is it safe to use a lightly rusted razor?

Absolutely not. The rust is composed of Fe oxides (red rust). The green rust is Fe and Cl compounds (toxic).
Applying Fe to the skin (and to the blood stream) may trigger Candida, which will go from its yeast form into its fingi form thus causing eczema, the treatment of which will cost you much more than a new rust-free razor, for example.

Thanks!! Very risky think to do then! I will NOT be using those razors, and they will be going in the trash. Thanks again! (:

I wouldn't worry about a yeast infection. I'd worry about an infection from antibiotic resistant bacteria, which could lead to skin damage and even a very serious death.

As opposed to an unserious death?

As you know, serious death can only result from a "wrong mistake".

I think the term is frivolous death. This is the kind I plan on having.

That might be caused by a frivolous mistake

A deadly frivolous mistake.....

... I can't think of a better way to go.

I think the responses here are irrational.

Assuming that these aren't razors that have been used by someone else (which would be dangerous with or without rust) I can't imagine that a little rust will hurt anything.

Resistant bacteria is spread by contact with people. That isn't something that comes from razors you bought yourself. There is zero risk of bacterial infection from razors that haven't been used by someone else. This is true no matter how much rust there is.

I think the real risk here is that the blades wont be sharp enough to give a good shave. But if it is only a little rust, that won't hurt.

I would use razors with a little rust on them, as long as they were sharp enough.

In a conclusion, if someone wants to avoid any serious ... and unserious death, he should avoid using rusted razors in any case scenario.
If I had that rusted razors (that so and so became a symbol of fital cessation of the vital functions) I would have put them on the wall ... as a top design artwork, but before that process them with some rust converter, phosphoric acid or s.th., which converts the iron oxides into an inert layer of ferric phosphates.

What is your medical background? MD? RN?

Stay at a Holiday Inn last night?

I heard once that you can store the blades in a bit of oil, like vegetable oil, I think. As I recall, this is supposed to keep them sharp, and would stave off rust as well, I would think.

You'd have to be totally out of your mind to use a rusted razor.

Come on, Tico. You don't have to have a medical background to be able to know these claims are bullshit. You just need a basic understanding of science and a little reason.

There are two basic claims that are being made here that are completely bogus. Let's start with the first.

Miller seems to be claiming that harmful bacteria can spontaneously just appear on a razor that hasn't been touched by anyone else simply because the iron has rusted. The reason this is bogus is because bacteria and viruses don't spontaneously generate. They need to be transmitted. Rust has nothing to do with transmission of diseases.

This isn't medical school... this is high school biology.

If Miller, or anyone else, can explain how a razor that hasn't been in contact with anyone else, can suddenly have harmful diseases (rust or no rust), then I would be very glad to change my mind.

I am surprised, Tico, that you would accept such an incredible claim that violates basic science without questioning it.

Oh, you have a high school education. Well then ...

RE: ... simply because the iron has rusted
In order for the iron to get rusted it needs water, and you never know what you may have in that water ... and the development of what it may trigger.
As far as I can guess he is talking about the horrible death caused by the neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani that causes tetanus.
If you are curious to know the rust is the habitual habitat of Clostridium tetani.

Thanks Herald... at least you are applying reason behind the claims you are making. But let's think about this.

First of all I don't believe that your claim that rust "triggers" tetanus has any basis in fact. I would be happy if you could provide a link to back this up.

Rust has no biological link with Clostridium tetani. Rust does not cause tetanus and you can get the disease just fine from nails with no rust.

Tetanus is from nails exposed to the bacteria (generally found in the soil). It is not from rusty nails (although it is not suprising that people associate the two). In official and scientific papers on Tetanus rust is not mentioned as a cause (see CDC Fact sheet.

But this is about a razor blade, presumably in a bath room. In a typical bathroom there is plenty of moisture that could lightly rust a razor blade. As a matter of fact, after the first use there will be rust on the razor blade (if you looked in a microscope). It doesn't hurt anyone until the blade becomes dull.

In this same bathroom is your toothbrush, and toilet paper and countless other things that are in the same environment with the same water and the same germs. Even though a toothbrush (not being made of iron) won't show rust it would have the same germs.

There is still no reason that this insane fear of a little rust.

How old is this razor? I thought they were all supposed to be stainless.

Just a second. I am not the top designer of tetanus on the rusted razor. I just said that most prabably the serious death the guy is talking about is tetanus.
If you ask me how exactly Clostridium tetani from the dust in the room (and from the faeces of the home pet) will happen upon the rusted razer - I cannot say that it is impossible. Notwithtsanding that the rust collects more dust, yet it cannot be an occasion for hysteria.
My claim was that there is a correlation between iron and the yeast infections, although the opinions of the various researchers are contradictory.
I didn't say anything about tetanus until the question about the 'serious death' was not raised. Anyway.