To oil or not to oil

[Tomo]

Gents

I’m interested in you thoughts on oiling straight razor blades. There seem to be two camps out there, the oilers and the non-oilers.

I started out oiling my blade after each shave until a read the below linked article. I have since stopped and two months later have seen no detrimental impact. I do use my SR daily. After each shave I lap on diamond pasted balsa and wipe any excess diamond off the blade with a clean cloth before moving to leather. This may have a light polishing effect on the blade which has helped.

I use a standard carbon blade the same as my kitchen knives. I don’t oil those either. I wonder if there really is any need for oil if the blades are kept clean and dry.

Long term storage is another matter. Here oil seems to make some sense. Again I wonder if it is the best option. TI recommends petroleum jelly for long term storage. To my mind Renaissance Wax is probably the better option.

What do you guys do?

Oil or No Oil

I've seen a lot of debate around the theory of putting oil on your razors to store them and protect them. I will admit I have adhered to that theory and put a couple drops of baby oil on it after I'm done shaving. I currently have a Dubl Duck on it's way to Mr. Bob Keyes of www.bobsrazors.com...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[ScottChapin]

I quit oiling them after every shave. I did so for about a year. Now I just keep those in rotation in a box in a drawer with a silica packet. They are dried after every shave with toilet paper and occasionally with a blow drier.


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[global_dev]

Good question, i’ve looked at some razors i know ive had for a decade And not used. I may have put rem oil on some, but none have any issues to the naked eye.

most arent in anything but in the past i had some them in the silicone sleeves

 

[Straight up]

Oil is cheap, removing rust is a pain. I oil. I stopped for a while and my first razor has some tiny rust spots on it, I wish I hadn't stopped. I now keep the razors out of the bathroom in a box, previously they were in individual boxes in the bathroom.

 

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Thank you for starting this post, I’m curious what others do myself. I wasn’t an oil user because I tend to be pretty meticulous with my razors but when I saw a small rust looking spot on my prized custom I freaked out. And I use that razor minimum 3 times a week so it wasn’t sitting around. I cleaned up the spot and started using oil daily and haven’t had a problem since but I honestly don’t know if that is better for the razor or not. I hadn’t thought about oil on the pivot pin being a problem but that makes perfect sense. For the record I’ve only been SR shaving for about 18 months so I’m far from an authority on the subject


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[Scoos14]

This may be something you could use to help prevent rust:

https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-No-Silicone-Reel-Cloth/dp/B000VYL3EM

I use these on my high end outdoor knives that aren’t stainless as well as my guns/reels.

 

[rbscebu]

As a very wise man (@camoloc) once told me, "No one has ever reported ruining their SR by oiling it too often.". Oiling adds about 20¢ per year to my shaving expenses and about 15 seconds per day to my shaving time.

I live on a tropical island so oil after each shave, however I normally use a M7DS so my blades are resting at least 168 hours between use.

Before each shave my SR's get 60 laps on clean leather. After the shave they get 8 to 10 laps on clean linen followed by 60 laps on a 0.1um diamond pasted balsa strop, then oiled and put away. My theory is that, besides reducing the opportunity for rust to form, the oil also helps prevent the edge from oxidising.

 

[njtnjt]

I put my razors in those little silicone impregnated razor socks. Never had any rust issues.

 

[totorlekiller]

As a very wise man (@camoloc) once told me, "No one has ever reported ruining their SR by oiling it too often.". Oiling adds about 20¢ per year to my shaving expenses and about 15 seconds per day to my shaving time.

I live on a tropical island so oil after each shave, however I normally use a M7DS so my blades are resting at least 168 hours between use.

Before each shave my SR's get 60 laps on clean leather. After the shave they get 8 to 10 laps on clean linen followed by 60 laps on a 0.1um diamond pasted balsa strop, then oiled and put away. My theory is that, besides reducing the opportunity for rust to form, the oil also helps prevent the edge from oxidising.

Wise words.

