What are these black spots/smudges on my razor

[thaekor]

I purchased this razor sight unseen from whippeddog.com and on the site, it states that the blades are cleaned, disinfected, and honed. I have shaved with it once, and it did an excellent job (I blame any issues with the shave itself on my beginner technique and not the blade)

The blade has some small black spots on it, and where the shank and spacer are on the scales, there is also this black type of residue. On the scales would this be a lubricant or does it just need a more thorough cleaning? On the blade, is this something I should worry about trying to polish out? I ran my fingers over the hollow part of the grind in the blade, and I couldn't actually feel the spots, so i don't think it is pitted. If polishing it will get it cleaned up, what type of polish should I use. I have seen Maas mentioned, and some people have said to use cheap toothpaste. If you can't tell I am a complete newbie to straights in general, and other than a bit of reading here haven't done any real research either.

[ladykate]

Hi,

Welcome to the world of wet shaving!

What you are seeing is a light corrosion called 'patina' by some. It does not hurt the functionality of blade as long as it isn't severe - and yours isn't.

Since the steel is very hard, getting the 'patina' off will take a lot of work and probably isn't worth it for a smaller razor. Many of us have a whippeddog razor and I will bet very few have been polished. However, they have been sharpened and are ready for a good deal of shaving. They are ideal razors for folks who are new to the game - heck, they are great for those who just want a spare razor for travel. I got one last year and I keep it on the 'top shelf' of my rotation. It doesn't look much different than yours but it takes a fantastic edge and sits among a Grelot and a Hart as one of my favorites. In fact, I just shaved with it yesterday.

If you want to get the blade shiny, you will end up using some pretty harsh methods and will probably have to reset the bevel and a few other somewhat time consuming things. There are some great videos on YouTube and here about restoring so if you want to do that, study up a bit. I won't try to get into it here. You could also send it off and have one of the pros restore it. However, you will have more money wrapped up in it and not have a significantly more valuable razor. My recommendation is to save this one just the way it is. It will have value to you as your first straight - and will probably last you a lifetime.

You can always get another razor that's new and keep it oiled so it doesn't get that patina. However, I bet you will still go back to this one occasionally - just because it is an old friend (or will be).

[thaekor]

Thank you for the advice. I will just leave it be then. I was afraid it would require a complete bevel reset to fix, and I am not wanting to tackle that until I am well and comfortable with honing/stroping to begin with. I am very impressed with what I got from whippeddog.com for the price compared to what a new razor/strop/honing setup would cost. I wanted to make sure I am up to the challenge, and willing to put the time compared to DE shaving before investing a lot of time/money into it. Now I just need to fight that urge to hit the snooze button in the morning, so I can actually use it during the week. :-)

[mdunn]

It's just cosmetic. Any real cleanup would mean you need a new edge. She's a nice looking razor, even wearing her age

[jcborr00]

Maas will clear that up.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

One of my best shavers looks just like that one and I wouldn’t dream of polishing it. You see... if it won’t polish out you leave it but don’t ever call it a “spot” or a “blemish” because those can hurt the value. Instead you refer to it as the “patina” that only comes from YEARS of daily use thus making this particular razor unbeatable in visual appeal.

(Full disclosure - I am in sales...)

[brother cavefish]

Oh yea, Patina is very hard to get out, it definitely takes some metal off to do it--as the others have said if you can live with it, do it

[Gerry_]

Maas will clear that up.

What is mass, a product for cleaning black spots from the blade?

My Dovo is a few mts old and I can see the beginnings of these black spots forming even though I dry it after every use.

[GreekGuy]

As others have mentioned, its harmless. If you attempt to remove it you run a serious risk of damaging the edge. Personally, I wouldn't risk it if I were you

[Giant Kiwi]

I like Patina.
Kinda think of it as greying round the edges or growing through my hair in my case.
My whipped dog has a load of it and I love the character it gives the razor

[O.G.]

MAAS is metal polish. Leave the patina as youve already decided. Watch out for red spots. Then you have an active problem and you will then need to do something.