Thread: Preventing/ Cleaning Pitting

I'm not sure if I will be able to find Maas or Mother's, so I may need to make do with what's available locally. Are these mildly abrasive metal polishes ? Are they the only polishes that work with high carbon steel or will any similar metal polish work ?

I think oiling the blade is important whether or not you live in a humid area. If all those people who used straights in the old days oiled their blades, then all vintage razors would be nice and shiny :-)
Think of it as a PIF to future generations of straight users !

I clean and/or remove rust with some Ballistol on a soft cloth. If that doesn't work, I use it on a slightly abrasive Scotch-Brite pad. If that doesn't work, I use Ballistol and some very fine emery/crocus cloth. After that the grits keep getting bigger.

I also use Ballistol to clean and protect (guns too) since it will emulsify with water. Since I have a lot of it, why not? That isn't important if you get your razors completely dry. Camellia or mineral oil will also work on a dry blade. Many other oils will work ok, too.

The way I dry off and store my razor after each shave is similar to previous posts. I dry the blade off on a towel, then take some tissue paper and dry in between the scales, give around the pivot a blow of air to (read this somewhere don't know if it works but it reassures me that its dry), this is followed by about 10-15 laps on my strop, then store in my room. I prefer storing my razor in my room one because my bathroom can get quite humid because it's quite small.

I can't find Maas locally either....I ordered mine right from Ebay. You may be able to get it lower than retail price as well.

Just a thought.

Any auto parts store or even Walmart should have Mother's. Look in the section where the waxes are located.