Quote Originally Posted by hoglahoo View Post
I posted that only because the article indicates that the the reason a blade needs to be sharpened is apparently because of the corrosion that develops along the edge due to moisture, and not because the beard hair mis-shapes the edge of the razor therefore requiring restraightening on the strop (please correct me if I misunderstood what I skimmed in the article...) So if you were to believe the article, the damage done by the shaving itself is only due to the moisture on your face, and I wonder if any significant amount of rust is actually accumulating on the razor edge before your second or third passes during the shave. (Which it must, if corrosion is the primary factor in dulling the razor. It also makes me wonder how many faces one could shave before needing to strop again - what do the barbers say?)

I've also thought that a more efficient shaving stroke would probably prolong the trueness of the razor's edge, but I don't have any direct evidence to support my fledgling theory. Does anyone find it necessary to strop midshave with a stainless steel razor? Do really soft steels require more frequent stropping than hard steels or is it only a matter of rust resistance? I don't know but I'm sure someone can help us find out

Then again there are those who will say a mach 3 lasts 30 shaves, and others who say it only lasts 3 shaves.
I disagree somewhat with the corrosion theory. Case in point. When skinning a deer, it goes much more smoothly and efficiently if you have several sharp knives. If you only have one, it will dull and require resharpening. Look at an abbatoir. They resharpen their knives several times per day. Even when preparing a meal, I notice a significant dulling in the edge of my chef's knife.