Thread: Is Rubbing Alcohol ok for a Straight Razor?

Originally Posted by Larzz

@sproosemoose:

Also, if you take a look at the Mineral Oil (USP) U.S.P. stands for United States Pharmacopeia, which means that it's medically safe.
......
And once again, it's approved by the United States Pharmacopeia.
For more info on the USP, check out the wiki page on USP at
United States Pharmacopeia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

+12 on all except a caution about the above.
Some very nasty chemicals are tabulated in the USP.

USP is a standard of purity but the medical safety part
is not a given. A quick lookup of various arsenic
compounds will make my point.

Still mineral oil is a good thing for razor steel. Just
wipe and rinse the blade clean prior to use. Since the
ingredients in WD-40 are secret wipe and rinse twice

Wipe it down with hydrogen peroxide. Then wipe it dry and put your mineral oil on it.

Originally Posted by Vnam68

Wipe it down with hydrogen peroxide. Then wipe it dry and put your mineral oil on it.

Peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent! Your razor will not be the same color when you finish with this procedure... use at your own [tremendous] risk.

Some high carbon steels rust quicker than others. How long did your shave take ?
It is possible your blade was wet long enough to get some rust happening.
Keep on top of it with a mild metal polish & keep it oiled.
Absolutely no contact with acids or any oxidisers.
Does anyone know for sure the "scents" in baby oil are safe on carbon steel ?
I use an Aussie made WD spray called "Inox". It is food safe & I spray my carbon steel kitchen knives with it too.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

+12 on all except a caution about the above.
Some very nasty chemicals are tabulated in the USP.

USP is a standard of purity but the medical safety part
is not a given. A quick lookup of various arsenic
compounds will make my point.

Still mineral oil is a good thing for razor steel. Just
wipe and rinse the blade clean prior to use. Since the
ingredients in WD-40 are secret wipe and rinse twice

You are right about the purity part. Because something yields the "USP" label, doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to ingest. But if you know the product your buying is meant to be ingested in the first place, then seeing that USP label means your getting the highest regulated form of that substance...In this case, mineral oil.