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Section 10 - 1, Caring for your Carbon or Stainless Steel razor...

Caring for your Carbon or Stainless Steel razor…
So, a single straight razor can, and will provide generations worth of smooth shaves with minimal care/maintenance, but what maintenance is required for Carbon VS Stainless steel razors?

Carbon Steel –
Although they require more care/attention than a stainless steel razor, care is still by and large trivial. Personally, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and have never had an issue with humidity, and even on my most sensitive straight razors with gold washes/inlays (depending on the Karat, gold often tarnishes/attracts rust quicker than the carbon steel) I do not need to apply any anti-rust/corrosion product and do no have to do any extra maintenance on my Carbon steel razors. I simply thoroughly dry off my razor after each shave. If you live in a VERY humid climate however you may need to coat your razors blade with a protective oil, such as Dovo Sterol (see picture below) after each shave – however this is only required in the most humid conditions.

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An easier method many employ, is the use of a product called “tuff glide” which comes in a small bottle, or “tuff cloth” which is a cloth impregnated with the tuff glide liquid. Tuff cloth/glide are basically rubbed into the razors steel, allowed to dry, then buffed (with a paper towel, or cotton towel) to a shine. The “tuff” products “micro-bond” and provide quite a bit of protection against rust/corrosion, and do not have to be applied very frequently – say every few months if used daily in a very humid climate. Whenever you store a carbon steel razor for extended periods of time however, make sure to give it a good coat of Dovo Sterol. RIG Gun Grease, or Tuff Cloth before putting it in a drawer for extended periods of time.

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If you happen to live in an exceptionally humid environment – coating your blade with oil after each shave isn’t very practical, and a coating of Tuff Cloth (or glide) may not make you comfortable enough for you expensive, and treasured razors. What to do? Well – I recommend creating a de-humidifier for your razors, which is quick, easy and inexpensive. Basically, the idea is to create a reverse humidifier, so you can actually use a Cigar Humidifier, or any container that is air-tight or somewhat close to air tight. Get Sylica Crystal bags, or a dehumidifier pack which you can find at guns stores (gents put them in their gun safes to keep their prized firearms rust free) and sporting good stores for well under $10. If you really want to get fancy, for $24 – Remington makes a Mini-Dehumidifier that is electronic – however it has no wires, and you plug it in every 2 months or so, and it recharges itself and this will keep your razor storage container bone dry. Just to be obsessively safe – apply some tuff cloth/glide to the razor every few months. Basically, day to day maintenance this method in a very humid environment is merely shaving with the razor – thoroughly drying it on a towel – then placing it in your special “razor dehumidifier” box. Every few months, re-tuff cloth/glide the blade, and you’re good to go! Thiers Issard, and several other companies make some pretty handsome razor boxes with glass lids as well, which can be converted into “dehumidifiers” if you so desire, to have a very sharp looking setup.

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Stainless Steel –
Stainless steel razors typically do not require any special oiling/treatment for most area/conditions. Stainless steel however CAN rust/corrode, as it is not stain-proof steel, it is stain LESS steel. In VERY humid conditions, you will still need to keep a coating of protective oil on the blade, or periodically tuff cloth/glide the blade/pivot. For most however, a stainless steel razors blade will never need to be oiled/protected.

No matter what type of steel the razors blade is made of, or the conditions the razor is stored in, periodically apply a VERY small amount of oil to the hinge to keep it in good working order.

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I really like Camellia Oil available from the Japanwoodworker. It's the best all around I've found. I use it for shipping razors in addition to long term storage. Regardless of humidity in an area, I recommend some type of treatment when it comes to putting them up for display or other storage when not in daily use. As indicated, you really have to make sure you take the humidity in your area into consideration. I have also seen many a blade water stained and rusted, because people thought they were dried off before they were put away. You really need to make sure they are dry first.

Stainless is rust resistant, not rust proof. It will rust, so I always for the sake of caution and not wanting to ruin a great razor, treat mine the same as my carbons.

Have fun,

Lynn
 

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Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
I also use camellia oil, also known as tsubaki oil. Works great for carbon knives, too, as it doesn't go rancid. An $8 bottle lasts for years and years.
 
As indicated, you really have to make sure you take the humidity in your area into consideration. I have also seen many a blade water stained and rusted, because people thought they were dried off before they were put away. You really need to make sure they are dry first.

Amen to that. My nicest razor, when I got it, I shaved once, dried it, and then set it aside, and did not get back to it for a week. And low and behold, now it has dark corrosion spots. Better safe than sorry, is now my philosophy on this.

