Looking after a DE

[iky316]

Im sure this had been posted alot of times on this forum. And yes!! I have read the sticky for cleaning the DE razor also.

I have a shiny new 38c razor and i want to keep it like that for a long time.

I know how to clean it - hot water, dish soap or white wine vinegar!! Question is hiw often should i clean it? After each shave? Every week? Month? 6 months?

The reason why I ask is because. My beautifull shiny razor gets alot of c shaving cream scum stuck in little niggly corners after each shave.

Also? Ive read on numerous threads to oil the DE, now il be honest and say that im nit sure if you can get gun oil in the uk (i read here somewhere that is realy good) so was wondering if WD-40 would do the same thing to fight off rust?

Did any of this thread make sense? Hahaha

Cheers

Iky

 

[Go West Young Man]

Merkurs are made of a zinc alloy (zamac) that won't rust. Oil and the like are unnecessary, and will just attract dirt and gunk

 

[iky316]

Ah!!! I see..

Thanks for that!

Iky

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

From one newbie to another...

Just this morning I noticed after a week the blade pulling a bit more and the noise level of whiskers being shorn rising - time for a new blade. Got done, tossed the Derby and scrubbed down my Gillette TTO. Hot water with a tooth brush, leave in open position to dry and all set for tomorrow.

Used alum brick for the first time and went without the splash of Aqua Velva for a change. I know, I know, very mass market Aqua Velva but am just starting out. Any others start with Aqua and move on?

Oh, and I really must mark that tooth brush I use for the razor. Now there are three in the cabinet and... well, I love my better half and would hate for her to...

 

[rajagra]

Although oiling shouldn't be needed, if you look at used 3-piece razors you will see wear and tear or even corrosion where the pieces join. It won't do any harm to add a bit of oil in the right spots.

Ballistol is great stuff, and they seem to be UK based. Hurrah!

I have the applicator pen and a 500ml can to top it up when needed (or for larger jobs.) Highly recommended.

 

[john shea]

I rinse off shaving soap using hot water as I shave, and loosen the razor, rinse it under the hot water tap, and retighten the razor after completing my shave. I have never had issues with soap build up or corrosion.

I have been using a Merkur Vision for the last 6 months, which has a reputation for being sensative to soap scum and corrosion, without any appearance or operation issues to date at all.

I clean newly acquired used razors by soaking them in dish washing soap and scrubbing with a tooth brush and wooden tooth pick. I do not oil my DE razors, but note that leaving any soap scum on a DE razor may promote corrosion.

Most DE razors are quite resistent to corrosion, if kept clean, dry, and free of soap scum. I have a Gillette Slim more than 40 years old in my rotation that still looks and works great.

The restoration section may provide additional input for heavy duty cleaning and long-term storage protection of used razors.

HTH