Keeping your Razor Blades Dry?

[dre271]

Newbie here,
So I have read that one of the quickest ways to dull your razor blades is not to dry them after use. I started drying the razor blades with a towel after use, but I have read that this will dull the blades as well? What is the proper way to dry your razor blades after use?
Thanks,
New guy...:ohmy:

[ackvil]

I open the razor head and let it air dry. However, I do dip the razor and blade in isopropyl alcohol to help remove any water and to disinfect it. It may not be necessary to do this - but I have been doing it for so many years it has become a habit.

However, I don't see how drying a blade in a towel would do any harm - other than the danger of getting a cut.

[dre271]

Odd, even on the directions of my Merkur blades, they state not to use a towel to dry them.

[RazoRock]

I open the razor head and let it air dry. However, I do dip the razor and blade in isopropyl alcohol to help remove any water and to disinfect it. It may not be necessary to do this - but I have been doing it for so many years it has become a habit.

However, I don't see how drying a blade in a towel would do any harm - other than the danger of getting a cut.

I also dip the blade (head of the razor) in 99% alcohol after use. This gets rid of the excess water and the alcohol evaporates very quickly.

[AndreasDK]

I just give my razor a quick shake and place it on the shelf.

The blade gets dull from shaving faster than because of rust.

[HoosierTrooper]

I lay a dry hand towel on the sink, place the blade on it and then fold the towel on top of the blade. Simple, quick and I can't for the life of me see how this can harm a blade in any way, shape or form. I then lay the blade in a small plastic container that has a folded paper towel in the bottom and a couple of the packets that absorb moisture that I kept from a bottle of vitamins.

[KM-instructor]

[QUOTE=HoosierTrooper;3508599]I lay a dry hand towel on the sink, place the blade on it and then fold the towel on top of the blade.QUOTE]

Pretty much the same here, just sandwich the blade for a split second between the towel , then sit the blade ontop of the shelf ready for the next loading.

[LiveOak]

HoosierTrooper and KM-instructor, me too. I pop open the razor and drop the blade on my towel and fold it over and pat it. I also dry the inside of the razor with the towel. This only takes five seconds.

[nosedog]

I sandwich the blade between the folds of a towel, as mentioned above, or gently wipe both sides on the towel. This is after giving it a good wash, which I think is important for blade maintenance.

Washing and drying the razor and blade is something to do while waiting for alum to do its trick.

[Wrangoleer]

I blow my out with my lungs and God takes care of the rest of the drying.

[echotron]

I blow my out with my lungs and God takes care of the rest of the drying.

+1

[kg0mz]

I touch the blade when I put it in the razor and when I remove it. In between I see no reason to fiddle with it.

[jmorris]

Newbie here,
So I have read that one of the quickest ways to dull your razor blades is not to dry them after use. I started drying the razor blades with a towel after use, but I have read that this will dull the blades as well? What is the proper way to dry your razor blades after use?
Thanks,
New guy...:ohmy:
I lay the blade on top of a towel and just press down on it, into the towel. I do the same to the other side and then put it away.

[onefallinghope]

To me it seems like overthinking things a bit. I may be doing it wrong, but after I shave I run the head under the water for about thirty seconds, give the razor a good shake and then hang it up on the stand. I touch the blades when I change them and thats it.

[mmack66]

I have never dried a blade and have not experienced any blade longevity issues. I wouldn't think that a blade would dull significantly within a week's time.

[M80]

I will never understand why people try to stretch their dollar with blades, the cheapest part of the whole process. Dig some change out of your couch cushions, buy some blades and change them more often.

[HoosierTrooper]

To me it seems like overthinking things a bit. I may be doing it wrong, but after I shave I run the head under the water for about thirty seconds, give the razor a good shake and then hang it up on the stand. I touch the blades when I change them and thats it.

It's not overthinking at all if you ever use a carbon steel blade, which I and others use a lot of. When you're busy cleaning rust off of the razor you'll probably wish you would've thought about taking the blade out.


I will never understand why people try to stretch their dollar with blades, the cheapest part of the whole process. Dig some change out of your couch cushions, buy some blades and change them more often.

It's not a matter of stretching dollars if, like I said above, someone uses carbon steel blades. I think it makes sense to dry it off and use it three or four days as opposed to leaving it the razor so it can rust overnight. What's wrong with that tactic?

