Thread: Does a stainless blade need oiling?

Hi folks,

I've decided to give straight shaving a try and I've got a stainless razor on the way. The shop notes that they ship all razors with a coating of oil. Is it worthwhile to apply a light oil to a stainless razor when done with shaving?

Absolutely! Stainless is just corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof. It'll happen eventually, it just takes longer. Most alloys are still in the neighborhood of 40% to 60% iron


Edit: Maybe not every single time you finish shaving with it, but definitely if you're going to put it away for any period of time, or you like to pull them out & enjoy the eye candy between shaves.

Welcome, Nubo. What KenWeir said.

What razor are you waiting for, and from what vendor?

Originally Posted by roughkype

Welcome, Nubo. What KenWeir said.

What razor are you waiting for, and from what vendor?

Thanks roughkype, it's a Dovo 849 from straightrazordesigns.

If its from srd then it should have been honed by Lynn & be truly ready to go.

I don't oil any of my blades carbon or stainless steel unless I am going away on vacation. They all get used once a week in rotation and we don't live in a high humidity area. Your climate may be very different. Yea, stainless steel is not impervious to rust but does so at a greatly reduced rate. I just looked at a stainless steel knife that had been sitting in it's leather sheath for a couple of years unoiled and it still looks new. Just saying there is much less of a panic about rust with stainless if kept dry.

Bob

I do after every shave with my stainless! I do live in Las Vegas, but you can never her to careful!

Nubo,

Living in soggy Britain a few hundred yards away from the English Channel, in a leaky Victorian house, I give all my blades, carbon & stainless a wipe with Sentry Solutions TufGlide.

It is a habit I have got into, doesn't take long and there is no need to differentiate between blade steel types

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

What kind of oil is needed?

Find a sword/knife dealer online & get a bottle of clove oil, like they use on Japanese swords. It's actually about 95% mineral oil & does a good job. Cheap too!

You will want to make sure to clean off all the oil before shaving, mineral oil smarts when you get it in a cut.

Also for long-term storage you'd want to wipe & reapply it every couple of months. Over time the oil will oxidize & lose its ability to repel moisture.