People have been using coconut oil for all kinds of stuff:
https://www.custommade.com/blog/coconut-oil/
At first I thought it was only the unrefined, presumably more acidic oil that could remove the rust from scissors, but I took the above as encouragement enough to try the refined version, which is cheaper. Yep, it worked. Refined is also the only kind I can afford enough of to think about immersing something. Like... a vintage DE razor!
Recently, Fendrihan posted an article advising mineral oil soaking as a final step in restoration. The shine made me envious. I cleaned my TTOs with dish soap when I got them, and some nasty chemical spray, and boiling water. I can't remember what order, but I vaguely remember a bulletin board discussion that made oil sound like the cause of gunk, rather than the cure, which I guess is why I never did that, myself. Especially mineral oil... if that went wrong, I'd never get it off.
Having become more familiar with the qualities of coconut oil, and hopeful that the finish of my razors might actually be improved, I collected the GEM, NEW LC, Slim, Super Speed, Travel Tech and soaked them for half an hour, maybe an hour in an old pan on the stove, as I figured out how I wanted to drain them. A dense nylon brush for nose pores reached the finely engraved crud, and with paper towels, showed some metal polishing power in gray oxidation.
What I wasn't expecting was the immediate freeing of the Slim's mechanism, to where it could be closed with one hand... one twirl. I had seen a lot of rubbery, gummy stuff removed before, but just a little more eeked out now, melted just that little bit better, from under the adjustment dial. Poking around between the riser and baseplate with a Q-tip didn't get anything new, just oxidation. To remove excess oiliness, I immersed the razors in a tall coffee mug filled with microwave-boiled water. I do not expect what is left to gum up, but it could; it's not nothing.
The razors are quite shiny and bright, though. Envy satisfied. I think the correct question now is, what is there that coconut oil cannot do? I saw a little tub of the virgin cold-pressed at the CVS, about twice the diameter of the tiny storage cup that I'm using. I'm thinking, they're right.
As for the inch of oil in my old pan, it's going to the carport, to condition some rusty old tools.
DEFINITELY NOT GUMMING UP -- If there were any reason for concern, it would be rather that the acids remain slightly corrosive, for I detect a raw brass smell from the junction between knob and barrel, like Ruby's odeur.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, I didn't immerse any modern razors, but I smeared some into that spot on Ruby, and worked it in by holding the razor upside down in my closed fist (heat + gravity), and twisting it open and cloased occasionally. Bye-bye squeak, twirls almost as easy as the Gillettes!