For the record, this was a rainy week in late spring in NYC. Taking local humidity into consideration is probably a very good idea. East coast summers, or the pacific northwest, may call for more protection than Cali.

Have not tried running a little Maas on my razor yet. I suspect that when I do, I will be left with some very light pits. :frown: Ah well.

-Mo
 
Although I don't do much to my razors outside of thoroughly drying them after each shave I really like the idea Joel has offered above for storing razors - use a sealed box with some dessicant(spelling?) to keep them out of humidity.

Also I have small children and although I keep my blades up high and out of reach a box can be another deterrent. I bought an old wooden Yardley soap box just for this purpose. I haven't employed it yet because we're still using the soap inside but it should be perfect. Same thing for an old wooden cigar box which will sometimes be given away by tobacco shops.

I still save my humidor for my cigars. :biggrin:

Chris
 
I used to smoke them by the box, cubans too. My buddy goes to Europe all the time and used to bring me boxes home, it was awesome. But then marriage and children intervened. Now it's a seldom pleasure, ugh. I've tried to compensate by smoking a pipe whenever time allows as it's short smokes.

Chris
 
Tea Seed Oil (Camellia, green tea seed) is also available at many food and health-food stores. It's tasty on salads, too.

Some say it's better for cooking than olive oil (and usually found in the same grocer's aisle).

Personally, I prefer it over mineral oil on cutlery, including razors.
 
Since I'm so anal about photographing my SOTD setup after I've already shaved, I make a point of wiping that day's razor with Tuff-Cloth before putting it away in its display/storage box.

I also collect those little bags of desiccant from vitamin-pill and other medication bottles, and put a few in the razors' storage box. If you don't have any of these desiccant packets, you can improvise by putting some crystal kitty-litter into a few small cloth bags -- like beanbags (crystal kitty-litter is made from silica, the same thing as the desiccant packets).

Note: If you don't have any cats, you might consider getting a couple of them: they're low-maintenance, don't bark, and keep themselves fastidiously clean. Get short-haired cats -- they barely shed any hair; certainly nothing like long-haired cats. Oh... don't forget the catnip!
 
+1 on the Tuff-glide/cloth, desiccant, & Camellia oil. I found the little packets available on line for $0.20 - $0.40 apiece with free shipping here. I believe in belt and suspenders so I use all 3. :biggrin: (OK, anal! :blink:)
 
Tea Seed Oil (Camellia, green tea seed) is also available at many food and health-food stores. It's tasty on salads, too.

Some say it's better for cooking than olive oil (and usually found in the same grocer's aisle).

Personally, I prefer it over mineral oil on cutlery, including razors.

Comparing it to mineral oil makes me wonder if it's good in hair tonic....
 
I've been using choji oil on mine.

If it's good enough to protect multi-thousand dollar nihonto, it's probably ok on a straight razor.

Of course, it's roughly 99% mineral oil and 1% clove oil. Nothing terribly fancy.
 
D

drgenefish

when you apply the oil, do you use a brush? do you apply it to the edge or the whole blade? do you let it dry before closing the blade? :001_rolle
 
I use my finger or a cotton ball over the whole blade. Then I close it. Takes a long time for mineral oil to go dry.
 
when you apply the oil, do you use a brush? do you apply it to the edge or the whole blade? do you let it dry before closing the blade? :001_rolle

Depends on the oil. Dovo sterol, I put a drop on the blade, then rub it around with my finger. I have camelia oil however in spray form, as well as a felt applicator that you basically just brush on. :smile:
 
Wow... just.... wow... *Every* question I had about straight razors was just answered by your guide, Joel. THANK YOU very much for taking the time to put this together. I spent two hours reading through your guide, and am now going to print the whole thing out. The straight razor shaving video was great, too.

Every straight razor newb would be sooooo far ahead to read your guide.

Now I just need to put in a bit of overtime at work to start collecting all the pieces. :)

Thanks again, Joel! :w00t:
 
gold washes/inlays (depending on the Karat, gold often tarnishes/attracts rust quicker than the carbon steel) I do not need to apply any anti-rust/corrosion product and do no have to do any extra maintenance on my Carbon steel razors.

Gold attracts rust? I was under the assumption that gold is one of the few metals that never rusts, regardless of age or harshness of conditions.
 
i use camphor blocks in a cigar case to preserve my razors. the camphor vaporizes and coats everything in the box with a very fine oil film. keeps everything rust-free, and when taken out of the box the camphor evaporates in minutes.
it's much easier than liquids, and i've found it no less effective.
 
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