I've been experimenting with different razors, including a couple of safetey razors (a Merkur 34C and an EJ de86bl) for awhile now in a quest to end getting irritation on my neck. Nothing has really worked all that well so far except for a couple of cartridge razors (a Gillette Mach 3 and a Fusion Proglide) when the blades are sharp. Shaving with olive oil has also seemed to help a bit. I've also read that keeping a razor submerged in olive oil when not in use can extend the life of the razor. I've been trying this with a Mach 3 cartridge, and the lube strip is dissolving. So I have two questions. Does keeping the razor in olive oil really work to make the cartridge last longer? And will the dissolving lube strip affect the performance of the razor? Thanks!
Keeping a razor in olive oil?
- Thread starter cmac3317
- Start date
I know there is peoples who soak the head in mineral oil. I don't know about olive oil, it seem odd to use a perishable oil for this task (olive oil rancid while exposed to air).
Keeping the blade in oil might prevent rust or oxidization of the metal, but I don't know what it will do to the plastic parts.
I too agree that you should use mineral oil instead of olive oil, because it doesn't go rancid.
I too agree that you should use mineral oil instead of olive oil, because it doesn't go rancid.
I've soaked my head in alcohol (usually rum or vodka) but I am too wobbly to shave after that
On the serious side. I've never heard of soaking a razor in anything. If you were going to use an oil I would think a food grade mineral oil would be better than a plant based oil. I rub my straight razors with mineral oil before I put them away to help prevent rusting but it is a light coating applied with a Q-tip dipped in the oil.
I think the idea behind soaking the razor in oil of any sort is to prevent oxidation from exposure to air. As far as the lubrication strip, I'm not really sure it does all that much good in the first place.
You mean protect the stainless steel blade from oxidation?
If you swap out the olive oil once a week or so rancidity shouldn't be an issue, though mineral oil probably is the better choice. As far as keeping the blade sharp it might have a tiny effect slowing down oxidation, though i doubt it would be noticeable unless you shave infrequently and live in a humid or salty environment.
High grade mineral oil won't degrade the plastic. Olive oil shouldn't either. The "lubricating" strips will disolve but since they are placed after the blade I highly doubt they are anything but a marketing aid.
You said you have experimented with different DE razors, but have you tried different blades? The blade is going to make quite a big difference. I would sample different DE blades rather than give up. When i first made the switch to DE I tried some Merkurs because of the name. After a few terrible shaves, I shopped around before settling on feathers. It made all the difference in the world. If you're in CONUS and want to send me your address in a PM I can send you a few different blades I have lying around.
One last thing, I too have issues with neck irritation. For me its because my neck hair grows at all kinds of different angles. One patch grows one way and half an inch over its backwards. Through lots of trial and error I was able to work past it with technique rather than switching hardware. Figure out which way it grows and the best angle to cut it without causing the irritation.
High grade mineral oil won't degrade the plastic. Olive oil shouldn't either. The "lubricating" strips will disolve but since they are placed after the blade I highly doubt they are anything but a marketing aid.
You said you have experimented with different DE razors, but have you tried different blades? The blade is going to make quite a big difference. I would sample different DE blades rather than give up. When i first made the switch to DE I tried some Merkurs because of the name. After a few terrible shaves, I shopped around before settling on feathers. It made all the difference in the world. If you're in CONUS and want to send me your address in a PM I can send you a few different blades I have lying around.
One last thing, I too have issues with neck irritation. For me its because my neck hair grows at all kinds of different angles. One patch grows one way and half an inch over its backwards. Through lots of trial and error I was able to work past it with technique rather than switching hardware. Figure out which way it grows and the best angle to cut it without causing the irritation.
I too heard about soaking Gillette Mach 3 or fusion razors in oil, it extends the blade life and prevents from corrosion.
However i do not recommend soaking it in olive oil, it goes rancid while exposed to air.
However i do not recommend soaking it in olive oil, it goes rancid while exposed to air.
olive oil gets very sticky if left out, the film itself-----
That too.
Oil and user grade plastic never go well together.
Works best if you throw in some hens teeth. I just don't see this being beneficial at all.
Forget it. The oil will go rancid, will not help the stainless steel, and will harm the plastic.
The best way to save money on cartridge razors is to stop using them.
The best way to save money on cartridge razors is to stop using them.
About a month ago I read a thread on here explaining steps you could take to prolong your cartridge. It talked about cleaning it extensively in rubbing alcohol and ensuring the blades were clean (obviously) and making sure every part of it was dry by way of a blowdryer. Storing it in a dry enviornment is important too. I can't find the thread (didn't have anymore anyways) but I'm sure you could dig into it. BTW, just because that strip is gone doesn't mean the blades are bad. Personally, when I was using AOS products (specifically the oil) I was able to get many additional shaves out of my Fusion before I switched to DE. I agree with olive oil being a not soo good idea. Mineral oil, maybe.
Well said. You should go solely DE/SE/Straight and become extremely active in this site to feed your AD's...
I don't see any advantage whatsoever to keeping a razor in oil like that (no matter what kind of oil) unless you were using carbon steel blades that will rust. And if you want to use a non-rusting agent you should probably use barbicide or alcohol
A quick dunk in rubbing alcohol will give you the same benefit of removing all moisture from the edge without the goopy slickness of oil all over your razor.
Olive oil is for salads and cooking. Even if you could squeak a couple of extra shaves out of blade doing that, you'd spend more in refreshing the olive oil than you'd save on blades.
Sounds like a lot of money and time not to mention the mess
