How many years is the shelf life of a razor blade ?

[Bass301]

If stocking up on razor blades , do they ever get rusty (even microscopically enough to affect the shave) or otherwise go bad in the box if not used soon enough ?

After trying many blades I have found a personal best blade , want to by a large quantity, and am deciding what large quantity would be best.

Do razor blades have a shelf life ?

 

[Go West Young Man]

Decades at least, as long as you keep them dry.

 

[nEver-Ready]

I just used a NOS Gillette Blue blade the other day from the 1950s, and after a bit of hand stropping was not bad at all. And that's not even a stainless blade...

 

[talibeard]

Decades at least, as long as you keep them dry.

I agree; one of the blades I like is the Dutch-made Schick Platinum which is out of production for roughly 2 decades. They are still in great shape. I store my blades in the wardrobe in my bedroom with some silica-bags nearby.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

The blades being produced today with there current standards should last a lifetime. Stainless steel with machine oil coating is quite durable. Also as other posters have mentioned keeping them dry and sealed will ensure a great stockpile. I place some silica packs into my collection to combat humidity. I have used some Schick and Gillette Stainless steel DE and Injector blades from the late 60's and early 70's. It was like they rolled off the assembly line today.

 

[vegaskid74]

Agree with all of the above. I keep my blades in mason jars with a pack or two of silica gel thrown in for good (though probably unnecessary) measure.

 

[nEver-Ready]

Agree with all of the above. I keep my blades in mason jars with a pack or two of silica gel thrown in for good (though probably unnecessary) measure.

Beats keeping them in a lead lined pressure vessel filled with a nobel gas that is stored submerged in a liquid nitrogen bath I guess

 

[Big.Dave]

Beats keeping them in a lead lined pressure vessel filled with a nobel gas that is stored submerged in a liquid nitrogen bath I guess

Yeah my other half was not happy when some of my liquid nitrogen dripped on the carpet!!!!! I did try to tell her it will not take long to defrost and could she please walk round ice patch when going to the bath room

 

[matthew86]

Beats keeping them in a lead lined pressure vessel filled with a nobel gas that is stored submerged in a liquid nitrogen bath I guess

Wait you mean to tell me that not everyone does this. I thought that was the only way to keep my blades fresh.

 

[ras120]

Decades at least, as long as you keep them dry.

Agree 100%. I only use vintage blades from the 1970's, and they have all come out of the dispensers factory fresh.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Beats keeping them in a lead lined pressure vessel filled with a nobel gas that is stored submerged in a liquid nitrogen bath I guess

If there's room for blades behind Hans Solo's frozen body, you mean.

 

[nEver-Ready]

If there's room for blades behind Hans Solo's frozen body, you mean.

Or Ted Williams...

 

[JCinPA]

Stored dry, virtually indefinite. I'm using some vintage Schicks and Gillettes that are 40 years old and they are great.

If they get wet or damp they can corrode or rust fairly quickly, if they don't get wet, I can't see why they won't last virtually forever.

 

[miatapaul]

Agree with all of the above. I keep my blades in mason jars with a pack or two of silica gel thrown in for good (though probably unnecessary) measure.

Only problem with that is the silica gel does not mix well with the moonshine. ;-)

 

[redrako]

The oxidation on razorblades causes premature dulling and it is understood. I keep a Tupperware half full of silica gel in a medicine cabinet. After each shave, I blot any residual water off the blade and store the razor in the Tupperware with the silica gel. They won't cost you that much if you have yourself purchased some. They totally help.

You have a link to a payday loan page in your post.

 

[bosseb]

My problem is the opposite.
I store my blades dry in sealed plastic bags and it has worked for the blades over five years now. Unfortunately I wear my face outdoors every day in Sweden , where the relative humidity varies between 25% and 75%. My face seems to have suffered from this. On top of that we have had the longest winter with snow covering the ground since the early 60s. I find that my old favorites, Yellow 7 o'clocks and the Bolzanos are now too harsh for my face. Well, at least I know that I can store the blades safely and try them again in the fall...

 

[JayEddie]

I came across a single Gillette Thin Blade in my Mom's basement that I guess was at least 30 years old and I wish I would have found a box of them. It was one of the best blades that I've used yet!

 

[Doofry]

They do keep for decades, I have some vintage durex blades and they are in perfect condition,I also have an unopened pack of WW2 American Army issue gilletes in camo box, but I don't want to open them to find out!