Thread: Oil after every shave?

The only time I oil my blades has been when I have been on vacation and won't be using them. In that case I use mineral oil and a Q tip to apply it. We don't have high humidity generally here but if we did I am sure I would be oiling as a matter of routine. It never hurts to be on the safe side though.

Bob

Originally Posted by RyDev87

Just got my first straight razor back from being professionally honed. A note was included when the razor was returned that advised oiling the razor after each and every use. Is this really necessary? If so is there an alternative to purchasing a razor oil and applicator?

Thank you

Yes and no.
Always clean your razor, the last step of cleaning is to wipe the blade with
a cloth or tissue to make sure it is dry. This last step is when you would
apply the thinnest layer of oil. Mineral oil is a good choice.

Me I can see if there is any oil left on the blade as I rinse soap off and wipe
the blade. If in doubt a little oil is a good thing.

I always oil the pivot of a new razor. Liberally...

I have mostly rescue razors that I have cleaned up and hand polished with MAAS.
If I see the slightest bit of trouble I get out the MAAS and polish. I keep a tube of
Happich Simichrome Polish or MAAS right next to my styptic pencil.

You have a fine new sparkling razor you do not want to be sanding and polishing
out a rust spots so use oil.

I just looked at a box of those extra soft tissues for colds and red noses. They sometimes
are treated with a fine bit of mineral oil. That may be all you need.

A mint tin with a folded bit of mineral oiled tissue can be used over and over.

SUMMARY: If you have a fine new sparkling razor you do not want to be sanding and polishing
out a rust spots so use oil.

If you live in a dry climate "Colorado" then oiling is not neccesary.. Hawaii? Oil the crap out of it.

I've never used oil and have never seen rust appear on blades. I certainly don't oil the pivots and allow no water in that area either.

Since all my blades are older carbon steel I oil after every use.Easy way for me was to get a small plastic tub with lid.
Roll of cotton gauze,saturate with mineral oil,dry the blade well when done,few strops on leather,swipe on the gauze,carefully run my fingers over the blade to spread.

I recommend a quick oiling with mineral oil personally. It's cheap and easily obtained from a local pharmacy. I don't recommend baby oil because they add "fragrance" to it. I don't personally trust using things like WD-40 or Corrosion-X or whatever else. I absorb enough chemicals at work, I'd like to keep it to a minimum at home. A Bingo marker as suggested earlier is an excellent applicator, or you can get the applicator sold by SRD.com. A drop or two and fingers or Q-tips would work equally well. I like to use an applicator and thin it out a bit using a higher quality soft tissue. To each their own though.
Dye

I used to oil the blade after every shave when I was a noob. I don't do that anymore. I simply wipe the blade dry with a towel and put it away in my nightstand. So far, no problems; however, I do live in California where it is very dry.

I should add that fully drying and wiping a blade down
can permit a patina to develop. A combination of shave soap,
water and air can build up a thin protective layer that protects
the steel from more aggressive corrosion.

Keeping a mirror bright blade mirror bright -- it helps
to wax or oil the large shining areas. Same for gold flashing.

Many polishing compounds do contain hard wax as a basic binder
so many blades are "waxed". Armor folk use Renaissance Wax
and other like tricks to keep steel armor from rusting. MASS
is a suspension/ compound which is mostly oil/wax based so
after a polishing there is a lot of residual protection.

Gun shops have fine rust prevention products. I use them
when I pull a razor from my rotation and put it in storage.
Given the silly number of razors I have, storage can be long
enough to justify a good spray of a quality product.

I should not forget that japanese swords are often polished and protected
with choji or camelia oil. Visit a sword forum to get the details.

Bottom line -- steel rusts if not protected one way or another.
There a lot of ways that work...

The short answer is no. You don't have to. But it's up to you, using previous posters info. to decide if it's necessary.

Thanks everyone. I live New Jersey so its humid summers and mostly dry winters (except for this year). I went ahead and ordered some razor oil from SRD and am leaning toward using it at this point to be on the cautious side since I don't want the first razor I own to get rusty.