What's new

New Supply Co. Blades Rusting in Mint Condition Schick Type M

I think the shave gods don’t want me to use an injector razor.

After trying out the Supply for a few months, I just got a mint condition Type M, Schick Adjustable on the handle, no dot on the dial, no guard protector. It shows no signs of use. If it was used a few times, the previous owner was extremely careful since there are no marks or scratches, and the seller cleaned it up perfectly. It did not, however, come with a case. There was no blade loaded either.

Before using it, I washed it with dishwashing liquid, then soaked the head in alcohol for a few minutes just to be extra careful. I loaded a used blade in an injector, loaded it into the razor, then injected a fresh blade. It shaved great but let me get to the point of this post.

After 3 shaves, last night I was looking at it and noticed what appeared to be tiny dots of rust on the blade right by the edge of the cap across the width of the head. None near the cutting edge though. So I inserted the injector key to see more of the blade, and there were some rust spots. So once again I loaded an old blade in an injector to help remove the one in the razor. So now with the razor empty, and the key still in it, I could see some rust stains. The blade I removed had more rust stains on the area previously hidden.

So I gave the head a good spray with WD 40, trying my best to get into the nooks and crannies. I sprayed it several times until it was dripping. I wiped off the visible parts with a paper towel, since I did all this with the key in. Then I sprayed again and let the WD 40 seep in for several minutes. Then I washed with soap and water and rinsed and dried the razor, and blew on it into the crevices as I do after shaving to remove excess water. Then I did the whole routine with a non rusted used blade to then load a fresh blade. This morning there were no visible signs of rust but I didnt insert a key in to double check. I gave it a quick look a few minutes ago and it still looks ok. I should stick the key in later and check more.

I dont know what kind of metal was used in Type Ms but I have never read about any injectors rusting since people are still using ones from the 30s. And as I said this was mint condition. The Supply blades havent rusted in the Supply Razor. In my 40 years of shaving I have never had a blade rust. Not a cartridge, double edge, or injector blade. And for years I just shook the razor and only started blowing on blades for about the last year to help them dry.

I dont believe in coincidences, as in maybe this one blade was bad, and it happened to be the first one I used in the Type M.

So my theory is that perhaps the razor was used once or twice in the 60s, and the blade rusted and was left in. Sometime later the rusted blade was removed but the nooks and crannies werent cleaned out like I did. So the rust I saw was residual rust left in the razor. That seems to be the only possible explanation.

What do you think?

Btw, unlike the Supply, I have been able to use this like a cart. I havent had to watch any angles. My first shave the dial was set to 1 and I got an SAS. Second shave on 2 and I got pretty close to CCS. Third on 3 and got CCS, still shaving quickly like a cart. Today with a fresh blade still set to 3, another CCS. I havent gotten any irritation on any of the shaves. I am delighted except for this rust problem. Im hoping my theory is correct and I will not get any rusting. I have been waiting for my Chicks for over a week even though they were shipped from Brooklyn one week ago and I am an hour’s drive from there in New Jersey.

Also, the one dot plate on the Supply looks like it exposes the blade a hair or two more than the type M set on 3. Maybe thats why I was having some issues with the Supply. Next to each other the angle of the heads and handles look exactly the same. But I could not get even close to a CCS on the one dot, so I started using the 2 dot.

thanks in advance
 
Last edited:
I put the key in to expose the covered part of the blade and didnt see any rust. I dont know how long it takes a blade to rust. So far so good.

Off topic a bit, but it seems counter intuitive that the Supply on the one dot exposes the blade more than the Schick on 3, yet I couldnt get a close shave with the Supply on the one dot. Is it because the angle is more critical when there is more blade exposure?


Also counter intuitive is the fact that it is not good to leave a Schick without a blade installed. If anything, that should preserve the spring mechanism, not wear it out. That really confuses me.

So what is the trick to cleaning a Schick short of trying to take it apart, which I dont want to do? I have read that they are self cleaning since when you inject a new blade it removes dirt. But no way will it remove all the soap scum or rust if it is there. Though it looked unused, I still cleaned it as best I could as described above. Should I do anything differently for ongoing maintenance? I dont think I need to use WD 40 again unless I see rust. Nor do I think I will need alcohol. I usually just rub a wet toothbrush on a bar of ivory soap and do a little scrubbing on my other razors periodically, but they completely disassemble since they are DEs and in the case of Atra and Trac II handles everything is exposed.

thanks
 
Just rinse it out well after shaving. I use an old toothbrush to clean the underside of the head and the handle.
Thanks, but what about the nooks and crannies? Just rinsing, especially with a blade installed, doesnt seem like it will do much. So maybe a good long soak in water with diswashing liquid too?
 