Plus, I never use the same razor two days in a row so the blade's coming out anyway, so a few seconds of time to dry it off and put it in a container is nothing.

[bluepunk18]

I just blot mine dry with toilet paper after a quick rinse with hot tap water...Then I put it back in the razor and let it rest in a stand. No problems with rusting yet. If they are rusting on you, perhaps you are not using them enough?

[xraygun]

I dip the razor with blade into an apothecary jar of Bacardi 151, then take the blade out and put in on a tissue in a small lidded soap dish thingy with a couple of his relatives. I never know what razor I'm using tomorrow and wouldn't want to try to keep track of how many shaves a blade is in each loaded razor.

Next shave I pick a razor, then look in the blade box for one that goes well with it.

I'm not trying to stretch my blades, just get the best shave.

[M80]

1945

[mmack66]

Common sense should dictate that carbon steel blades should be dried off after use.

[onefallinghope]

I've never used a carbon steel blade, maybe that's why I haven't thought about it.

[HoosierTrooper]

M80,that's basically what I do is blot it in a folded towel then move it to a dry place. Now, I'm not a metallurgist, I don't even know if I spelled it right, but I wonder if water, especailly really hard water, and soap/cream setting on the edge of a stainless blade can cause some small amount of damage/dulling over time.

[N2theBreech]

1945

Ummm.... what's a blotter? :biggrin1:

[HoosierTrooper]

Ummm.... what's a blotter? :biggrin1:

It's a thing that you, well, uh, you know, blot stuff with.

[Comfortably_Numb]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I've been wondering about this lately and I haven't been able to find the answer.

I think dipping the blade in alcohol can be done safely and quickly, but if you dip the blade in alcohol, do you still need to blot it dry?

IOW, is it the H2O that's harmful to the blade or just ANY liquid?

Thanks.

[Fairchild86]

I just give my razor a quick shake and place it on the shelf.

The blade gets dull from shaving faster than because of rust.

This is what I do and have never had any problems. I can get alot of shaves out of my blades too.

[edgerunner]

I blow my out with my lungs and God takes care of the rest of the drying.

+2

I have a question for those going the extra mile to preserve and extend the live of a DE blade. Does disassembling a multiblade cartridge and drying its 'several' blades could prolong their lives? Also, does anybody use even a hairdryer to dry those expensive cartridges or dip them in alcohol? I recall, they are really very very expensive and precious. I used to shave for 3 to 4 weeks with a cartridge, performing a single pass shave, blades passing more than once partially along dry skin, using mediocre shaving cream and no way to clean all the stuff between the blades afterwards. Looks like they are made of incredibly expensive alloys and maybe that's why they are so expensive because they don't care about good cleaning, drying, dipping, blowing, pressing, etc.

[Go West Young Man]

Odd, even on the directions of my Merkur blades, they state not to use a towel to dry them.

They say not to wipe them, which is more directed at saving your fingers from a slicing (and Merkur from a lawsuit!)

[Go West Young Man]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I've been wondering about this lately and I haven't been able to find the answer.

I think dipping the blade in alcohol can be done safely and quickly, but if you dip the blade in alcohol, do you still need to blot it dry?

IOW, is it the H2O that's harmful to the blade or just ANY liquid?

Thanks.

Alcohol displaces water and then evaporates away, leaving the blade bone dry so all you need is a quick dip and science takes care of the rest.

[Comfortably_Numb]

Alcohol displaces water and then evaporates away, leaving the blade bone dry so all you need is a quick dip and science takes care of the rest.

Thanks, Chris!

[ERVARGASNY]

I just Dip Mine in alcohol , Then Pat Dry with a bounty, Making sure that when i fold the bounty over the Razor i Don't Touch the Edges of the blade. No Problems so far..

[M80]

Ummm.... what's a blotter? :biggrin1:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGsOU1EJumc

[charles_r]

This seems like a lot of trouble for a 10 to 20 cent blade. I usually place my Sharks in my razor, and remove them 3 shaves later. Has anyone actually experienced longer blade life from doing this?

[infotech]

When I use a non-stainless steel blade I shake the excess water out of the razor and if I'm feeling really motivated I blow on it a bit.