I never bothered before, but I've found that a lot of razors that I spent a lot of time cleaning up degraded and I do not feel like restoring them again. So now, I oil every time.
I also made the mistake of using the wrong oil. Now I use mineral oil only.

 

[rbscebu]

Wise words.
....
I also made the mistake of using the wrong oil. Now I use mineral oil only.

As Sol use to say "Oils ain't oils." Aussie members will remember.

 

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I use camellia oil. I saw that on a video or forum somewhere as being good for razors/knives


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[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I use camellia oil. I saw that on a video or forum somewhere as being good for razors/knives


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I should say I’m assuming it’s camellia oil the label is Japanese


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[Tomo]

Thanks for the input guys. There are certainly lots of options when it comes to SR maintenance.

I’m leaning towards Renaissance Wax for long term storage myself. I have a bit on hand and the dry finish seems to have advantages over mineral oil when it comes to ponding and drying over long periods. A quick eBay search will show what can happen to bare carbon steel in the long term (not pretty). I will continue to store my daily drivers un-oiled in a dry well ventilated place outside of the bathroom. I can monitor these pretty frequently for corrosion and give them a light polish as required to nip it in the bud. Wiping them clean of residual diamond paste prior to stropping seems to be doing a good job of that already. If I start to see rust creeping in, I may change my tune.

 

[rbscebu]

@Tomo, for mid-term storage, like a few months, I would suggest something like petroleum jelly as it is easier to remove that Renaissance wax. For longer term, yes, use Renaissance wax. Also, if the scales are timber, don't forget to protect them over the longer term.

Once I get to about 15 to 20 M7DS's I'll have to consider using Renaissance wax .

 

[ajduplessis]

Do what works. I have razors that's not seen oil in years and maintenance routines are not created equal. If the razor is dry and humidity is not a problem there is no need to oil them. Humidity especially at the coast and bathrooms can be a problem, so do what works.

 

[camoloc]

after every shave.

just habit. with one of my leisurely hobbies, my equipment sees a lot of harsh conditions so I use what has worked for me to prevent rust under these conditions.

bottle I use.

if im really neurotic then i deploy mil spec approved G96, which smells good!!!!

camo

 

[alla2465]

I don't like oil, I don't think it really helps rust prevention, I never had issues with rust after I stopped using oil.
I always found that the oil would gunk up inside the blade and scales, making it a dirty and disgusting mess, so oil on razors is a big no for me.

 

[Dave Sl8r]

I would think the location of the razors would be the major deciding factor, at least for me.
When we lived on the Gulf of Mexico, everything metal on or house was in a constant state of rusting, and had to be painted or replaced every few year. Same thing went for tools in my garage. All exposed metal needed a constant coat of oil.
Now we live a few miles away from the Gulf, about five or six. After a few hurricanes, the beauty of sunsets on the Gulf lose there appeal.
While nowhere near as bad as it was living on the Gulf. I still have to keep a coat of oil on any bare metal in the garage, or in my shop. Every 4-6 months vs 4-6 weeks.
In the house, if a razor is not in rotation, it will have a light coat of oil on it.

 

[5whiskey]

Having started SR shaving just this year, and being on the move and gone from home the entire time, I can confidently say I am a believer in something to protect the blade against corrosion. I will need to clean my current razor up when I get home, as there are definitely water spots and patina developing. It is what it is, I’ve shaved in probably a dozen different latrines that I share with hundreds of other people. Not the ideal way to start SR shaving but it should be too easy when I get home!

coconut oil, for what it’s worth, is an awesome vegetable based oil that is semi-solid at most room temps and a wonderful preservative. It migrates much less and does not bead. I’ve used it on carbon steel knives with great success.

 

[Sinnbad11]

@Tomo, for mid-term storage, like a few months, I would suggest something like petroleum jelly as it is easier to remove that Renaissance wax. For longer term, yes, use Renaissance wax. Also, if the scales are timber, don't forget to protect them over the longer term.

Once I get to about 15 to 20 M7DS's I'll have to consider using Renaissance wax .

At this rate I say you just go for 52 m7ds. Get a spare for leap years and you might actually cure your SR ad!