I have been given about 80 Treet SE carbon blades on the Yellow/White cardboard backed hanger. Nearly all of the blades have surface rust on the blade but not on the bevel. Other than binning them any suggestions? I have a strop and blade holder for my Gem Jewel so I could try stropping them. The rust is more a stain than actual orange rust.
Pics? That is a lot of blades. Like you said it may be more stain than rust. I clean, dry and strop my carbon steel blades between shaves. They may be ok. You could send them to me though.
I wouldn't use them mainly because of the rust. Then again, I don't care for the modern Treet SE blades. I'd put it up as a display piece.
If the edge is clean, they might surprise you. Strop 'em on your pants leg a few times each side and see what happens. Are these the yellow, green and white hangers, btw?
Carbon blades are usually chemically blackened to prevent flash rusting so if you see rust anywhere then there is probably rust or pitting on the edge as well. You could try to hone them a glass hone or strop it and see how it goes otherwise I'd probably toss them.
They are the yellow, green and white hangers. I will use my loupe and check the edge and then wipe with alcohol in case there is free rust not just staining and give one a try. Who knows they may or may not be ok.
Nope. Even the slightest hint of rust and I wouldn't use 'em. It's not like new blades are hard to come by. But that's me.
Because we live in a modern age we do tend at times to be a bit cavalier about the possibility of exotic infection. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/12/09/a-deadly-ritual-5-men-who-died-from-shaving/ I tend to side most in this case with @swarden43 Thanks to all for their contribution. Steve
Good call. Personna got rid of the Treet and Pal brands a few years back and only sell SE blades under the Gem brand. I think they only offer it in three varieties now - Gem PTFE-Coated (Ted Pella), Gem Stainless Steel, Gem Blue Stars (carbon blades)
Not that I shave with a DE any longer but when I did a friend gave me some Treet Dura Sharp marked as Carbon Steel blades and they were really good. Made in Pakistan but do have a reasonably good reputation. They were both sharp and smooth. Forgot to mention they are I believe still available from Connaughts. Steve
From howstuffworks.com .... Rust is not in and of itself a C. tetani carrier; rather, the thinking goes that if the nail has been outside long enough to get rusty, then it's probably been exposed to soils containing the bacteria. The crevices of the rust give the soil a place to hide, and the deep puncture wound gives the C. tetani a place to do its work. Any injury related to puncture is reason for concern, though, no matter how clean the piercing object seemed to be. That includes gunshot wounds and knife stabbings. Or basically... dirt, not rust, is the main worry for contracting tetanus. That and the fact that tetanus spores aren't killed by antiseptics. From ushealthworks.com .... The most common wound that is the source of tetanus in the U.S. is rose thorn wounds. You are gardening, so you have dirty hands, a rose thorn pokes you, and what self-respecting gardener worries about a rose thorn prick? You don’t even wash your hands. You just keep gardening. Perhaps not too surprising this can be the source of tetanus.