Drying off a blade : how important is it now ?

[Bass301]

I have read cleaning off the debris and moisture from a blade is important to reduce microscopic rusting between shaving days , but does this advice apply to stainless steel blades as well as carbon blades ?

Doesn't stainless steel not rust , especially over such a short period as the life of using a blade for a few shaves ?

Most DE blades seem to be stainless steel or platinum now , but are any brands still carbon now ?

Is platinum prone to microscopic rusting like a carbon blade ?

 

[Den]

No matter what the blade is made out of, I never wipe it after a shave. I might take it out of the razor and shake it to get the excess water off it..but not always. It's only going to last me 3 or 4 shaves anyway. It's discarded before rust can even set in.

 

[Spencer]

I also don't wipe the blade at all, I simply rinse the blade and razor (I only have TTOs, so I open them slightly) and let it all air dry.

 

[mmack66]

I also don't wipe the blade at all, I simply rinse the blade and razor (I only have TTOs, so I open them slightly) and let it all air dry.

+1, though I don't loosen up the razor doors.

Blades aren't made out of platinum, they have a platinum coating of some sort.

 

[TheSentinel]

I think drying off a razor blade is unnecessary and asking for problems. While not particularly accident prone, the less I have to touch a blade without a handle, the better.

 

[_MementoMori_]

I lay mine on a towel and fold half over the blade. Then I give it one or two good pats (not rubs) and stick it inside an airtight box until my next shave. I don't honestly know if it helps matters at all. It's just how I like to do it.

 

[gearchow]

+1 on not taking it out of the razor. I do rinse the razor off in hot water with the razor loosened though and set it on a paper towel on it's side (non-sharp side that is). I get 3-4 shaves from a blade.

-jim

 

[StillShaving]

IMO it's important to keep a DE blade dry if you want to maximize its life, even if you only want to get an extra shave out of it. Most important is to remove all soap residue which can trap moisture. Which may require removing it from the razor to rinse off, shaking off any excess water so it drys quickly on its own.

When shaving with a straight its critical to keep the blade dry between shaves.

 

[Mack]

Like others here, I just rinse and set the razor aside. I don't remove the blade.

 

[Walker]

Clark Howard from Headline News used one disposable razor for a year. He was able to maximize the life of that disposable razor by drying it off after each use. I strop my blades after a shave to dry my straights off.

 

[reyrascon]

I used to take the blade out and pat dry it on a towel. I read this somewhere, though I don't recall where. Well, I gave myself a good cut on the right index finger doing this

Needless to say I don't dry the blades anymore , and I haven't noticed a difference in performance.

 

[Drewser]

I think you HAVE to dry off a straight since the blades are some sort of carbon steel or stainless - the mild steels sharpen and hone better and more quickly to a better edge (but not as long lasting as stainless). Carbon steel will rust if not dried promptly and both are attacked by acids, mostly from your skin and soaps, if not cleaned and dried. And, contrary to what people think, stainless steels are not "rust-proof", but they corrode at a much slower rate, and are susceptible to staining. Since the blades are continuously being sharpened, they can't be coated. Furthermore, with stainless, depending on the chromium/nickel content and passivation undertaken by the blade forger, sharpening may expose layers of material that are less corrosion resistant than the original outer surface.

DE blades are not meant to last long nor be sharpened once they leave the factory, and many are coated with very thin layers (read: atoms thick) tungsten, platinum, or other metal which typically serve one of two purposes- the tungsten is hard and brittle, so it will (in theory) hold an edge longer. Tungsten, Platinum (while very soft- softer than gold), and chromium, are very inert (form passive oxides) and serve to protect the stainless steel underneath, mostly from acid attack.

The coating process is typically done after the sharpening/honing. While this probably makes the edge slightly duller (not enough you'd ever be able to tell), the increased longevity and other properties make up for it. The coating may also act to fill in small scratches/grooves made by the honing process.

So, I doubt very much that drying modern DE blade will, given the typical life of a blade, make much difference, but it would be interesting to see. I smell a side project coming up...

 

[willyb]

I take blade out, wipe dry, and always hand strop before next use... works for me. They get tossed after 4 shaves anyway.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

I never use the same razor two days in a row so I pat it dry on a towel between uses since it's going into a different razor anyway. I figure it doesn't hurt anything and it only takes a few seconds.

 

[mmack66]

Clark Howard from Headline News used one disposable razor for a year. He was able to maximize the life of that disposable razor by drying it off after each use. I strop my blades after a shave to dry my straights off.

How often did he shave?

 

[jmg]

like others here, i just rinse and set the razor aside. I don't remove the blade.

+1

 

[Walker]

How often did he shave?

THe article doesn't say. But here it is...


http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/sho...ng-your-razor-blades-extends-shelf-life/nCjf/

 

[Crawford Montizano]

THe article doesn't say. But here it is...


http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/sho...ng-your-razor-blades-extends-shelf-life/nCjf/

1. Regardless of how long his blade lasted, I highly doubt he enjoyed (key word) his shaves.

2. The article lost credibility with me with the link to razor pro, which is a nice gimmick if you do not know any better.

3. With all blades, exposing the blades to monohydrogen dioxide is the the worst thing you can do.

4. Blade bank anyone? Dispose of your used blades properly. I don't think we need be that cheap by trying to extend the life of a blade. IMHOP

 

[Walker]

1. Regardless of how long his blade lasted, I highly doubt he enjoyed (key word) his shaves.

2. The article lost credibility with me with the link to razor pro, which is a nice gimmick if you do not know any better.

3. With all blades, exposing the blades to monohydrogen dioxide is the the worst thing you can do.

4. Blade bank anyone? Dispose of your used blades properly. I don't think we need be that cheap by trying to extend the life of a blade. IMHOP

1) do you ever enjoy a shave from a disposable razor? I never did.
2) yea i saw the product plug and it does seem shady. The article i read about him didn't include that product. I just googled Clark Howard year long disposable and thats what popped up.

 

[global_dev]

My opinion, i take the blade out, rinse it off , then quickly blow on it till it's close enough to dry, and put it back in the razor other side... i have seen, depending on the soap/cream, some gunk buildup on the blade, so i just do it as a way to set my mind at ease, even if it really accomplishes little to nothing. It only takes like 20-30 seconds total.