This: http://www.sentrysolutions.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=91020 Does exactly what they claim it will do. I use it on my razors, and have used it on my Three Sisters Forge high-carbon bladed Beast on trips to Galveston, Tx, and the Pacific Coast.
Question about preventing further rusting
- Thread starter FauxPax
- Start date
I have that same case. It doesn't breath very well so it may be trapping some moisture. I use the razors in it regularly so I do what has been recommended. Dry the razor thoroughly. I dry them with a towel, strop them (thoroughly dries the edge), and then air them out overnight before putting them away. I DO oil my razors and I don't have a problem but I don't oil wet razors. If you have them dry to begin with, the oil will protect the metal from getting humidity stains. You can also use water displacement oils which tend to NOT trap moisture. However, I use an odorless turbine oil that seems to work very nicely - but I don't oil wet razors.
If you are in a high-humidity place and short of moving to a dry climate, you will need to protect the metal - not just dry it. Moving to So-Cal would be OK as long as you didn't buy near the coast. But drying and oiling might be cheaper. ;-}
If your scales won't be attacked by the oil, then my theory is that more is better so I put a good coat on them. I wipe them off before using. I have a 7 day set that was made in the early 90s - whoever stored them away (they were not used) - coated them in motor oil. That might have been a serious problem with the scales but they got lucky. They are pristine but they were sticky and needed cleaning.
As I've noted in the past, new blades are coated for this same reason - the manufacturers know that an uncoated metal is subject to tarnish - so they coat it thoroughly.
If you are in a high-humidity place and short of moving to a dry climate, you will need to protect the metal - not just dry it. Moving to So-Cal would be OK as long as you didn't buy near the coast. But drying and oiling might be cheaper. ;-}
If your scales won't be attacked by the oil, then my theory is that more is better so I put a good coat on them. I wipe them off before using. I have a 7 day set that was made in the early 90s - whoever stored them away (they were not used) - coated them in motor oil. That might have been a serious problem with the scales but they got lucky. They are pristine but they were sticky and needed cleaning.
As I've noted in the past, new blades are coated for this same reason - the manufacturers know that an uncoated metal is subject to tarnish - so they coat it thoroughly.
- Thread starter
- #23
You have a couple of issues.
1) WA is coastal, and inherently damp.
2) If you are running your air system, that will remove much of the latent moisture. BUT. If you close your storage box, the relative humidity inside may be a bit higher.
High-carbon steel likes to rust, and will do so given any miniscule variation on whatever surface covering it wears. Bluing or browning, or ultra-high polish finishes reduce this somewhat, as they have partially oxidized the steel, and offer minimal surface for water to "rest", respectively.
So. Trust me. Get the Sentry Marine cloth. It stops rust like nothing else(barring pressure seal in alcohol or oil), and you can apply oil over it, for a little extra, "oomph!". You can search it up on Bladeforums.com, Spyderco forums, and quite a few other places, where people want to protect higher-end gear, without drowning it in oil(creates its own problems).
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Get the silicon sleeves from TSS, they work great
Carbon steel is rust-prone; I've learned to live with it to some extent. That being said, my problems with straight-razors and rust-prevention have had to do with the lingering traces of lather on the blade, rather than water or humidity in the air. Sure, after shaving, you can blow the water off, wipe it down, treat it with alcohol, stick it in the sock, and so forth, but the soap scum is hard to remove without additional elbow grease. Best trick I have found is from Mike Brando at the Restored Razor, and that is to mix four parts denatured alcohol (or ethyl "grain" alcohol, if you can find it) to one part mineral oil stored in a tall, narrow, glass bottle that is given a good shake to blend before use, followed by a careful dipping of the blade. The alcohol acts as a solvent, removing the soap scum, and the diluted mineral oil left on the blade is lighter, making it easier to clean afterwards. The only drawbacks are to avoid touching the scales to denatured alcohol (which will act upon the surface or finish ) and to avoid touching the side of the jar with the blade's edge. After dipping, the razor is left to dry opened up for around 15 mins., or until the alcohol scent is gone, and then stored in a leather seven-day roll-up (regular rotation here). Before stropping, the blade is sprayed with isopropyl alcohol and the oil is removed with a light application of a small tuft of cotton.
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I second this. Am actually going to buy a bunch more now that I got more razors.
