I'm doing research on straight razors and I'v seen some 'warnings' about keeping water out of the pivot to prevent damage. Has anyone ever tried WD-40 for this? The product was initially developed for getting rid of water (WD= water displacement) on delicate missle equipment at the White Sands Proving Grounds. Wouldn't that make it perfect for maintaining a straight razor?
W-D will work, it wouldn't hurt the metal, but it might affect some handle materials such as celluloid,bakelite, are something like that, even possibly your skin... While "YMMV" I would think just drying the razor properly and then allowing it to air dry before putting it away in an enclosed case would work fine...
What I do instead of oiling the pivot (Aside from maintenance times of course) is only rinse the blade and then wipe it dry on a towel. Basically I never get the scales or pivot wet with this method and it works very well for me; a little more work if you're using a sink filled with water but under running water its very easy to keep all but the blade dry.
For fear of water migration up the tang from the blade, I also make it a habit to dry above and below the pivot point with a single sheet or two of bathroom tissue. I do the same to dry the inside of the scales before closing the razor. In a number of older razors I have come across, the pivot point seems to be prone to collecting an abundance of crud surrounding the pin. you can also see the telltale signs of rust and crud on the blade tang itself.
The only moisture my razors get is whats in the lather and they look as shiny as when I took them out of the box the first time. They were never meant to be held under a faucet. I don't use oil or anything on them and I don't leave them in the bathroom either.
I've used WD-40 for years on everything from my handguns to the lawnmower. This seems to me to be made-to-order for the product. I'll keep you posted. Canned air is another item I use on my firearms, so I'll be drying out the pivot with it also.
The only potential problem I see with using WD-40 on any item used in close proximity to the face is the strong smell the stuff gives off.
From a Wet Straight Shaver... I get everything wet, my face, the razor, the pivot, the counter, even the floor sometimes, it is called wetshaving for a reason I take care to clean up after myself and to dry my razor, I have used WD-40 for years and NEVER had an issue I apply it to a piece of TP then the razor. Do not apply it to any scale material that reacts with water (un-finished or oil finished wood comes to mind) Only one trick to SR's, have a place that it can sit OPEN with air circulating overnight, a drawer comes to mind.. I refuse to get drawn into discussions about wd-40 gumming up etc: I have a razor sitting right here next to the computer that was stored on 11-23-12 using wd-40 and VCI paper and I just checked it and found no issues...
Me too I actually use some cloth that I took from a shoeshine kit as a wrap for my razors. I took the pains to stich it into a little bag sized perfectly to cover them, but simply wrapping them works too. I wipe it off with a towel, blow over the pivot to force out as much moisture as I can, and then put that absorbant bag over it and haven't had any trouble.
Waxed dental floss works great to get the crud, rust and patina out from around the pivot pin area on the tang.
WD40 has a strong mechanical smell I don't care for. I use Ballistol, it also has a scent, but not as bad and it is non-toxic. Search for "ballistol straight razor"... you would get a ton of discussions
I agree with Glenn; I wash the razor under the faucet, (it's gonna get wet!) wipe it dry with a tissue and a shave towel, blow the water out of the inside of the scales, (like a harmonica) let it dry open for a couple of hours then oil the blade (all the metal parts and the scales as well) with pro-shot zero friction oil for firearms mechanisms and knives. I have never had a problem with rust in the pivot area or on the blade with this method. As a matter of fact, I think it actually seems to dissolve any micro veins of rust on the blade because it just keeps getting brighter and cleaner with each use. A 1 fluid ounce bottle with a needle tip cost about $10.00 and lasts a year of daily use. It's avalible at any sporting goods store. Also Hoppe's nitro powder solvent (very similar) is good as well. Be sure to wipe the oil off the blade with a tissue and shave towel right before you strop for next use.
