Leave my DE razor together or take it apart everyday?

[CNY Wet Shave]

I'm a week in to DE shaving with my Edwin Jagger DE89 razor. I don't have a razor stand yet. I have been taking apart my razor everyday and wiping it down. Do I need to go through this everyday or am I wasting time?

Thanks for your input

 

[gruntedshaves]

honestly, water gets into the nooks and crannys, and idk about the newer razors but they develop rust. as for stainless razors, they will rust eventually and you need to open it up and do something to hinder that.

 

[DesmondD]

I have absolutely no idea about this as I only started wetshaving a week or two ago myself, but I would imagine that taking it apart, giving it a nice rinse and dry and putting it back together again is pretty good practise after a shave. Doesn't take all that long - maybe 2 minutes max.

 

[CNY Wet Shave]

Thanks guys for your input

 

[_JP_]

I only take them apart when I'm changing the blade. Then I give it a good cleaning. For in between shaves, I loosen the head and rinse with hot, running water.

 

[_Norm_]

YMMV, but I typically just give my razor a thorough rinsing after each shave, dry well and put away. When I know I've gone through my last shave with a blade, I give the razor a good spray down with scrubbing bubbles after removing the blade, clean it off with a toothbrush and hot water, and leave it to air dry overnight.

 

[jtcoinflip]

I take mine apart after every shave. I don't see how doing it that way could harm it, plus, if the blade starts to rust its not in my razor.

 

[mistercitizen]

I take mine apart every shave and at least rinse the blade off thoroughly. I will usually scrub all parts with a toothbrush.... but not always. The main thing for me is to get the soap rinsed off the blade and get it dry before I put it back in my razor and back in my razor stand. The razor doesn't have to be completely clean of soap, but it must be dry if I'm going to put the blade back in it.

Ben

 

[m139]

I asked this question a week ago. I stared out with a butterfly head so it was simple to just TTO and get the blade out and clean everything then dry it. However, I've moved to a EJ89 and since then I only take it apart when I change blades. Since I shave daily with the same razor, there is no way that I'll get rust on the blade overnight! I just rinse with hot water, then I towel dry the razor careful not to scrape the blade then I lay it down where the blade's edge is perpendicular to the counter top (I'm awaiting a custom stand). When it's time to change the blade, I take the razor apart then scrub it with an old toothbrush and dish soap/hot water. Then I completely towel dry it, insert a new blade and it's ready for the next use. I've found that this method works great and I don't run the risk of dulling the blade with excessive cleaning or scrubbing... the platinum coating is very thin and can be scraped off easily with a brush.... YMMV but that's been working perfectly for me.

 

[Wingnut]

Daniel, I can only tell you what I do, and give you some general information on rust and corrosion so that you can make your own decisions. First, my routine:

I'm a bit OCD, so I break down my 3 piece razors after each shave if I've got the time. I wipe everything dry (patting the blade in a towel carefully) and then re-assemble. If I'm running late, however, I just loosen the head halfway, run it under some hot water, tighten it up and call it done. If I think about it, I might use a small atomizer of isopropyl alcohol to spritz it if I didn't break it down in order to displace any water that might be hanging around. When I change out the blade, I try to do a more-thorough cleaning, using Scrubbing Bubbles or a toothbrush and some dish soap, and a microfiber cloth as necessary to keep it nice and shiny.

Now, is all that strictly necessary? Not at all--like I said, I'm somewhat OCD about my razors, and most of mine are vintage. Lots of guys just rinse quickly under hot running water and let it go at that. There's nothing wrong with that at all.


Now, on to what I know about the EJ razor and the rust and/or corrosion question. First, no razor that I know of (save those made of stainless steel) will ever "rust". Only iron and it's alloys are prone to rust. The head of the EJ razor is made of a zinc alloy called Zamak. It's a low-melting-temperature metal sometimes referred to as "pot metal". The good thing about it is that, for the manufacturer, they don't need major forging kilns and extremely high temps to cast it. The bad news is that, in the presence of air and water, it will corrode quite easily.

Not to worry, though! By plating those zinc alloy parts with chrome, nickel, or some other metal, no water will ever be able touch that Zamak--unless the plating is compromised. That's why most razors are plated, by the way--not just because it looks so good! It's done to protect the base metal from corrosion, be it Zamak (which both EJ and Merkur heads are made of) or brass (vintage Gillette). If the plating is missing and water is allowed to stay in contact with the base Zamak metal, corrosion is inevitable and can't be reversed.

So, now on to the DE blade itself: almost all modern blades are made of stainless steel, and while SS will rust eventually if it is kept wet, that's not going to happen for weeks at least, and maybe months. I'm guessing you don't generally use a blade for a month, right? No worries, then!

Long story short: if your razor's plating is intact and you replace your blades regularly, do whatever floats your boat--it's not going to matter one way or the other.

 

[CNY Wet Shave]

Thanks John,

To be perfectly honest I don't think I could ever put this beautiful razor away without wiping it clean and making it shine like new. I guess i have a little OCD as well. But the thought of seeing that razor dirty or spotty would drive me nuts. Lets be honest we are all here because we want to do things the best way not the easiest or fastest way. So I guess I should not have asked the question because no matter what i'm never going to put that beautiful precision instrument away dirty. Thanks guys for all the comments and opinions.

 

[Gammon]

I take it apart, wipe off the blade, and inspect the numbers to make sure I had the blade in the right way.

Seriously though, I disassemble my 3-piece when I change the blade. When I'm done shaving, I give it a thorough rinse in hot water, shake the water off, and put it away. I've never had a problem with any kind of dirt, rust, soap scum, or anything else. Mind you, I've had lots of problems with TTOs. Reason #2 why I avoid them now.

 

[ricardo9505]

who has time? leave it in. My razor costs me like $40. if it lasts 4 years I'll be happy and I'm told it will last longer. I rinse it and have a small spray bottle with alcohol that I spray on after drying. help dissipate moisture as it does sit in my stainless steel holder which itself can rust over time

 

[dpmtherrien]

I leave mine together, and only take it apart when I change blades. I've never had any problems doing this, and my razors show nothing like rust or whatever.

 

[rxpharmd]

I was thinking about this as well. I think I'll be treating mine with alcohol to help the water evaporate more easily.

 

[celestino]

It really depends on you. i take mine apart and dry all components every day. Doesn't take much time and it removes the majority of the water. Good luck.

 

[BlackBard]

I only take them apart when I'm changing the blade. Then I give it a good cleaning. For in between shaves, I loosen the head and rinse with hot, running water.

I agree. Anything more is not necessary, unless you just like playing with your toys.

 

[Mick]

I'm a week in to DE shaving with my Edwin Jagger DE89 razor. I don't have a razor stand yet. I have been taking apart my razor everyday and wiping it down. Do I need to go through this everyday or am I wasting time?

Thanks for your input

That was how I was taught to take care of a razor and how I have been doing it for over 45 years.

BUT....

It is up to you how you treat your tools.

I still use a 1970 Gillette super adjustable I bought new in 1970 and it still looks new.

 

[Redzone]

Yep and with that I'll join the OCD club or I actually prefer CDO (keep it in order) and I will be taking apart and cleaning after every shave.
Thanks for the advice Gents !

 

[Rhines]

I like keeping my razor looking clean and shiny. I usually just rinse it off very well and pat it dry. Once everything is dry Ill put it back together. If you're going to take the time to wet shave, you might as well take the time to keep everything looking nice.