Super-fast Rust and Black Marks on razor?

please do not use food oils! I recommend Ballistol because it mixes with water and allows the water to evaporate from the solution; a lot of oils will simply seal moisture below them locking the fox in the henhouse. Store the razor in a very dry place and if in a drawer or box there should be desiccants nearby.

Let the oxidation you see be a clear and emotionless indication that the care you were administering (which you found in nobility to be good) was insufficient. Rust never sleeps and there's no such thing as defective carbon steel for developing oxidation. That said, as you can see, file jimps (the little ridges on the tang) certainly create positions on the blade where pro-oxidation conditions are easier to develop. But care for it correctly and there is none to worry.

As for the razor having edge issues and arriving to you with the seal breached via a purchase from Amazon, that should not happen - if the razor is to have been opened for further post-factory honing/inspection/etc., the listing should exhaustively detail this condition. As you imply that it did not, I would in your shoes at least reach out to the vendor and ask about it.

An edge is as fragile as aluminum foil, there could certainly have been injury to it during your regular stropping or use on the face when the administrator is inexperienced (one big stroke at too steep an angle upon poorly stretched and lathered beard can definitely make tiny chips in the blade!) A lot of water's gone down the Hudson in this regard since you've bought it, so who can say with certainty if that was as it arrived?

Most certainly it's possible the nicks and chips are after I've arrived. I'm a newbie to straight razors and undoubtedly I will bugger things up at some point. I have some honing stones for my kitchen knives, is it worth me trying the razor on them? (1200, 2500, 6000 and 10000 grit). I do hope my stropping techniques isn't the cause of them, I thought I was being super religiously careful on that never to let the spin leave the leather, a soft turn at each end. I usually put on a song on iTunes and strop to the rhythm (usually around 1 up-and-down per second, sometimes slower). 60 or so travels each time.
 
BeardedBard; as long as you didn't collide with the stiffer leather at the endcaps, I doubt the strop is the cause of any tiny chips. But hair that's not sufficiently softened approached with an obtuse angle and not very stretched can certainly microchip an edge - it should feel like a poor, sandy stroke where the blade's fighting the whole way. Fortunately with flat waterstones near the solution for this isn't any more terribly complicated than properly stropping or shaving with the blade.
 
BeardedBard; as long as you didn't collide with the stiffer leather at the endcaps, I doubt the strop is the cause of any tiny chips. But hair that's not sufficiently softened approached with an obtuse angle and not very stretched can certainly microchip an edge - it should feel like a poor, sandy stroke where the blade's fighting the whole way. Fortunately with flat waterstones near the solution for this isn't any more terribly complicated than properly stropping or shaving with the blade.

Is it because of my facial hair perhaps?

I keep a beard that I cut with a trimmer, but use the straight razor for shaving my cheeks and cleaning all the lines. Occasionally I do shave some thick beard hairs that do stick on the razor for a moment before they separate out. Not like the rest above that just feel like sliding a spoon over sandpaper.
 
My procedure whilst shaving is to wipe the blade over a damp sponge to rid it of lather, then when finished I rinse just the blade with hot tap water being careful not to let any moisture get into pivot/scales then use toilet paper to thoroughly dry the blade, then strop maybe 20 on linen & 20 on leather then the key is to leave said razor to air out for a couple of hours before putting away, then periodically I apply Renaissance wax to blade and I have never had any rust water marks etc in several years of using straights.
I have used camelia oil and mineral (baby oil) in the past and whilst they do their job they are a pita to use, messy etc then before you strop you have to get all the residue off, ren wax is the way to go but each to their own, the main thing is you find a procedure that works for you.
 
I started using Renaissance Wax on @EdBrice ‘s recommendation. I have always oiled my razors after use, but back in the day they still discoloured on me even despite this. Now I wipe and clean with the Renaissance Wax after each use and apply Camelia or razor oil afterwards. Overkill? Probably but it's part of my ritual now and (touch wood) no marks since starting this routine.
 
I started using Renaissance Wax on @EdBrice ‘s recommendation. I have always oiled my razors after use, but back in the day they still discoloured on me even despite this. Now I wipe and clean with the Renaissance Wax after each use and apply Camelia or razor oil afterwards. Overkill? Probably but it's part of my ritual now and (touch wood) no marks since starting this routine.
That's interesting.
And yes it's all part of the learning process.
 
Have recently started using silicon spray (used for upvc fittings & 400ml can is £2.20 from tool station).
Seems to do an excellent job of driving away moisture & leaves a dry film barrier against oxidisation. I'm assured it is safe for natural & synthetic scales.
So far so good & no messy residue to clean off before use.
 
Have recently started using silicon spray (used for upvc fittings & 400ml can is £2.20 from tool station).
Seems to do an excellent job of driving away moisture & leaves a dry film barrier against oxidisation. I'm assured it is safe for natural & synthetic scales.
So far so good & no messy residue to clean off before use.

Have switched to silicone spray for the use on my black Arkansas stone and it is wonderful, easy cleanup, just sort of evaporates, no water being brought to the party after cracking opening the factory blades (use thin coat of Ballistol on soft Ark for bevel-setting). Great stuff and cheap as chips.
 
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