Hello all, I joined the forum not long ago and forgot to introduce myself. I am JEFFMAPES and live in west Texas. It is very dry here, I have pasted my strop 3 times since December. I have several razors with horn scales. Any suggestions on how to care for them in a dry climate? Regards Jeff
Welcome @JEFFMAPES from here in western NY. I’m sure you’ll get plenty of help from the members here. I mainly use DE and SE.
Welcome and all that. Horn is a natural material and you should be caring for them, no matter the climate. The #1 recommended conditioner for horn is lanolin. Buy the stuff in the squeeze bottle and don't use much. Try to avoid getting horn wet, and if it does get wet, dry it off as soon as you can. Dampness makes it smell, and also can cause it to warp. If you don't want to shell out the big bucks for lanolin, Camilla oil is a decent substitute. It's also a dandy rust preventative for tools, especially saws. The Japanese have been using it on their swords and tools for centuries, and westerners are starting to catch on as well. You can't apply too much oil. Once it has soaked in, wipe any excess off with a clean soft cloth. If you haven't treated it with anything yet, soak some on a paper towel and seal it and your razor in a zip lock baggie overnight. That will help as well. Don't be surprised if white spots on the handle turn darker to match the rest of the horn. That is perfectly natural and good for the horn.
Top O the Morning PLANofMAN, Thanks for the advice, I have lanolin for my boots. I have a ready supply. I do take great care is stowing my razors after use so wiping down with lanolin will not be a big deal. That is information I can use. I have 2 Erbe Solingen's in the mail, one in cow horn and one in stag horn and they should arrive by the end of the week. Regards, Jeff
Welcome aboard. I suggest you ask around in the straight razor section of the forum for those questions. https://theshaveden.com/forums/forums/straight-razors.32/