Oil or No Oil

I've seen a lot of debate around the theory of putting oil on your razors to store them and protect them. I will admit I have adhered to that theory and put a couple drops of baby oil on it after I'm done shaving. I currently have a Dubl Duck on it's way to Mr. Bob Keyes of www.bobsrazors.com for restoration. I emailed him this morning the tracking number and that I oiled the razor prior to packing it. The following is direct text from his response email. I give it to everyone now as food for thought:

Good morning Richard,

I will call you as soon as I receive the razor to confirm what I am quite sure is an accurate restoration price estimate, and before I do any work on the razor.

BTW, oiling a razor is not recommended by most razor restorers. Since your have very recently oiled your blade and it will be taken apart in the restoration process, no long term damage has been done, but oiling a razor is not recommended. Here is why.

I don't recommend any type of oil for straight razor blades. It is detrimental to put oil on blades. First, oil is a lubricant and is meant to lubricate and loosen moving parts and that is what will eventually happen if oil gets into the pivot pin area, and it most usually will, because oil creeps. The blade's opening and closing will eventually become loose beyond being able to tighten it to satisfactory tension. Second, oil is like a magnet and it attracts and gathers dust, which accumulates and turns to grit and grime and residue grinds away at the sides of the tang in the pivot pin area causing metal wear, and further loosens the blade's opening and closing action. Also, oiling a blade causes some of the oil to adhere to the scales inside surfaces. Scales made of ivory, bone, horn and wood act as a sponge and soak up the oil which darkens the inside surfaces, especially at the pivot pin area. Also, oil (including mineral oil) does not provide complete protection, as it separates, (gathers in little bunches) over time and leaves some areas bare.

It is rarely seen, but even the so called experts are guilty, as a few factories in the past would occasionally use grease to protect the steel surfaces. Grease while better than oil is still not good for all the reasons given. Just imagine oil or grease in the pivot pin area and try to get it outta there because a loose blade falls open and closes with gravity when held in a certain position. The only way is to take the razor apart is by removing the blade from the scales.
Loose blades are very dangerous. I work on razors almost every day and I have been cut with loose blades.

Instead of oiling just always keep the blade dry and never, ever get water, (even a drop) in the pivot pin area. This is not hard to do !!!
One drop will cause rust that will spread over the entire pivot pin area. Keep the razor in a drawer in an open box so it can breath. I keep my five razors in the bottom of a small cardboard candy box, and I put a piece of felt in the bottom, no top. If your bathroom gets steamy, don't keep your razor (s) in it. Keep them in a drawer in the bedroom, etc.

Another thing about keeping razors safe from rust, and/or other damage, I don't keep razors in a razor box. Razor boxes look nice and give the impression that they are a safe place to keep a razor in when not being used. However, as previously mentioned, (razors need to
breath) and in a razor box they can gather moisture from humidity and eventually rust. Razors are like dogs, they don't like change, they like to be kept in a safe home and not taken to new environments that can harm them. Personally, I would not, and don't take a razor that I think well of on a trip as a travel razor where it is possible that harm can come to it. If I don't have an insignificant straight razor that I don't think well of, I use a low cost safety razor as a travel razor. My opinion is that razors should not be held hostage in a razor box. A razor box should only be used for holding a razor when traveling, and even then should be wrapped in tissue, etc., to keep it rattling around in a box.

If you think that for some good reason you should use something to protect your razor, the only product I do approve of is Tuf-Glide.
This is a non oily substance that won't hurt your razor, while it does protect it from rust, etc. This Tuf-Glide product can be found on the internet. Just Google Tuf-Glide. Here is a link that will explain what Tuf-Glide is and how it works to protect all kinds of steel.

http://www.sentrysolutions.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=ABOUTUS&Store_Code=SENTRY

Tuf-Glide can be purchased in various sizes and types of containers.
Here is another link I recommend for the 8 ounce bottle size, which is more than other sizes and types, but you get a lot more product for your money, and this 8 ounce size may last you a lifetime.

http://www.amazon.com/Sentry-Solutions-Tuf-Glide-8oz-Bottle/dp/B000WKPZEO



What is everyone's opinion?

If you plan on storing them somewhere you can store it with a moisture absorber like damprid to lessen the chance of rust happening too.

I would agree, I never oil any of my razors, I do keep them in a silicon sleeve-never had an issue

No oil ever used on mine nor will there ever be. Too many issues can result for it to be worthwhile. As mentioned above by the OP. Excellent post Richard.

I've always applied baby oil to my blades after drying the blade and between the scales thoroughly. It's never had a detrimental effect to either the blade or the scales, but I may have to reconsider that approach. I haven't noticed any of my pivot pins loosening up as a result of the oil, nor darkening of scales. But then, the majority of my razors have plastic scales and one with wood scales.

