Humidity/moisture issues with DE blades? Your opinion please

[FreddyKruegerFace]

For the past month or so I have been experiencing a very dull lot of DE blades. It seems no matter which one I use there is an unusual amount of tugging (I have used feathers,astra sp, dorco, gillette blacks and blues, super iridium). This has never been an issue before as these are the sharpest DEs out there.

I installed my own medicine cabinet in the bathroom about one month ago and I have noticed after my wife showers a good bit of condensation has covered the medicine cabinet inside and out (this is where I keep my blades). Could long term exposure to the steam/moisture cause the blades to dull/deteriorate noticably? The blades are all still in their individual wrappers contained in their packs, but the packs are no longer sealed. I have used a new blade each shave as well to try and single out the issue, but yield the same result each time.

This can't be my technique, prep, or lather as they have not changed and always produced the same result. Has anybody else experienced something similar?

 

[Cha-wing!!]

Well humidity can go in the wrapping paper, thus touching the blades and making them rust. I have seen this on new Timor blades, I haven't tried them, but blades with rust on them are not very appealing...

 

[El-a-Menthol]

Microscopic rust cannot always be seen and can dull any edge (given enough time/depending on the severity).
However, before you do anything drastic and tear down your dedicated cabinet are go find lesser alternatives do the following:
buy a few Feather packs. They always come completely covered in plastic. Open one of them at least and leave at least one in plastic and mark them both.
Now be patient and leave them unharmed for at least a month.
Now try to shave with hem, making notes on sharpness, smoothness, tugging
as if you where just starting to wet-shave again. Please do post your results.

 

[FreddyKruegerFace]

Definetly no visible rust! The blades look fine to my eyes but who knows what is happening on a microscopic level. If moisture is the culprit I will just move my new blades to a better location

 

[Col Wilburforce Buckshot]

Why don't you simply store the blades in the cabinet in a ziplock bag or a sealed jar or some such. This might be less troublesome than hosing the wife off in the back yard.

 

[Cha-wing!!]

This might be less troublesome than hosing the wife off in the back yard.

I don't know, the hosing could help too, maybe not for the same issue, though.

 

[dcobranchi]

Why don't you simply store the blades in the cabinet in a ziplock bag or a sealed jar or some such.

+! I'd buy a 100 pack of your favorite blade and try one immediately. Then store the rest in a ziploc bag. If that doesn't fix the problem then it really might be technique.

 

[FreddyKruegerFace]

I figured it was technique at first. But nothing has changed

and really, who has ever got 20+ bad blades in a row. Especially from feather!!


now this whole wife hosing thing.....you guys are on to something!

 

[sychodelix]

For some reason, a picture comes into my head or a VERY soaked, angry cat...maiming the one holding the hose...

 

[merkur59]

I only take out a few packs of regularly used blades. The rest I keep in sealed plastic bags.
I have around 1.5k blades and do not want to risk rust/blunt blade

 

[celestino]

For some reason, a picture comes into my head or a VERY soaked, angry cat...maiming the one holding the hose...

Hee hee! Good luck with the problem.

 

[tfinch]

I keep my blade stash in some airtight plastic boxes that have a sort of silicone gasket, and throw in a packet of silica gel for good measure. I haven't had a problem with the few packages I keep in the bathroom yet, but for the long term, I have expensive taste in DE blades so I'm not taking chances =D

 

[Jawaburger]

I only keep the blade I am using in the bathroom. The rest get stored in the linen closet outside of the bathroom. I certainly can't guarantee that this would solve your problem though. I like the idea from above where you keep some control blades out of the bathroom and some of them in there to see if it is just bad luck or the moisture in the bathroom is the culprit.

 

[boogieman_]

Why don't you simply store the blades in the cabinet in a ziplock bag or a sealed jar or some such. This might be less troublesome than hosing the wife off in the back yard.

LOL best reply ever. I wouldn't suggest that either she may bury you in the backyard!

I would make sure the bathroom fan is O.K. and sufficient for the job. If not it can cause mildew and molds and such.

 

[phillylion]

I take out a few packs of blades and keep them in a small ziplock bag in bathroom. The rest (1K+) I keep in an airtight plastic container with a moisture absorbing packet (both from The Container Store).

 

[Wildalaska]

Based on the fact that I regularly use 25 year old blades stored under god knows what conditions, I doubt that one month of bathroom moisture has ruined your blades.

 

[Go West Young Man]

It's not the blades, sheesh. You're doing some thing different.

 

[FreddyKruegerFace]

It's not the blades, sheesh. You're doing some thing different.

you sir, are correct, it was not the blades

for those of you that wanted to know, it was a brush issue, how and why I can not answer, but my old omega silvertip was returned after being loaned to my Brother for the past 4 months. My very first shave back with the old brush and my blades were slicing and dicing. So now I can just assume it was an issue with the Vulfix I had been using since I loaned out the omega. But what do I know? Many of you may be rolling your eyes thinking "stupid stupid newb" and I agree with you on that one


Now I am just curious how the Vulfix could have been the culprit. I cleaned it regularly and it performed just as well as the Omega for the first few months. Poor quality knot? It is the hybrid hair brush by the way,The Grosvenor. Any education you provide me is appreciated!


Now on another subject, I had ordered 100 hundred Feathers from Dridiot, they have yet to arrive, but now my shaves are back to normal so I can do with SLIGHTLY less sharp blades. If anybody has some blades they would like to trade just send me a message and I will let you know when my order arrives