Wiping Off Your Blades Edge

This morning's shave came with a discovery that I should have arrived at a long time ago. Today, after finishing a section of my face, I used a piece of tissue paper to wipe off the blade edge. What a huge difference in the rest of the shave. I keep a towel next to the sink while I shave, but I'm always worried about using it to wipe off the edge side because I' don't want the towel to dull the blade from all the little strands of fabric. So in the past I've only wiped off the water from the rinse with the spine against the towel, and never with the razor edge facing down into the towel. Using the tissue seemed a little less risky to me, and the result was immediately noticeable. I can only assume that, although it's invisible to the naked eye, there is a build up of hair, skin, oil, lather etc... on the edge that get's between the hair on your face and the razor edge. That little bit of stuff on the edge impedes the efficiency of the razor enough to result in a much less comfortable shave. If the comfort of your shave seems to change mid shave, try using some tissue between your thumb and forefinger, and wiping of the blade off, with the edge facing down, and running between your fingers. Ridiculously simple and obvious. But somehow I never considered it before.

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Originally Posted by Slurryer

This morning's shave came with a discovery that I should have arrived at a long time ago. Today, after finishing a section of my face, I used a piece of tissue paper to wipe off the blade edge. What a huge difference in the rest of the shave. I keep a towel next to the sink while I shave, but I'm always worried about using it to wipe off the edge side because I' don't want the towel to dull the blade from all the little strands of fabric. So in the past I've only wiped off the water from the rinse with the spine against the towel, and never with the razor edge facing down into the towel. Using the tissue seemed a little less risky to me, and the result was immediately noticeable. I can only assume that, although it's invisible to the naked eye, there is a build up of hair, skin, oil, lather etc... on the edge that get's between the hair on your face and the razor edge. That little bit of stuff on the edge impedes the efficiency of the razor enough to result in a much less comfortable shave. If the comfort of your shave seems to change mid shave, try using some tissue between your thumb and forefinger, and wiping of the blade off, with the edge facing down, and running between your fingers. Ridiculously simple and obvious. But somehow I never considered it before.

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For those of us that are old enough to remember the hair cuts and shaves of times gone buy remember that the barber always wiped the blades edge while shaving either our necks or face. never really give it much thought until I started with the straight razor my self. I does make a difference. All in the learning curve. I'm sure before it's over we will all learn new old stuff. enjoy and have a great day.

Almost from the start I have used a damp sponge in a holder on the counter top to wipe the blade off using a stropping motion. No fibers to worry about and no damage to the blade. Big plus for me is that my fingers are nowhere near the blade edge.

Bob

I use a regular bath sponge. Saves your blade from the taps too.

I've done this since day one, ONLY, because I read the makers care instructions. They recommend toilet paper, so that's what I use.
If not Lord knows what I would have been doing.

I'm also use the wife's blower year, drying the pivot swivels making sure no water worked its way up between the scales and blade.

I use a flannel folded up and put over the water spout. Saves accidental dings and just wipe the lather off on it. No edge problems. Know a barber that still uses straights anf he will wipe off on a towel.

Hot water rinse from the tap and then an wipe with toilet paper if necessary. I have found that having lather that is sufficiently moist makes a big difference in the ease of cleaning by rinsing. When the lather starts to get dry, it becomes more tacky/thicker/less-rinsable.

Yes, for sure having a moist lather makes a difference.

Bob

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Hot water rinse from the tap .

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Yeah same here,, Swish in the sink, or run the Tap, I learned to drape my washcloth over the tap so I don't even have to be so careful to not hit it :)

Since I have a sink full of Hot Water right there in front of me, and it is after all called "Wet Shaving" I find that to be easy

Also it helps with thinning the lather, which I also agree with when I bring a Warm, Wet, razor back to my face :p

Damp washcloth, folded, at the edge of the counter to strop off as I go.
Also start off with 4-6 squares of TP to clean the blade if I need to close the razor to set it down (keep that lather out of the scales)
I have RazorDinkaPhobia so I only rinse once at the most...

And I remember my Grandfather and Uncle using a razor around my ears and the back of my neck when I was a youth in the 60's.
They would have a towel over either my shoulder (Grandpa) or his (Uncle Custy) that they would use to clear the blade as they worked.
If you think about it, turning to the sink takes time. For me not using the faucet to rinse allowed me to stay focused on the process, this was a big help when learning how to use a Straight.

I just use the towel around my waist when I'm shaving.

My razors don't come near water or sink, they have nothing to do there.

You can whipe on a sponge, some ppl use micro towels.
I use a big nice high quality sponge for washing cars

+1 have used a sponge to wipe between passes for over a year ever since seeing it on a video on here
my razors don't go near any sink or faucets to get dinged (touch wood)

Great to know for a newbie to the str8-razor! Thanks for sharing.

I strop the lather off onto my forearm, then give it a bit of a wipe with my towel at the end. If my forearm gets too loaded up i just give it a wipe down.

I will occasionally use my towel mid shave if i need to close my razor.

After dinging my blade on the faucet, I found this in my garage. I purchased it for our dog when I trim his nails, it was to small for his muzzle. It's a size one and fits over my vanity basin faucet perfectly.

I just slide it on and off for my shave. I did remove the straps. It allows a nice stream of water to pass an I no longer worry about committing the cardinal sin of dinging my blade. For $9.80 it's a winner.


http://www.amazon.com/Baskerville-2-...rds=dog+muzzle

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Originally Posted by MJC

Damp washcloth, folded, at the edge of the counter to strop off as I go.
Also start off with 4-6 squares of TP to clean the blade if I need to close the razor to set it down (keep that lather out of the scales)
I have RazorDinkaPhobia so I only rinse once at the most...

