I gave young man and his Dad a inexpensive Chinese DEs. They both became DE lovers on price and function. Now I am giving the Son a Merkur Progress for his high school graduation. I have one and it's my favorite. An insert in the Progress package says, "adjustable razors should be lubricated. Anyone know how to lube them?
One drop of 3-in-1 oil or sewing machine oil will do the trick. Apply once a year or so. Open the butterfly doors and send it down the handle.
If a complete disassembly is necessary, I usually use a tiny bit of Vaseline. If it's just an occasional wipe down and lube, I use a drop or two of Wahl blade oil. (the kind they package with their electric trimmers and clippers.) My local Walgreens has it in stock, and it isn't expensive.
I think a drop of oil on the threads of the Progress head once in a while would be enough to keep things working smoothly.
when I was using a slim I used Kroil. Just a drop because it creeps everywhere. It is the best penetrating oil on the market. I also use it on my firearm triggers
I use the sewing machine oil suggested here. It's super thin and doesn't smell like anything at all! Worked in the auto mechanic field for many years and can't stand the smell of WD40 and it is very hard to get rid of the smell!
im sure most will work, but i always thought you should use a mineral oil? which baby oil basically is just has a light fragrance.....i also understand that anything that is silicone is a big no-no.
I use mineral oil. The kind you get at the pharmacy in the antiacid section. I figure if it's going that close to my face and mouth, I'd want to use a lubricant that is non-toxic.
I tried that once. It took weeks for the smell to fade. That's when I switched to sewing machine oil. The only time I oil a razor is when I get a used one from eBay. If you keep them clean and rinse and dry them after use, you should never have any issues. I've oiled my razors probably once in the last five years. ...the straights get oiled about every three months, but that's because I rarely use them.
The only real problem I have had is with a 1952 black tip steel handle! Obviously the two steel components ( handle and shaft ) don't like being put away wet and not used for a long period of time. The 2 best ideas I have used on here that work are sewing machine oil and mineral oil. Both are odorless and work quite well.
+1. My birth year razor is a 52 Black Tip and it's the only one I've ever had problems with. It used to get tight opening and closing, so sewing machine oiled often initially, worked in afterwards and now every quarter or so and its excellent. Just as an aside mine to was a steel handle. Don't know if it becomes an issue with the aluminium handle ones?
I use an old can of 3 in 1 Motor Oil (blue can, SAE 20). Nice viscosity, no odor to speak of. WD40 to soak only really stuck razors, but that's rare.
I don't know but it's the reason I gave up on black tips, which are excellent shavers. The knobs on mine always acted wonky and wanted to not turn well. Plus I didn't like the plastic's relative lack of grip. But that's just me.
I've always used clipper oil or machine/sewing machine oil on my old Gillettes. One drop down each side of the mechanism that goes down the handle and one drop on the knob, and one on the adjuster ring/detent on the adjustables.
