How to Care for Your Straight Razor Blades?
Every modern man desires to have a set of classy high-performance straight razor blades. Discovering the right one is a crucial aspect. Modern times have taught men a lot about basic grooming; subsequently, there is a variety of straight razor blades available in the market at different prices.
It is typical of wanting to make the best of one's investment; there are a number of techniques that can help you in using the straight razor blades for a long time before going for the refills. The below-given maintenance tips will definitely assist you in expanding the life-spans of your razor blades irrespective of what kind they are; straight, double-edged, or plastic.
1. Add a Strop to Your Toolkit
Never underestimate the power of the strop; if you want to go a long way with the straight razor blades, make it a priority of adding a strop to your toolkit. The purpose of the strop is not only to remove all of the crud existing on the straight razor blades; it also serves as a sharpening and maintenance tool of the razor blades.
If you have never used a strop before, firstly, you ought to hang it up. Subsequently, the blade ought to be run along the suede side a number of times. Afterward, run the blade on the smooth side of the strop for polishing. Another trick to sharpen those blades is using moving the blades on a pair of denim jeans.
2. Add a Protective Layer to the Straight Razor Blades
Corrosion and rusting can be effectively prevented if you make it a habit of adding a protective layer to your set of straight razor blades. You don't require some chemical stuff for this; a few drops of almond oil or baby oil will do the trick. If you want to go fancy, you might also experiment with some performance-increasing oil that will not only keep the blades from rusting but also ensure to keep your face moisturized.
3. Keep those Blades Dry!
For the long life of your straight razor blades, you would want to ensure drying them before putting them aside after each shaving session. Everyone is aware of the fact that moisture leads to the rusting of the blades. If you are in a hurry, you might want to use a hairdryer to quicken the drying purpose. If it is not available, dry the blade simply with a towel. However, refrain from rubbing it too hard on the towel, else the blades might get caught and get damaged.
4. Taking Apart the Blade
If you want to thoroughly cleanse your set of straight razor blades, a quick rinse might not suffice; you will have to disassemble the straight razor blades. Straight razors as well as double-edged are particularly susceptible to attract dirt and dust, and the buildup of soap; therefore, these require a thorough cleansing. For this purpose, you might want to completely disassemble them after a couple of weeks in order to clean all joints and hidden areas of your straight razor blades.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
If you are looking for another way to prevent the buildup of rust on the straight razor blades, you ought to try rubbing alcohol onto the blades. This is a well-known trick that has been around for ages and has never proven futile. Alcohol also works as a disinfectant solution. In fact, you can also use ‘barbicide' for this purpose and keep it dipped in this disinfectant solution for at least 20 minutes. Make sure to thoroughly dry your blades afterward.
6. Store Dry
No matter how expensive or how zero-maintenance your straight razor blades are; you ought to make it a priority of storing them dry. The bathroom is never a good place to keep your shaving utensils dry; in fact, the bathroom is the most humid point anyway. If you are really determined to maintain the quality of your straight razor blades, you want to store them dry at any cost. It is recommended to get a storage case in this regard. If you don't want to go for a storage case, you can also use the zippered plastic bag for keeping your straight razor blades dry.
