Thread: More than 1 SR per shave

I'm an aging newbie and now have a handful of razors. It seems to me, that on any given morning, the character of a familiar blade "rubs" me the wrong way (even one that felt great at last use). Maybe it feels sharp and raw....in need of more stropping, or it tugs, etc. Sometimes the reason is inexplicable. Maybe I just prefer a different feeling blade. Because of this, I always have a second razor at hand. I rarely resort to abandoning the one I started with in lieu of the spare...but I still do this as a precaution.

Anyone else do this? Is your shave preference as fickle as mine? Should I make an appointment with the psychiatrist? I do however, love the differnces each blade brings to the task.

Best to all.

Yes and no. I have quite a few shave ready razors to go to if I had to switch during a shave. OTOH, for me a razor that pulls and tugs isn't shave ready and wouldn't have gotten into the ready pile to begin with. Early on I would find a razor giving a harsh shave or needing a little extra something and I would hit it 20 licks on a flatbed hone with chrom ox after the first pass. Now a felt hanging strop from SRD with 0.5 diamond spray is my go to for that. I rarely have to resort to that as I get them sharp enough at this stage of the game that there is no need to touch up between passes.

What would you do if after first 2-3 strokes it starts pulling?

Well it's a good idea to have (at least) one spare razor on hand in case the first one has reached the point where it needs attention. And if you do have spare(s), why not swap as soon as you dislike the feel, rather than pushing it to the limit of usability? It seems to be a very discerning approach to me.

So far I have finished on 4 per shave (Gilbert bros 6/8 near wedge, Henkels 5/8 inox hollow, Bismarck 6/8 hollow and Fisher 5-6/8 hollow) with simillar success. Most of them professionaly honed and Shave ready. It just drives me up the wall and whiskes do no grow fast enough for more practice.