That is not rust if the base metal of the razor head is brass that is oxidation, if it is just discolored it is staining and if it is powdery it is rot. I've seen this before with other injectors I've owned. After you clean it the only way to keep it from staining or continuing rotting is the replate the head or starve it of oxygen by leaving the head submerged in isoproypol alcohol for example when not in use or sealing the razor head in a brass lacquer. Sometimes cleaning the razor head completely with a brass cleaner may be enough to reseal the area that is staining or rotting. Either disassemble or get into the nook and crannies real good with q-tips, pipe cleaners, etc. using the brass cleaner.

This is common problem with any razor that is made of brass that is not sealed in some form they first patina then depending the specific alloy or other issues may start to stain then rot.

In the case of injectors the one drawback to the design is if you inject and remove enough blades you'll eventually wear down the plating from friction.
 
Last edited:
That is not rust if the base metal of the razor head is brass that is oxidation, if it is just discolored it is staining and if it is powdery it is rot. I've seen this before with other injectors I've owned. After you clean it the only way to keep it from staining or continuing rotting is the replate the head or starve it of oxygen by leaving the head submerged in isoproypol alcohol for example when not in use or sealing the razor head in a brass lacquer. Sometimes cleaning the razor head completely with a brass cleaner may be enough to reseal the area that is staining or rotting. Either disassemble or get into the nook and crannies real good with q-tips, pipe cleaners, etc. using the brass cleaner.

This is common problem with any razor that is made of brass that is not sealed in some form they first patina then depending the specific alloy or other issues may start to stain then rot.

In the case of injectors the one drawback to the design is if you inject and remove enough blades you'll eventually wear down the plating from friction.
Thanks but I dont believe this M is made of brass, but I know u are an expert on these razors. Were any Ms brass? It certainly is not the color of brass. And this looked absolutely mint and unused. It definitely wasnt powdery. I cleaned the razor with WD 40 but not the blade. I did clean the dirty blade with soap and water and a toothbrush figuring that wouldnt remove rust if it was really rust. It removed most of the stain but look at the pic there is still some discoloration left.

I have also included pics of the current blade exposed with the key inserted. Just some soap scum. This is a fresh blade installed after cleaning the razor with WD 40, with a water rinse after, left over night to dry, followed by 2 shaves on consecutive days, including this morning.

Again, this razor looked brand spanking new and unused. No marks or scratches on the handle or head. I can see my face in it like a mirror.
 

Attachments

  • CBC34353-9045-4957-90A8-BCA6FAB7A205.jpeg
    CBC34353-9045-4957-90A8-BCA6FAB7A205.jpeg
    340 KB · Views: 23
  • 0856CC70-D786-44B0-A2AD-B60C60A57791.jpeg
    0856CC70-D786-44B0-A2AD-B60C60A57791.jpeg
    210 KB · Views: 26
  • 81F9D8DF-3B7A-4D9D-8DDE-7610E1747989.jpeg
    81F9D8DF-3B7A-4D9D-8DDE-7610E1747989.jpeg
    257.4 KB · Views: 30
  • CAAB4A02-C091-4FB4-9E4C-AB1E010DD85B.jpeg
    CAAB4A02-C091-4FB4-9E4C-AB1E010DD85B.jpeg
    268.3 KB · Views: 29
  • E6C98B84-90A6-4AD1-B230-659FD117BC41.jpeg
    E6C98B84-90A6-4AD1-B230-659FD117BC41.jpeg
    183.7 KB · Views: 27
  • AE80D44C-3A80-4E44-977F-E5BFA4E42389.jpeg
    AE80D44C-3A80-4E44-977F-E5BFA4E42389.jpeg
    213.1 KB · Views: 23
Put a magnet on your razor. If it has any steel or iron in it the magnet will stick. Brass doesn't. That red staining is a galvanic reaction between the unprotected brass specifically the copper component of the alloy with the blade which is stainless steel. One acts as an anode, the other a cathode and the water is the electrolyte. Once it is cleaned after each shave don't air dry your razor, shake out the excess water then dip it in isopropyl alcohol to displace any remaining moisture then put it on your stand or however you store the razor and that will take care of that if you don't replate or lacquer the razor head.
 
Ok let me see if i have a magnet somewhere. Thanks.
It could possibly be zamak and not brass but I doubt it. I took a few earlier injector heads I know are made of stamped brass like the Type E razors and did a simple ping test with my finger and some other objects and they all sound identical. If they were different metals they'd sound different. If it was anodized aluminum they would not only sound different but feel different to the touch.
 
