Trick to Extend the Life of Your Razor

For guys and gals who use razors regularly, extend their life!!!

Unlike annoying and super obvious “behavioral” ways of saving money, here is one with direct use-value. Take a small glass jar, fill it with a half-inch of mineral oil (available at your local pharmacy), and keep your razor in it when not in use. The end!

For dupes like myself who buy the higher end razors (mach III’s and the like) at twenty bucks a pop for a tiny “bulk” pack of razors, this will save you a ton. The reason it works so well is because razor wear is caused by corrosion, NOT USE. Now go look at the ingredient label on your shaving cream/gel: the first primary ingredients are all corrosive acids. Go figure, because the companies that produce shaving cream are also the same collection of companies who produce razors!

This really works. I do some light machining, and machinists always store or use their tools in conjunction with oils in order to keep them sharp, and one day it just clicked. I’m an every other day shaver and I used to go through blades about every ten days before they’d get coarse. Now I’ve been using the same blade for over two months. I was thinking of turning this into a product, but there are pre-existing patents, and I’d like to help others save money anyway. It’s a free tip, so enjoy!

-A note on use: for sanitary purposes, change the oil once in a while. Also, when done shaving, blow as much water droplets from your razor as possible because they will cling to the razor even in the oil, thus negating the benefits. And before shaving, give the razor a good rinse to remove as much mineral oil as possible. When there is still a lot of mineral oil on the blade it can give you kind of a weird, “un-close” shave because of the lubricating properties of oil. Other than that, fill out the details for yourself. And if you don’t like the look of a sauce jar on your shelf, just find a suitable vase, and there ya go.

Homepage photo credit: worak