Is it okay to shave when the razor (not the blade) is a little rusty?

Dave gives himself a Tetanus shot booster prior to each shave

I need a tetanus shot just looking at those things.

If this is a straight razor, may be mead of carbon steel and it can rust. If the rust does not affect the edge,  you are OK. If it does affect the edge, then you need to hone it out.

Since you mentioned a blade, I presume you are talking about a DE or SE razor. Since these razors are not made of steel, what you are seeing is not rust.  Razors are typically made of brass or a Zinc alloy that might be coated with chrome or nickel. If you are seeing corrosion, you probably have zinc alloy razor. Once the outer coating is pitted, the zinc underneath will start to corrode. If the corrosion affects the alignment of the razor blade, that could be an issue.  If the corrosion is on the safety bar or edge of the cap, it might irritate your face. If the corrosion is elsewhere, it is primarily a cosmetic issue.

You can prolong the life of your razor by cleaning and drying it after your shave. If it is a three-piece razor, lubricating the threads with mineral oil or petroleum jelly can help protect the threads as this is often the point of failure.

^^^This.  If the mark on the underside of the 41C cap is rust from a blade, it should just wipe off.  If it's a flaw in the chrome that actually penetrates, the cap is doomed, because the zinc corrosion will progress underneath, bubble up the chrome near the edge, and eventually cause the cap to be unusable. However (a big however), if you rinse and dry the razor completely after use, it could last some time.  It certainly won't hurt to shave with it until alignment becomes an issue, as above, and when it fails a new cap (or razor) is fairly easy to find.

If this is a straight razor, may be mead of carbon steel and it can rust. If the rust does not affect the edge,  you are OK. If it does affect the edge, then you need to hone it out.

Since you mentioned a blade, I presume you are talking about a DE or SE razor. Since these razors are not made of steel, what you are seeing is not rust.  Razors are typically made of brass or a Zinc alloy that might be coated with chrome or nickel. If you are seeing corrosion, you probably have zinc alloy razor. Once the outer coating is pitted, the zinc underneath will start to corrode. If the corrosion affects the alignment of the razor blade, that could be an issue.  If the corrosion is on the safety bar or edge of the cap, it might irritate your face. If the corrosion is elsewhere, it is primarily a cosmetic issue.

You can prolong the life of your razor by cleaning and drying it after your shave. If it is a three-piece razor, lubricating the threads with mineral oil or petroleum jelly can help protect the threads as this is often the point of failure.

^^^This.  If the mark on the underside of the 41C cap is rust from a blade, it should just wipe off.  If it's a flaw in the chrome that actually penetrates, the cap is doomed, because the zinc corrosion will progress underneath, bubble up the chrome near the edge, and eventually cause the cap to be unusable. However (a big however), if you rinse and dry the razor completely after use, it could last some time.  It certainly won't hurt to shave with it until alignment becomes an issue, as above, and when it fails a new cap (or razor) is fairly easy to find.

Thanks Scaramouche. I'll keep an eye on it, but I did find the new caps and they're not that much. I'll probably go that route. Appreciate it.

Dave in KYJust load it and shave, you'll be fine 



Like Dave said, “just load and shave, you’ll be fine” 
I suggest using the same glass blades as Dave otherwise what’s the point of the rusty experience/experiment?