Preventing razor corrosion

Should I use gun oil or grease on a razor? if so what kind?

What should I do to protect against rust? What is right to use on straight razors.

Zowada says RIG grease. Has anyone tried this? What are your thoughts?

I live in a humid climate. I am a DE user, although I do have a couple str8s and use them occasionally. Since I do not use them everyday, I coat them lightly with gun oil, but degrease and clean them thoroughly prior to use. Cleaning is followed by a dip in rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining oil and water.

RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease) is for long term storage and lubricating moving parts. I did have my straights in storage for about 8 years, and I coated them with RIG* prior to storage.

* I am a firearms instructor. RIG is nothing more than WHEEL BEARING GREASE (A.K.A. "RED GREASE"). You can pay $12 for a couple of ounces of RIG at the gun store, or you can go to the local auto parts store and purchase a ONE POUND CAN (16 oz) of Pennzoil Premium Wheel Bearing Grease, 707L Red Grease for $3!

This is what I use for long term storage, and the lubricating grease for M1 Garands and AK-47s. I also use it on most semi and full automatics if I will be teaching in a very cold climate, as its operating temperature range is beyond that of most other lubricants.

Ballistol. Good protection for the steel, non-toxic, and it rinses off

I use it mixed with water to clean corrosive primer residue from hundred year old firearms, and then use it liberally to treat the metal and wood as a preservative. It's passable as a lubricant too, but modern stuff's better there.

To give some idea, I've treated my rifle with ballistol liberally, fired a good number of corrosive rounds, been rained on, fired a bunch more, got poured on, fired a few more, then packed it in. I dumped more ballistol through the bore and painted it on the metal, then left it overnight scared. Result: no rust. Mine was the only one without rust too

Straight up it's a clear to yellowish liquid with a mineral oil base. It dries to a cloudy haze which can be left thick for added protection or wiped clean. When it hits water though, it mixes instead of beading. It forms a thick milky mix. Wherever the mixture dries, it leaves that coat of Ballistol.

Back in the day, the stuff was a popular "wonder oil" in Germany. It was said that a razor stored in a cup full of Ballistol between shaves would make a razor blade last nearly forever. It was touted as a replacement for shaving cream. It was given as a laxative, often as a punishment for children like castor oil. It was a formula originally conceived in the 19th century for the military as what we'd call a CLP, but also to be used on leather and wood, and as a dressing for small wounds and burns. It's still used for horses at least here in the US.

Downside: It smells like a mixture of licorice and dirty sweat socks, and not just a little. it just doesn't play ball in the olfactory department. You grow to tolerate it though... And eventually, once you've wondered where this stuff's been all your life, you get to like it.

Hi,

+1 on Ballistol.

I also use Sentry Solutions TufGlide/TufCloth.

This leaves a dry, non-greasy film, which works extremely well at protecting my straight razors ( I live about fifty yards from the sea in an old, cold Victorian house ).

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Most folks, such as myself give it a light coat of mineral/baby oil. Some even use vaseline. Just be sure to wipe it off before stropping.

I use an applicator after every shave to put on a mineral oil/ Billistol combination and it works very well. I make sure some gets on the pivot. You need something you can easily wipe off when you want to use the razor. The applicator that I use keeps my fingers away from the blade and is easy to use. It comes with a cap that screws on. I have not has a single spot of corrosion on any blade that I have since using some kind of oil.....before it was a PITA to keep my blades rust free.

Pic of applicator.

View attachment 107161


Take Care,
Richard

I've got no idea about straight razors, but this seems totally unnecessary for DE's. The blades are cheap, replaceable, and almost always stainless, and the razors themselves are plated to prevent corrosion.

+1 for Rocketeer's wheel bearing grease suggestion. That stuff keeps the AR-15's going without a hiccup no matter what.

That's interesting about the preservative, I just used to wipe my DE's down good and dry them throughly and never really had a problem. An interesting comment about the RIG and AR, but just try firing an automatic version of that weapon and it will stick sooner or later no matter what kind of grease you use. It has to do more with heat expansion that lube. good luck

billc508 said:

That's interesting about the preservative, I just used to wipe my DE's down good and dry them throughly and never really had a problem.

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Thats all I think they really need, the plating on them should do just fine without any addtional surface lubricant. Gold plating is pretty much inert, I can't think of anything it really reacts with. Nickel I think is mostly the same story. I don't know if there are chrome plated razors, but I'd expect them to be darn near indestructible if there are any!

An interesting comment about the RIG and AR, but just try firing an automatic version of that weapon and it will stick sooner or later no matter what kind of grease you use.

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Eventually, any weapon will stick up. That said, I've had mine pretty darn hot on run and gun courses, and I've seen M-16's rip through 1000 rounds pretty much non stop without a problem. If it's in proper order, it runs like a top.