My Favorite Post-Shave Equipment Maintenance

I'm a solidly middle-class guy, with solid middle-class values. That is, I don't like to unnecessarily buy the same thing twice, so I take care of my gear, my tools.

Since my favorite razor (my double-edged favorite, that is) is made of Zamak, a zinc alloy, I like to have it rather dry when storing it over night because Zamak degrades rapidly when exposed to water. Oh, I know and understand that Zamak razors are generally protected by the chrome plating. Still, what if there's a defect in the plating -- either from the factory or due to some user error? These concerns lead me to disassemble my three-piece razor and dry the components before storing.

Also, I know that even stainless and coated blades deteriorate with time due to micro-oxidation on the blade edge. So after the shave, when my razor is disassembled, I will gently pat or press dry the blade and do a single, light forearm-stropping pass on each side of each edge before reassembling the razor for storage until the next-day's shave.

When I'm on plane-travel trips, I blow out the excess moisture from my two-track disposable razor. Then I forearm-strop or otherwise give the exposed sides of the shaving edges a light stropping.

When I've used up a blade and am ready for a replacement, I pat dry the old one and slide it into my tin-can recycle bank.

In summary of my favorite things, here is a partial list of my favorite gear:

• Merkur Classic Razor, model 33C
• Palmolive Shave Stick
• Any blade recycle bank -- even home made from a tin can
• Gillette after shave gel, and also Aqua Velva Ice Blue after shave lotion

There's a whole world of products and processes to explore. I hope you find the best of them for you.

That's it!  Happy shaving!