage those, you're going to have to send them to someone for some heavy duty buffer work.

I know that it will take a lot to restore them. I just want to halt the damage.

The second razor looks pretty bad. The rusting is extensive.
I would not try to save it.

The other two can be salvaged but it will require using either some coarse buffing compound or sandpaper. Get a estimate from someone who does restorations.

Just my $.02,

Originally Posted by Utopian

Worse, you ripped it off badly! It's closer to a 0.5% solution.

OK, say someone has bottles of each, mineral oil and 90% rubbing alch, how would you mix them? And how much of each?