And make sure you remove the blade before testing.
Oops I didnt remove the blade. Would that damage it somehow or invalidate the test?
I found a few fairly low powered magnets and they stick to the top of the cap well but not really to the back of the head. It sticks a little to the underside but not much. So is it attracted to the blade rather than the head? I always thought brass was a different color because this razor is silver-like in color.

thanks
 
Oops I didnt remove the blade. Would that damage it somehow or invalidate the test?
I found a few fairly low powered magnets and they stick to the top of the cap well but not really to the back of the head. It sticks a little to the underside but not much. So is it attracted to the blade rather than the head? I always thought brass was a different color because this razor is silver-like in color.

thanks
Yes the blades will stick to magnet and that will skew the test.
 
Yes the blades are magnetic. That will skew the test.
Well since the part that it didnt stick to was part of the same piece that it did stick too, I think that means that the razor doesnt have steel or iron in it. I will check with a magnet in a few more days since I only have 2 shaves on this blade and dont want to waste another blade. The seller accepts returns free within 30 days so I have time. He only has vintage razors listed so I think he is a collector and hobbyist too. If I see “rust” or any stain tomorrow after my third shave on the blade I will do the magnet test again then with the blade removed.

I dont mean to doubt your expertise in this, but do you think a mint razor like this would have rot from just being old? It wasnt powdery. If it is oxidation or galvanic reaction, that would happen if the razor was just manufactured as well, right? So would it have have happened when brand new in the 60s? Or would this only happen when the sealing of the brass wore out?

And is the staining of the blade really a big deal if it is not rust? I was just worried that the rust could be dangerous even though the cutting edge was fine.

In any case, a quick dip in alcohol isnt much trouble plus I have read that prolongs blade life even for cartridges.

thanks
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
One way to get inside the Schick's head is with dental floss (double it up), that can with some obvious manipulation chase out some crud hidden from the toothbrush .. watch the alcohol on plastic parts
 
Well since the part that it didnt stick to was part of the same piece that it did stick too, I think that means that the razor doesnt have steel or iron in it. I will check with a magnet in a few more days since I only have 2 shaves on this blade and dont want to waste another blade. The seller accepts returns free within 30 days so I have time. He only has vintage razors listed so I think he is a collector and hobbyist too. If I see “rust” or any stain tomorrow after my third shave on the blade I will do the magnet test again then with the blade removed.

I dont mean to doubt your expertise in this, but do you think a mint razor like this would have rot from just being old? It wasnt powdery. If it is oxidation or galvanic reaction, that would happen if the razor was just manufactured as well, right? So would it have have happened when brand new in the 60s? Or would this only happen when the sealing of the brass wore out?

And is the staining of the blade really a big deal if it is not rust? I was just worried that the rust could be dangerous even though the cutting edge was fine.

In any case, a quick dip in alcohol isnt much trouble plus I have read that prolongs blade life even for cartridges.

thanks

No and no on both if was protected originally by plating which it should have been. This happens when the sealing wears out. As long as it is kept fully dry when not in use after cleaning then it won't continue to react. The whole point of stainless is it's resistance to staining easily, you just discovered stainless doesn't mean no staining only less than other steels like carbon steel blades which stain easily. Better to take a better safe than sorry approach when not sure.
 
No and no on both if was protected originally by plating which it should have been. This happens when the sealing wears out. As long as it is kept fully dry when not in use after cleaning then it won't continue to react. The whole point of stainless is it's resistance to staining easily, you just discovered stainless doesn't mean no staining only less than other steels like carbon steel blades which stain easily. Better to take a better safe than sorry approach when not sure.
Thanks. I just took a look and on the sides of the head I can see reddish brown where the cap meets the blade. So this happened in the last few hours. I stuck the key in but didnt see anything on the upper part of the blade that was now exposed.

So even though it looked mint maybe if was used a lot by a very careful owner. Or maybe it was never sealed/ plated properly when manufactured. In either case I had bad luck from the shaving gods. :biggrin1:

So I will either return it or just dip in alcohol after rinsing from now on. I am hesitant to buy another if I return it, since it seems even in mint condition there can be problems. I am just surprised I have never read about this problem before.

Thanks again
 
One way to get inside the Schick's head is with dental floss (double it up), that can with some obvious manipulation chase out some crud hidden from the toothbrush .. watch the alcohol on plastic parts
Thanks. Yes when I got it I only used alcohol on the head. Never thought of dental floss but thats a great idea.
 
Top Bottom