Thread: Letting the razor "rest"

Having to rest the blade is a good thing to tell your wife when you want an excuse for the six other razors that just arrived in the mail.

IME, when steel is bent, it will either flex back to its original shape, or take a set immediately. I do not believe the rest theory.

Originally Posted by Leighton

IME, when steel is bent, it will either flex back to its original shape, or take a set immediately. I do not believe the rest theory.

I will agree, but I think there is a minor minor factor where it hasn't sprung back fully and will recover a *little* bit.

Also, as a disclaimer to my above experiment and results,
Without stropping and rest was PASSABLE. I would rather strop, and I usually do. The times I don't strop are: OH **** I have to leave in 2 mins and I look like a grisly, time for a one time WTG with a quick crappy lather or no-lather cream.
Another factor could be after not shaving for a few days, any shave will feel smooth. If you shave everyday and are used to being cleanshaven, you have a different concept in your mind. That was my thought behind setting a benchmark.

Though it looks like there are several thoughts and opinions on the matter, these thoughts at least help me make up my own mind for my situation. Currently I have one razor and can get away with every other day shaving. So, I will keep doing what I am doing, and remember "let the fin rest" excuse to tell the wife, when I want to try a new straight.

I have another question though, how do you strop with your thumb? If done wrong, it would be very painful!!! Anyone have a youtube post on the matter?


Thanks for the info everyone!

I don't have youtube capability, but there's two parts you could use. The first joint, and you would just do a very exagerrated x, like wiping the blade, or the muscle down on your palm, which is slightly bigger. I happen to be lucky in that I don't have a lot of body hair, so the inside of my forearms and bicep are smooth, and so if I strop on skin, I use either of those surfaces. Typically the bicep cus even though its feels wierd putting that stroking pressure on my veins. I don't suggest this method. I use it when I'm shaving (at home the strop is in my room, not the bathroom, at the frat even if I wanted to I couldn't keep it in the bathroom) and have to strop, or the first two or three weeks when I was stropping on newspaper. I recommend a strop. Lots easier.

I don't have scientific knowledge either way so this is just more "opinion" and well we all have those so I'm not offering anything new here.

I will say I have numerous razors not as many as some but over 20+ and yes when I don't shave with a blade for a few days or a week or two it feels great. Like today I shaved with my wapi I hadn't used her in weeks. It could just be that she is indeed a great shaver and I left her in great condition when I put her away. I don't think its the 2 weeks of lying dormant in her coffin that made her as smooth as a shaver as I got today.

I have let a few razors sit for days n days, and they shaved with them only to realise one of two things, either the blade needed some further stropping or honing to get the edge I wanted or that it just wasn't "My" kinda blade and she went up for sale.

I think ultimately it's just an application of an old addage you don't appreciate what you got when its right in front of you everyday, until you don't see it or use it then suddenly it feels great.

You can try this with you car, go drive your wife's car or a friends for a day then trade your car back, trust me that steering wheel and brakes wont feel as loose as they did when you drove it everyday in heavy traffic.

Again just a IMHO response so NO science here.

Cheers

D

Originally Posted by Sirshavesalot

I think ultimately it's just an application of an old addage you don't appreciate what you got when its right in front of you everyday, until you don't see it or use it then suddenly it feels great.

I think this reason does have some weight to it, and regardless of the science/fact/etc. I think "letting the blade rest" is justified, because even if it gives you the above placebo-pleasure, thats still a great feeling! Plus it justifies RAD. So even if you don't HAVE to... who here doesn't "need" a seven-day set? Or how about a month set lol....

Originally Posted by Leighton

IME, when steel is bent, it will either flex back to its original shape, or take a set immediately. I do not believe the rest theory.

The memory properties of steel and its ability to relax back to original position after displacement is well established. It is not a theory.

I do know that like a spring (for obvious reasons) most (like 95%) of the memory happens instantly. However, you get things like work hardening and stuff where there is a tiny bit of plastic displacement that the SECOND time around is elastic. But this is at the very very high end of the stress/strain curve. I am NOT certain at all but it MAY be possible that when we shave off a freshly honed edge we are pushing the newly honed steel to the tip of the elastic region on the s/s curve and work hardening it. I doubt this though, and if we were I doubt it would help to rest it. I also doubt we as humans have the sensory capability to notice (we're talking minute percentages of an already microscopic scale). IMO, it feels better if I don't use the same razor two days in a row, but I'm not gonna guess THE reason. Could be a few things, including a placebo. I'm just leaving it at that.