How can I get rid of you?

Greetings community! I understand it's my first post, so I'll be doing my best to make a good impression.

So I got a straight razor for my birthday, a beautiful Dovo straight razor with a gold and silver insignia on the blade, as well as what seems to be a gold squiggle running along the top.

Now, I've been using it a lot. I have a strop which keeps it plenty sharp, but there is a little bit of a problem... water marks. I'm not exactly sure if that's what they are actually called, but the spots on the blade that you get when it's just not dry enough when you put it away.

So far it has three. Perhaps it was the humidity where I live being sporadic, perhaps it was me being in a rush, or perhaps it is me just being a terrible person. Either way, there are three.

Now... I'd like them gone. They are marks of imperfection on a beautiful instrument of shaving history, and they seem to scar the surface of the blade. I've thought about a metal polish, but although something against a ferrous surface would be appropriate, the gold and silver insignia on the blade and the gold along the top, well, it's not going to fair well against a semi-corrosive polish.

So my question is, how can I remove these water spots, possibly patina -not sure on definition-, without hurting the precious and soft metals in the middle of the blade?

Thanks in advance gentlemen!

Welcome to SRP.

Wipe your blades after use with some suitable oil or even RP7, which I use, to eliminate oxidisation. As far as the marks go, removal would be difficult without removing a tiny amount of steel. Any method risks damaging the decorative wash.

Me, I hate gold wash and would strip it back without any hesitation.:D

I wish you great shaves.

I feel for you man. Something like Flix or whatever may do some damage to the gold wash but it depends how bad these spots are.

I have had a similar adventure when I first started. For putting away my razor I run under hot water, wipe off the blade, then leave it open on a towel while I wash my brush, face and the like.

I then use this applictor

Attachment 56466

You still have to be careful when you are rinsing the brush, and the like, that you do not get small spots on your razor. Water flies everywhere when you are shaking a brush out and I have started just folding the very corner of the towel over the top of the blade only while it is drying out. I don't fold the towel over the entire razor because a couple of times I forgot I had left it there and grabbed the towel and flipped the razor on the floor. Not good! That is probably where you got your little spots. I also blow out the pivot point before using the applicator. I use a combo of Camilla oil and Ballistol. I have not had a further problem since I started this procedure some 3 years now.


Take Care,
Richard

Try some MAAS polish which you can probably find at your local hardware store. Use it sparingly and if the spots are near the gold you can put a little on a Q tip andstay off of the gold.

You can hit the gold with a light wipe, but usually it is so thin that even MAAS will take it off.

As stated above though, prevention is the best thing.

Will N.

Welcome to SRP. Where I live, with the water available to me, water spots are a problem on a mirror polished blade. I've found that if I rinse the blade, wipe it thoroughly with a tissue immediately after I'm done shaving, I can avoid the spots. I do mean immediately. Even before I rinse my face. I follow with 20 laps on my leather hanging strop and then wipe with a silicone gun cloth impregnated with a rust preventative. If you get metal polish on the gold it will take the gold off IME. :gl:

It's almost worth going to my local jeweler and seeing if they could do something about it, obviously they are used to working with both kinds of metals and the removal of damage from them.

I won't even pretend to be an experienced metal-worker, and I'd rather not permanently damage a beautiful Solingen insignia, it's what makes the razor so fancy!

Perhaps a jeweler would take care of it for a nominal fee. I'll ask around my town and see, then let you guys know what they can do and for how much!

Thanks for all the help! I have been taking great care to prevent more spots, and it's worked well... but prevention can't fix what' already been done!

A jeweler might be able to take care of it for you. if it was mine I would live with it and use the aforementioned preventive measures from here on out. If I couldn't live with it I would send a PM to Lynn, Maximilian, gssixgun with photos and ask their advice. While a jeweler knows metals they may not know razors and one miscue with a hand held polishing or grinding device and your blade will be toast.

Yea, jewelers use power tools-enough said. A possibility is get a cape cod polishing cloth. Cut a tiny piece off and wrap it around a q tip or even glue it to the head of a pin then work the specific areas. You still need to be careful of the gold though. personally I would just live with and and in fact I do.

If the corrosion is in the goldwashed area it cannot be removed without risking the gold but if it is on the blade alone you can selectively remove it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

then wipe with a silicone gun cloth impregnated with a rust preventative.

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Do you have any more info on this Jimmy? Are they user-friendly, commercially available, need much upkeep etc ? Are they wet? Expensive?

:HJ
Sorry about off topic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MykelDR

Do you have any more info on this Jimmy? Are they user-friendly, commercially available, need much upkeep etc ? Are they wet? Expensive?

:HJ
Sorry about off topic.

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This sort of thing Bisley Silicone Cloth at Uttings.co.uk, I use une with my shotguns...and now razors:)