Musty smelling razor blades?
Musty smelling razor blades?
Howdy, gentlemen--
haven't been by to visit in a while, so howdy again!
I was shaving tonight with a New Belmont, one of my favorite old Gillettes. The blade was dragging something fierce, so I grabbed a NOS Swedish Gillette and popped it in. Aaaah! Beautiful. But what was that whiff of mustiness I kept catching?
Turned out to be the blade! Seems that almost all my (large) cache of blades, stored in a bathroom drawer, have gone musty-smelling. Will this do any harm?!?
Am I going to give myself some weird Venusian plague?
Hope not, seeing as I managed to nick myself with the thing before I had the good sense to bathe it in alcohol.
So where should blades be stored, if not in a bathroom drawer? "Cause that ain't working out, clearly! Getting bilgewater in there like the bottom of a pirate ship or something, I guess...
haven't been by to visit in a while, so howdy again!
I was shaving tonight with a New Belmont, one of my favorite old Gillettes. The blade was dragging something fierce, so I grabbed a NOS Swedish Gillette and popped it in. Aaaah! Beautiful. But what was that whiff of mustiness I kept catching?
Turned out to be the blade! Seems that almost all my (large) cache of blades, stored in a bathroom drawer, have gone musty-smelling. Will this do any harm?!?
Am I going to give myself some weird Venusian plague?
Hope not, seeing as I managed to nick myself with the thing before I had the good sense to bathe it in alcohol.
So where should blades be stored, if not in a bathroom drawer? "Cause that ain't working out, clearly! Getting bilgewater in there like the bottom of a pirate ship or something, I guess...
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Musty smelling is fungus or mildew spores, yes? Anyway, it isn't normal. I doubt it affected the blade except to transfer the smell from the fungoid paper (yes? paper?) wrapper to the blade.
They need to be stored dry (low humidity), cool, with moving air around them ie: not stagnant air, And maybe in sunlight would be best. OK, so no one has that. After they dry out completely if you have room in the freezer that should work. Then just wash each one before using it. Maybe a simple rinse will do to remove any spores. But frankly unless you are kept in the dark, moist and in stagnant air I doubt you're in danger.
I would dry them in a warm oven and tolerate the short duration smell, then when cool put them in a baggie for freezer storage or storage in another suitable place that's dry and not humid. Even if they get wet after being in the freezer nothing will produce additional smell at those temps.
They need to be stored dry (low humidity), cool, with moving air around them ie: not stagnant air, And maybe in sunlight would be best. OK, so no one has that. After they dry out completely if you have room in the freezer that should work. Then just wash each one before using it. Maybe a simple rinse will do to remove any spores. But frankly unless you are kept in the dark, moist and in stagnant air I doubt you're in danger.
I would dry them in a warm oven and tolerate the short duration smell, then when cool put them in a baggie for freezer storage or storage in another suitable place that's dry and not humid. Even if they get wet after being in the freezer nothing will produce additional smell at those temps.
Brian
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Thanks for the replies, fellas.
I don't know quite what I have going on, but it's annoying--I live in New England, which I would hardly characterize as particularly humid. But I have a drawer full of blades I sure hope I don't end up having to toss, 'cause they're not easily replaced. Some old stock Wilkinson, old stock Gillette and several more. I had some in a (hinged, not airtight) box on my sink, and that box seems to have the same problem. Yeesh!
I guess I'll be keeping a blade humidor at this rate.
I don't know quite what I have going on, but it's annoying--I live in New England, which I would hardly characterize as particularly humid. But I have a drawer full of blades I sure hope I don't end up having to toss, 'cause they're not easily replaced. Some old stock Wilkinson, old stock Gillette and several more. I had some in a (hinged, not airtight) box on my sink, and that box seems to have the same problem. Yeesh!
I guess I'll be keeping a blade humidor at this rate.
Oh, and by the way--there is nothing visible wrong with these blades. No spots, no mold or mildew, no discoloration, nothing at all. They don't seem wet, either, though they've been repeatedly exposed to steamy air. They just smell weird.
Perhaps I will indeed try to dry them out and store in the freezer or elsewhere!
Perhaps I will indeed try to dry them out and store in the freezer or elsewhere!
I have had some NOS blades smell a bit like oil.
Never musty, though.
Never musty, though.
Gene
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
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"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
I'd try just putting them in something like an old cigar, shoe, or other cardboard or plastic storage box and move them, box and all, to a different location such as the upper shelf of a closet or cabinet. First, I'd lay them out in the open air for a few days to air out and hopefully get rid of whatever's causing the odor. They should be ok after that.
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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- Posts: 3121
- Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
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If you put them in the cold (and dry) freezer be sure they're in plastic and as little air as possible included.
I would have suggested a dessicant chamber, but no one outside of lab workers have those. They suck the moisture out of anything and keep things dry.
I would have suggested a dessicant chamber, but no one outside of lab workers have those. They suck the moisture out of anything and keep things dry.
Brian
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Squire wrote:Seamus I would toss them. I've kept blades in open containers exposed to the heat and humidity of our Deep South Sub-Tropical climate for more than 50 years without once experiencing any fungal growth.
If you must use them I would give them a deep soak in alcohol first.
The blades not you!
- DreadPirate
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- Location: Over the Rainbow
Yeah I agree - I would at lease soak them in alcohol. But there are so many inexpensive blades out there that are really good. If it were me, I'd toss em.Squire wrote:Seamus I would toss them. I've kept blades in open containers exposed to the heat and humidity of our Deep South Sub-Tropical climate for more than 50 years without once experiencing any fungal growth.
If you must use them I would give them a deep soak in alcohol first.
- DreadPirate
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:05 pm
- Location: Over the Rainbow
Re: Musty smelling razor blades?
Well - the T2 toxin that the Soviets used against the Afghans was made from wheat rust. Some microbes manufacture toxins as a by product of their metabolism. Botulism is another example. It might be ok, but I would disinfect them; maybe even in Barbicide (same solution a barber or tatoo artist would use to sterilize their tools).Seamus wrote:Howdy, gentlemen--
Am I going to give myself some weird Venusian plague?