Thread: Actual Testing OMG - Alcohol and Razors

If heat energy added to a system can be stored as kinetic energy of the particles, that means that, if the system has heat energy, the particles will have kinetic energy. It's as simple as - the particles are moving, and therefore they have kinetic energy. Also, the potential energy being referenced is most likely not a reference to atomic energy; it is probably to do with phase or some other physical arrangement (but that is off topic).

If you really want to say that moving particles don't have kinetic energy, that's fine, but every physicist I've ever met (including all the ones I worked with at FNAL) will completely disagree with you.

I am delighted to see hair-splitting going on in this thread.

(I bet nobody's made THAT joke around here before...)

Have you ever poured that stuff in a good cut? Talk about your kinetic energy!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Have you ever poured that stuff in a good cut? Talk about your kinetic energy!!!!!!!!

Um, yeah...but its kinetic energy paled to my own when I was running at what approached light speed to get enough wind to cool it down

I just put two nice razors (three actually) in denatured alcohol that was almost entirely ethanol with a trace of methyl alcohol this weekend (i.e., the stuff you would use to dissolve shellac).

I noticed that the razors discolored easily right off the bat, but then again, they didn't have fatty soap on them and they had drops of water on them from time to time. Autosol quickly (very very quickly) solved the problem, and there were no pits.

I guess everyone can do whatever they want, I'd keep the scales out of alcohol in case they are something that is dissolved or degraded in it, but whatever.

I wonder where one finds barbicide, other than those shops that only let people with a beutician's license in (and not online).

I wonder, too, how many of these razors have anything on them other than whatever's floating around in the air. I just received two, and the sellers honed both of them, which is something I could've done myself, I suppose. I don't know if that means that they were just used prior to that, but I don't think much of anything other than hepatitis B would survive any signficant period of being dry.

I think we're chasing around our fears most of the time, and what applies to a barber who is constantly using a razor on one person after another doesn't necessarily apply to us. At least not until we start hearing about people actually getting something from a straight razor. Surely it would be something we'd have heard about by now.

Interesting.. albeit threadsurrection. Thanks for running your test.


(Although... in all honesty... I only clicked on this thread because the title implied a "Hold my beer and watch this" moment.)

Hi,

I'm new to the forum. I'm a tinker at heart and love to work in my shop on various projects.
I hadn't read this thread, but I did my own experiment using 70% alcohol, usually use 90% but the store was out.
I used vintage straight razors from early 1800's to about 1920 with damaged scales moslty celluloid, and a few buffalo horn. in separate glass.
I also separated the black celluloid and the ivory colored celluloid.
I left them in totally submerged for 48 hours. I didn't take pictures but did thoroughly inspect them before starting.
The result: no damage to any razor blade or scale , no rust and about 90% of the gunk was dissolved from the scales.
I got beautiful urine colored alcohol.
The only places that didn't get completely cleaned were around the pivot and the wedge. I used a q-tip and 70% alcohol and cleaned up the rest of
the residue. I know barbicide will stain most light colored things although cleaning with Maas with get rid of it.

I repeated the same test with barbicide with the same result on the black celluloid and buffalo horn with the same result.

This is a GREAT forum and I've learned a TON about straight razors. Thanks to all the members like gssixgun & others who paved the way for other razor nuts!

I think we need a control group. How about Barbasol? Would this also cause the rust spots over extended soaking? I think wiping with oil after use would prevent the rust.

Gentlemen:

This is why telling people that soaking razors in Alcohol, is NOT a good idea..

This pic just came in by e-mail. a 1 Hour soak BTW, it really does depend on the razors and obviously other factors

That's why I disinfect my razors before putting my restoration tools on'em and then just give them a quick wipe with alcohol when I'm done. I typically use 1% bleach solution and yes, it will cause some rust spots that clean easily.. It will also reveal any existing pitting and other imperfections. Once I clean and polish the blade and re-scale it, I hone it up and finally wipe it down with alcohol. No issues with the finish that way.