Do you guys clean the edges with alcohol before a shave, just rinse with water or just strop? I ask because a strop might might leave oils, metal bits etc causing an unhygienic edge that could lead to inflaming the skin or aggravating burns.
Cleaning blade edge before shave
- Thread starter ajduplessis
- Start date
I take blade right to face. If that was good enough for people before the idea of sanitization, it's good enough for me.
I had never thought of that question, I strop and I shave.
Never thought about it, but no I don't.
An unhygienic edge would lead to infections. Inflammation/burns are caused by over scraping the skin. Metal bits that would be remove by alcohol won't be left after stropping, such bits would cause the strop to become scratched. Oil? I haven't put any on it, and wouldn't if I was worried about it being on me. I wouldn't share with anyone, without something I was SURE would sterilize it.
I just strop though.
I just strop though.
Last edited:
stropping on linen and leather should be sufficient.
Forgot to say "I just strop".
Okay, Brother Clay.
Some think the oil from the strop is good.
Unless someone else is using your razor, I don't see the point.
I just strop and shave.
It takes me about a month to go through my rotation of straight razors. Thus, I normally coat the blades with a 50/50 mixture of oil and isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol evaporates leaving behind a thin coating of oil. I do not want that oil to contaminate my strops, so I wipe the blade with an old tee-shirt to remove the oil, strop it on linen and leather, dip it in hot water to warm the blade and then shave. If the blade needs something "extra" before shaving, I also have some pasted strops for touch up.
If you use an non-contaminating oil, then you won't have a risk.
Oil is oil.
There is nothing wrong with using Olive oil on your blade and strop.
Oil is oil.
There is nothing wrong with using Olive oil on your blade and strop.
Olive oil will go rancid.
Here in Singapore where the air is tropical I rather not take chances. Fungal mold is my biggest worry as its so easy to get fungal skin infections.
I store my razors with a thin coating of singer oil in a sealed plastic container with charcoal blocks n moth balls to keep them really dry n avoid mildew.
For my pre and post shave I'll soak my blades in a concentrated bath of dettol, then wipe it dry.
I store my razors with a thin coating of singer oil in a sealed plastic container with charcoal blocks n moth balls to keep them really dry n avoid mildew.
For my pre and post shave I'll soak my blades in a concentrated bath of dettol, then wipe it dry.
rinse with hot water, and then strop next sha e
I actually use Barbacide wipes . Super easy to just wipe the blade after I strop
I wipe my blades after rinsing in hot water with a terry cloth, then tissue or cleanex, strop and put away....restrop, rinse with hot water then shave.....works perfect. All razors in rotation storage are kept in eithrr my wooden razor box with silica pouches, razor cabinet with the same. All my customs are stored in gun barrel sleeves and in their custom pouches supplied by the makers.
I have lately been wiping with alcohol before shaving. I'm a plumber. I get dirty sometimes. I had what I thought was ingrown hairs. After several days it was obviously something else. Not sure it finally went away. It had me thinking maybe I came in contact with something at work. So to be safe I just add 5 seconds to my routine by wiping blade with alcohol before I shave. Washed my brushes also.
Plumbers can be exposed to all kinds of nasty bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the course of their work, not to mention some of the chemicals commonly used. Be sure you wash thoroughly before shaving. The alcohol wipe sounds like a good idea.
