This is the place to ask beginner and simple questions. Some examples include:
• Soap, scent, or gear recommendations • Favorite scents, bases, etc • Where to buy certain items • Identification of a razor you just bought • Troubleshooting shaving issues such as cuts, poor lather, and technique
Please note these are examples and any questions for the sub should be posted here.
I got myself a beautiful Thiers Issard straight razor from eBay. It’s in great shape, but I don’t know anything about the prior owner. What are the best options for sterilizing this thing? Will simply rubbing it down with alcohol do the job, or does it need a prolonged bath in alcohol?
Also, what would your approach be to using it? Try the minimal intervention (stropping ), and then try it? Or would you take it to the stones before doing anything?
Physician here. Sterilise in the strict sense you can’t without an autoclave, but that won’t be necessary. The professional method for disinfecting razors would be a bath in Barbicide, but a good scrubbing with a non abrasive bathroom cleaner and a toothbrush should already take away most bacteria and their hideouts. A few consecutive dips in 75% alcohol after that take away moisture and kill the rest. The razor still won’t be sterile, but it should be good enough.
Thanks for the tips! I will clean the blade and dip it into alcohol. The point that you cannot sterilize a razor is well taken - my only worry was that I don’t know anything about the previous owner, and I prefer to err on the side of safety.
Generally rubbing alcohol is fine. If you want to go beyond that, get barbicide and soak the blade for a while in that. Just be certain in both cases you’re not subjecting the scales to such as the scale material may respond poorly to the aggressive nature of those solutions.
I ended up immersing the blade in alcohol. Thanks !
I perfectly understand the concern. I actually did put a vintage razor through an autoclave once - the Lady Gillette I gave to my wife, so she could rest assured it was safe to use. But that was massive overkill and the psychological point was mostly in the sterilisation pouch as gift wrapping.
My post here talks through what’s needed.
Presuming you picked something up that needs sharpening (unless you got a lot of luck and chose a particular rare ebay seller, it will need sharpening), that’s your first step, mail to a pro to sharpen it. Stropping will not make a straight razor sharper, it simply aligns the microscopic metal frill at the apex. Sharpening requires steel removal, not just alignment.
Post some pictures and more details!
Thanks for your reply and the link!
The blade was in really good shape, but after giving it a soak in alcohol, I tried it on my arm, but no joy there. I thought I would give it a try to sharpen it myself on a Shapton 12k. It turned out alright, and I shaved with it yesterday evening - good enough for me!
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I got the Merkur Mk34c and shaved a couple of times with it with the Astra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades. It feels bit to mild to me and not getting close enough compared to the old starter razorock starter safety razor I had got.
Is it an issue of technique or that the Astra doesn’t work as well with the Mk34c? Or should I look for another option?
Probably a bit of both…
The 34C is a relatively mild razor, but many people (including myself) are able to get nice close shaves with it. I love mild razors, but they do require some technique to get a close shave.
Depending on your level of experience, I’d recommend not worrying about closeness, and instead focus on comfort. If the shaves are comfortable, try adjusting your technique towards a closer shave.
It’s also very possible that you prefer razors that are more aggressive.
Are those Astras three only blades you have? I’d recommend getting a blade sampler. Blades make a big difference for me.