And I remember my Grandfather and Uncle using a razor around my ears and the back of my neck when I was a youth in the 60's.
They would have a towel over either my shoulder (Grandpa) or his (Uncle Custy) that they would use to clear the blade as they worked.
If you think about it, turning to the sink takes time. For me not using the faucet to rinse allowed me to stay focused on the process, this was a big help when learning how to use a Straight.

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I kinda like the idea of the towel over the shoulder. I'm gonna give it a try tonight. Thx

Rinse the blade off with hot water,wipe it off with tissue paper.

I strop it on the back of my forearm during a pass (thanks, Ed), and rinse between passes so it's not tacky drying lather.

*tacky _with_ drying lather.

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Originally Posted by deepweeds

I strop it on the back of my forearm during a pass (thanks, Ed), and rinse between passes so it's not tacky drying lather.

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Originally Posted by deepweeds

*tacky _with_ drying lather.

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If it hasn't been too long (unless that has changed...) you can edit your posts with the button on the bottom right of your post's box.

Attachment 191700

A damp micro-fiber towel folded on the edge on the counter.

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

If it hasn't been too long (unless that has changed...) you can edit your posts with the button on the bottom right of your post's box.

Attachment 191700

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Yes I think you get a day or so.

I like to engage all my senses during my shave. See it come off while shaving in mirror. Wiping with stropping motion on paper towel allows me to see total volume of whiskers removed per pass. By third pass , feeling of face and seeing evidence of facial exfoliation because its only skin tells me there is no closer to get. All my barbers since I was a kid till now always wiped off blade on papertowel draped over their non dominate forearm. Around here we called it tightening up the haircut, because they started at one sideburn and worked every inch around back till they arrived at the opposite sideburn.

Yeah wiping the blade does make for a better shave. I'm another one of those in the "rinse razor under the faucet and wipe on towel" group. To ensure that I don't ding the blade, I carefully use a straight motion to place the blade under the stream and then rotate my wrist so that the water rinses both sides of the blade. Then remove the blade from under the faucet again in a straight motion. Then wipe on a hand towel that's been folded into quarters and placed on the counter. Haven't dinged a razor - yet. :gth

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

I strop the lather off onto my forearm, then give it a bit of a wipe with my towel at the end. If my forearm gets too loaded up i just give it a wipe down.

I will occasionally use my towel mid shave if i need to close my razor.

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I like the idea of wiping off the forearm. Sounds really practical. I think I found my new style. Thank you sir.

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Originally Posted by dngrspapercut

I like the idea of wiping off the forearm. Sounds really practical. I think I found my new style. Thank you sir.

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It just sounds bad ass to me :rock: I'd probably cut myself doing it.

Anyone tried rubber tap covers? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Short-W...TVGQMJ1RKG0BNA

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Originally Posted by RedGladiator

It just sounds bad ass to me :rock: I'd probably cut myself doing it.

Anyone tried rubber tap covers? Star Pack Short White Rubber Tap Swirl for Half Inch Tap: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

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I am only bad ass after a spicy meal. As long as you wipe using a (spine leading) stropping motion you can't go wrong :)

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. I have now learned something I had never thought about. Since I just got my first SR this week I have a lot of learning and catching up to do. Hopefully I can remember some of these ideas and avoid my own complete FAIL:cry:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ing-video.html

this is the best shave video I seen & definitely a must watch video for any new or old even shavers,
with great wet shaving techniques all round especially the scything strokes.

& where I got the use of a sponge from @ the 2:50 mark shows the sponge in use plus a couple of other times

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Originally Posted by feltspanky

After dinging my blade on the faucet, I found this in my garage. I purchased it for our dog when I trim his nails, it was to small for his muzzle. It's a size one and fits over my vanity basin faucet perfectly.

I just slide it on and off for my shave. I did remove the straps. It allows a nice stream of water to pass an I no longer worry about committing the cardinal sin of dinging my blade. For $9.80 it's a winner.


http://www.amazon.com/Baskerville-2-...rds=dog+muzzle

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Why not just drape a wet washcloth over it?
Lools like an edge can make it through one of those gaps.

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Originally Posted by Scareface

Why not just drape a wet washcloth over it?
Lools like an edge can make it through one of those gaps.

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to be honest i would have thought that no matter what you put over a faucet banging your razor into it would damage the edge. to my mind anything put there is just a visual reminder that the faucet is there. Probably if the washcloth wasn't immediately over the metal of the faucet where it contacted it would be ok.

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Originally Posted by feltspanky

After dinging my blade on the faucet, I found this in my garage. I purchased it for our dog when I trim his nails, it was to small for his muzzle. It's a size one and fits over my vanity basin faucet perfectly.

I just slide it on and off for my shave. I did remove the straps. It allows a nice stream of water to pass an I no longer worry about committing the cardinal sin of dinging my blade. For $9.80 it's a winner.




http://www.amazon.com/Baskerville-2-...rds=dog+muzzle

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.......and the faucet doesn't bark now!!!

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Originally Posted by Scareface

Why not just drape a wet washcloth over it?
Lools like an edge can make it through one of those gaps.

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Before discovering the dog muzzle I tried the wet sponge. I didn't like it. You would have to make a concentrated effort to push your blade through the muzzle openings. Remember, the Amazon link shows a large dog with a large muzzle. The muzzle I use is only a size one.