Thread: "Accelerated" rusting

A couple of weeks ago I found my old Dovo Special razor, bought in the eighties of last century, covered in rust. I hadn't used it for a while because it is very hard to hone. I removed most of the rust with a little wire brush and started to grind it to remove the burrs etc. Unfortunately, within 24/24 there was rust again on the freshly ground cutting edge. The razor was really dry before being put aside in a really dry room. I keep my working razors in a less dry bathroom and they do not seem to come to any harm.

Can anyone tell what causes this accelerated rusting? And what to do about it?

It could be celluloid rot. Celluloid, (cellulose nitrate, which is similar to gunpowder in chemical makeup) if it deteriorates, emits a highly corrosive gas that will rust razors very badly, indeed. If this is the case, you'll need to remove the scales and discard them before it primes other celluloid handles to break down, too.

if there's discoloration in the handle that is in the same areas as the accellerated rusting, it's a sure sign. If the celluloid smell is particularly strong on the razor, that's also a sure sign.

The scales emit a vinagery smell so I suppose you're right. Thanks for the tip!

I've also heard that if you store your razor in the same drawer or cabinet with your styptic pencil that it can cause rust too.

Kees, the smell is a dead giveaway - along with the rust, actually. If you haven't removed those handles, which should be quite brittle, indeed, do so immediately and discard them. It's the only way I know to save the blade.

This is very informative. I didn't know this about celluloid. Kees, make sure you also clean the blade thoroughly, to remove any rust-causing residue. Good luck!

some types of celluloid are much more prone to this type of off-gassing and deterioration than others. Multi-colored handles and some of the transluscent stuff was the worst, in my opinion. I still think celluloid is really nice stuff, but it should be kept away from UV light and heat to help preserve it. Celluloid is actually quite durable and will last for many decades, but some will eventually breakdown and cause problems, so razor collections should ALWAYS be checked very frequently. One razor with celluloid rot in a box with others can ruin everything in the box. If you ever noticed, some of the 7 day sets have one razor that's horribly rusted and the razors have diminishing rust damage, the farther away they are set from the razor that caused the problem. Also, you will notice a rust pattern that coincides with a discoloration or what appears to be a blemish in the celluloid. As it breaks down, it often changes color or texture and becomes very, very brittle. Slightly bend it and it will break like it was made of thin hard candy.

The brittleness (many break lines in an almost cobweb like pattern on one of the scales), multi-colouredness (imitatation tortoise) and "contagiousness" (other razor in same box) are exactly as you describe it! Thanks!

Be sure to carefully clean any razors that were in the "neighborhood" of this razor. As I understand it, this is contagious!

RT

Ok, you fellows have me worried now. How can I definitefly identify celluloid razors so I can remove them and replace them? Like they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Glen F