Thread: After Shave....

What is the best thing to do with the straight razor? Do I just rinse it in hot water and let it air dry? I'd like to prevent any chance of rusting.

Also, I'm assuming the best thing to do with the brush is "ring" it out and hang it to air dry.

The best thing to do is NOT get the scales wet. Just rinse the blade when shaving. Wiping it dry and leaving it to air dry further is a good idea.

Have fun,

Lynn

I wouldn't wring the brush out, wringing out might damage the bristles. What I do is hold the handle and flick my wrist aiming towards the sink. I do this strongly about ten times. Shaking it out more or less. I hang my brush overnight and use a rotation so they have a chance to dry out. Not everyone hangs them or uses a brush rotation but I'm just mentioning it since it is what I do.

Like Lynn says, keeping the scales dry during the shave is a good idea. After the shave I rinse the blade under the tap and dry the razor with a Kleenex tissue. I check the scales for any droplets inside and run the tissue through if there are any. I strop 20 laps on leather to get rid of any possible micro grunge on the bevel, wipe with a silicone gun cloth and put it in a dry place. Leaving water drops on a razor because I forgot to do this has resulted in water spots on the blade so I am careful to tend to it.

I too keep the scales drry and wipe the blade with a tissue. Kinda paranoid, but I have gotten in the habit of using a blow dryer on the str8t to be certain it is bone dry. Dave

What Lynn said. With regard to the brush, I rinse it clean of soap, shake it to remove excess moisture and then put it on my brush stand to dry. If you don't have a brush stand, you can set it on the counter upside down (that's why the handle is flat on the top).

After my shave, I rinse the blade with hot water from the tap to get all excess lather off. I then dry it THOROUGHLY with a microfiber cloth to get all excess water off. Like Lynn said, I am careful throughout the shave never to get water near the pins or the scales. I then dry the blade under a heater (a blow dryer works well) for a few seconds and leave it out to air dry while I get dressed.

With the brush, I rinse it THOROUGHLY after I am done cleaning up. After rinsing I GENTLY ring out the bristles and I mean very gently. Basically a slight squeeze without twisting or pulling. I then flick it out a few times to get the excess water out. I then gently swirl it around (lathering motion) on a dry towel and hang it upside down in a brush stand.

Sounds good. Thanks for the input. I've done a lot for reading in the Wiki (and posts) and really haven't found any info on what to do after you shave with your equipment.


Does anyone recommend a light coat of oil on the blade/pin?

That toilet tissue idea helped me a lot. It soaks up any unseen water spots on the razor quickly. I keep a sponge soaked in gun oil on top of my cabinet and give the razor a swipe over that before putting away.

I give the brush a few swipes over a towel like a paint brush, then air dry. Done.

I have taken to keeping a can of the computer dusting caned air in the bathroom so if I accidentally get water in the pivot area I can blow it out with the higher pressure.

I try not to get the scales wet, but they always seem to get a little water on them.

Rinse of the blade, do a light strop on my towel to dry it off, then strop 10/10 on my linen/leather to get any moisture/goop off the edge of the razor.

As for the brush, I just rinse it well and flick it dry and let it stand on the shelf to dry the rest of the way.