Razor storage upgrade

Hi folks.

I have upgraded my razor storage with these homemade wooden boxes. I been experimenting making humidors so these where quite straight forward.

I never got to taking pictures of the process, but it has taking the best of a weeks works, with lacquer and all. Great to spend time at the workshop in the holiday.

The last razor box is made from a cigar case. I decided to keep the engraving, because if gives a nice rustic look to it. The inlaid wood is bog oak.

The last box is really easy and cheap to make. You just have to make the inlaid and lacquer it.

Cheers

Kristian

Don't know why to pictures are upside down, must be my iPad...

Sorry.

**salivating profusely**

Very nice. Good work.

Cool idea.
Like the idea.

Nice job!

I like these boxes but am curious about humidity. Right now, I store most of my straights in a 3 drawer gentleman's vanity and they're each in a silicone sock. The socks would defeat the purpose of nicely displaying one's straights in boxes like these, but I'd worry about humidity and don't want to have to oil each straight after each use. Could one use desiccant packets in boxes like this? Is there a problem using them with old horn and ivory handled straights as long as the scales are lightly oiled once in a while? Any sort of problem with those packets and straight razors?

yours look nicer. I made this out of an old wooden case I had sitting around and some foam... works well and keeps everything in one place. Wife was getting mad when "crud" was all over the place. I was getting the "why do you need so many when you can only shave with one" speech. Out of sight out of mind.

Wauv that old three case looks great!

About humidity. I use acid-free oil every time I used a razor. The boxes are essential humidors without the balsa wood inlaid. The balsa wood make the boxes completely airtight. That's why the word as humidors, where you have to keep a humidity at about 70%

I haven't decided if I should install the balsa wood inlaid yet. If rust becomes a problem I will, but the cigar box have been in use for some time now, without any problems.

I use the acid free oil because just a finger touch can destroy and razor because fingerprints etch the blade.

It's just a routine to learn. Wash razor, dry razor with paper away from the edge, dry the razor with a cloth with acid free oil.

Oh a when we are talking old cases. Some old tea boxes also works great.

When I constructed mine, I wanted to leave room for my DE razors to. I like the idea to make them look attractive to, but storage was the main priority. 😄

oakeshott said:

I like these boxes but am curious about humidity. Right now, I store most of my straights in a 3 drawer gentleman's vanity and they're each in a silicone sock. The socks would defeat the purpose of nicely displaying one's straights in boxes like these, but I'd worry about humidity and don't want to have to oil each straight after each use. Could one use desiccant packets in boxes like this? Is there a problem using them with old horn and ivory handled straights as long as the scales are lightly oiled once in a while? Any sort of problem with those packets and straight razors?

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I think/hope so, Mark.

I have not noticed any impact to horn, ivory, bone, or other. I have one plastic case that is airtight, but only have plastic scaled razors in that one. Note, however, given how long I've been at this, long term results are still TBD.

my ivory seemed to dry out, and dull a bit in the sleaves, so now they live outside the sleaves. horn has been fine for the last couple of years to my eye.

Congrats Kristian! Very nice work!

I love using cigar boxes for straight storage. Here was my quick project from last year. I cut pine moulding to fit and used a deep box so I could build in 'risers' and give a spot for desiccant packs.

That's a great idea and I can see the razors are displayed nicely 😊 good work!

lmarkow said:

I think/hope so, Mark.
View attachment 477665
I have not noticed any impact to horn, ivory, bone, or other. I have one plastic case that is airtight, but only have plastic scaled razors in that one. Note, however, given how long I've been at this, long term results are still TBD.

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That line, followed by the pic, made me laugh. I like how you're taking no chances. It reminds me of a story an engineer told me in the 80's. They were interviewing a bunch of engineering firms to do some design work for their product (a paper industry machine that cost 20 million and up) and one of the guys presenting was wearing suspenders AND a belt. My engineer friend decided that was the guy who should get the work. He didn't take any chances either.

KW Driver said:

my ivory seemed to dry out, and dull a bit in the sleaves, so now they live outside the sleaves. horn has been fine for the last couple of years to my eye.

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Thanks, Driver. I have less ivory, but they get special attention, so I'll look into those. My two favorites are non-matching customs made for Asprey probably during the 19th Century and they're in a two razor box without sleeves, but I'd like to put a desiccant pack in there. Knowing your experience, I'll make sure to periodically add a bit of oil.

my ivory are CVH MK 30, 31, 32. they seem stable and fine outside the sleeves, without any other care to date. thats not true. a trick I learned with elephant hair bracelets was to rub the hair on my nose and forehead so that my oils would refresh them. I did that with my ivory after they came out of the sleeves. they're fine after that, so far. they just seemed to dull a bit and I assumed to dry via the sleeves.

That's real interesting. I periodically take the horn and Ivory out and rub them down after running my fingers through (what's left of) my hair. I've noticed the ivory does seem to "age" a bit quicker, which is ok by me.

Where does one, purchase the socks, pictured in this thread?

pundi64 said:

Where does one, purchase the socks, pictured in this thread?

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Here

pundi64 said:

Where does one, purchase the socks, pictured in this thread?

Click to expand...

You can also get ones from classicshaving.com that are slightly longer