Thread: Hot water affecting edge - myth or fact

This may be a dumb question, but, hey, this is the newbies corner. Even though I've been using a str8 for years I haven't advanced very much and still consider myself a newbie.

A few years ago while doing some web research on str8s, I read an article that stated you should never use HOT water on the edge of your razor. Running your razor under hot water can make the edge thin out and feel sharper, but all the heating and cooling cycles, expanding and contracting can cause that fine fin edge to develop cracks and become susceptible to chipping off leaving you with a jagged edge (or causing you to have to hone more frequently). Now never being able to get a nice edge myself, I can't evaluate if that idea is true or not. I use hot water to rinse soap off my razor when shaving, but I always wondered if I was doing a disservice to my edge -- another factor contributing to poor results.

So what do you experienced honemeister guys think? Is this just myth and nothing to worry about?

Mike

Not that I can tell. I rinse mine with hot water all the time

I haven't noticed any ill effect either. I have rinsed mine in steaming hot water.

Lynn

I'll side with Rich on this one. Never had problems with hot water rinses.

I prefer hot water rinses. Never had any problems and my hot water heater is turned all the way up for heat.

I'll throw in my vote for hot water too. Never had any problems. But now you got me thinking, and that ain't good....darn it.

I'm sorry, I am one of those people that must have read the same information and have never used hot water ( but wanted to ) for rinsing.

Glen

The theory sounds correct but it is incomplete. It does not take into account temperature and the duration of time in that temp of hot water. It takes a bit of time for the steel to absorb that energy. The old rule of thumb applies: "To hot to handle".

Just my two cents,

while I agree with everybody on this one...I only rinse after I've finished shaving...my old teachers as well as pros who have shaved me wipe the blade on washcloth or towels between passes...when I asked why they said they like feedback of whats coming off blade...rinsing takes that away...

I have heard of people heating their blades in hot water before stropping which would tend to soften the edge in preparation for the realignment process but have never heard of the heat distorting the edge. If you think about it real hard I suppose that it could do something to the edge/fin as it is quite thin.