Oil on bone definitely changes them-makes them almost translucent

This should be stickied or whatever you call it. Excellent information.

I don't oil my razors. I allow them to dry and keep them wrapped in VCI corrosion resistant paper. And I do not keep them in the bathroom.

I put oil on razors, and other steel things - have been doing so for 50+ yrs.
It works. Nothing bad ever happens. Not ever, not once.

FWIW - I'm not talking about 10-20 blades or even 10x that.
Longer term storage, I use Ren Wax - museum conservators use it also, I know those folks don't sit on a self-created throne like razor restorers often seem to wind up on, but maybe I'll follow the lead of the museum folks.. because, well... you know - science and, uhm common sense.
I also use VCI paper, and occasionally you'll find a camphor block in a tool box in the garage.

It's called wet shaving for a reason. Water is involved.
My razors get wet often. Once in blue moon a spot of rust might show up on the tang.
It's really not the end of the world, fixing it takes like 10 minutes. Blades over 200 yr old with rust in the pivot still work and with a clean up there's no issue. So, it's safe to say a bit of water on my W&B ain't gonna stop the earth from spinning.

Razors are not like dogs.
I have to stop myself here or a Mod is gonna show up in my inbox.

Honestly, a drop of oil once in a while in the pivot, thus far, has virtually eliminated any rusting in any pivot on any blade I've ever owned or used. As mentioned, my razors get wet, so do my knives, quite often. I don't believe in trying to keep them dry because they'll die or some other nonsense. Everything in my bathroom, at one point or another, is going to get wet. It's a fact of life.
And no - not one single pivot is or has been loose.

They're razors folks, the one I used tonight has been around over 170 yr, it's been wet, soaked, oiled, dropped, stored in a box, left for dead in an attic, buried in a junk pile in a damp basement, shipped across the globe in a plastic bag inside another box, ground on a wet whetstone, steamed, rinsed under running water over and over again, beat on a strop and, basically, abused its entire life and guess what - it's fine. No, it's not like a dog, more like a timex... keeps on ticking.

If someone wants to shrink wrap their blades in cosmoline, fine by me.
Soak them with Frog Lube? whatever.
Slather it with Eezox? - meh, that stuff stinks but if it's your jam then go for it.
Addicted to Ballistol? Sure, go ahead, also stinks but some love it.
Hermetically seal them in a permanent vacuum with argon gas, okedoke.
Tuff glide, CLP, and a billion other products out there for lubing and protecting, the list is endless. Seems like every other day someone decides one of them is the only one that is best. People love to argue about that stuff for some reason.

That said, I won't ever be convinced that a drop of mineral oil on a blade and/or in the pivot is a bad idea because it isn't and anyone that says it is - is seriously confused.
Too much of a good thing can be an issue, sure - not good to soak the thing with oil, no. A precision oiler for the pivot and a cloth with some oil on it works fine. A drop means a drop, it does not mean hose it down. Don't need to do it every day either, common sense rules the day here.

Use Ballistol. I really do not care for the pivot, and you can be careful not to put it there. But I rather have a rust free blade!

Problem solved. Photographic dry cabinet. Thirty litre capacity at about USD 80 from a discount camera store.
Set to about 35% relative humidity and no oil required and no rust.

I use Mineral oil. I mix denatured alcohol with mineral oil in a little spray bottle. I shake it every time before I sprayed the blades down. I use a micro-cloth to wipe the blade down without touching the edge. It keeps the carbon blade spot free and my stainless ones as well.

I am calling this peace of mind!

I had bought one silicon sleeve when I bought my first straight from Jarrod at TSS back in September 2020, but I hadn't really used it. With the humid weather looming, I decided to up my game. Jarrod says to insert the monkey tail end first, and not to let the sleeves touch the desiccant pack(s).

And this method does have the advantage of being able to stack the razors.

Frank Shaves said:

I am calling this peace of mind!

I had bought one silicon sleeve when I bought my first straight from Jarrod at TSS back in September 2020, but I hadn't really used it. With the humid weather looming, I decided to up my game. Jarrod says to insert the monkey tail end first, and not to let the sleeves touch the desiccant pack(s).

And this method does have the advantage of being able to stack the razors.

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Do you happen to know Jarrod’s reason for inserting the monkey tail first?

sanookd said:

Do you happen to know Jarrod’s reason for inserting the monkey tail first?

Click to expand...

Not sure. I would guess to get as much steel as possible into the sleeve. You might want to ask him.

BTW, the bit about the monkey tail is hard to find - it's in one of the images of the product. I know because I went back to find it and I struggled to find it.

For the past couple years I have been using vehicle quick detailing on my razors, after shaving I wipe with dry with a small 12”x12” microfiber towel then mist both sides of the blade with quick detailed, yes its the same detailer I use on my Jeep and then wipe dry then do a few quick laps on linen before I openly store in the master bath and have zero issues