Thread: How I keep my edges perfect

If that routine is working out for you, good on 'ya. I think you will find that with more experience and stropping proficiency you will be able to get more than 4-5 shaves from a blade before a touch up. That's not a knock on you or your skills at all, in fact quite the contrary. We all have to start somewhere, and it's unreasonable to assume that your edges are going to last as long as those who've been doing this for years. In fact, you're doing it right by keeping your blade sharp and not shaving with a dull blade.

IMO after a couple more months try experimenting with keeping your blade shave ready with stropping only, extending the time between paste or hone touchups. It will eventually save wear and tear on your razors.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

If that routine is working out for you, good on 'ya. I think you will find that with more experience and stropping proficiency you will be able to get more than 4-5 shaves from a blade before a touch up. That's not a knock on you or your skills at all, in fact quite the contrary. We all have to start somewhere, and it's unreasonable to assume that your edges are going to last as long as those who've been doing this for years. In fact, you're doing it right by keeping your blade sharp and not shaving with a dull blade.

IMO after a couple more months try experimenting with keeping your blade shave ready with stropping only, extending the time between paste or hone touchups. It will eventually save wear and tear on your razors.

Great advice. I'm probably over doing it a bit now, but then again I tend to be ultra type A about everything I do! Just ask my wife!!

Setting aside the issue of the touch up intervals, this sounds like a pretty good routine to me. Good gear being used as intended. To follow up on Ryan's comments, I think that as we gain expertise using a straight razor the range of sharpness we can tolerate grows a little. That, along with improved stropping, etc., means that the touch up intervals get farther apart.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

If that routine is working out for you, good on 'ya. I think you will find that with more experience and stropping proficiency you will be able to get more than 4-5 shaves from a blade before a touch up. That's not a knock on you or your skills at all, in fact quite the contrary. We all have to start somewhere, and it's unreasonable to assume that your edges are going to last as long as those who've been doing this for years. In fact, you're doing it right by keeping your blade sharp and not shaving with a dull blade.

IMO after a couple more months try experimenting with keeping your blade shave ready with stropping only, extending the time between paste or hone touchups. It will eventually save wear and tear on your razors.

I agree with you Ryan. Lynn honed my one Dovo a bit back and so far the only "maintenance" I do on both my Dovos is stropping 16-20 times on the web fabric and 40-60 times on the leather. My Dovos are still going strong. Sometimes the less you tinker with something, the better off you are.
However, if someone has a routine they like and feel works for them, I respect that. Each to his own.

Originally Posted by carazor

Great advice. I'm probably over doing it a bit now, but then again I tend to be ultra type A about everything I do! Just ask my wife!!

Carazor, that is your personality and there is nothing wrong with it. It's who you are and I respect that. Ryan gave you good advice and I also agree with him. I'm like Ryan, keeping things simple.

Originally Posted by pmburk

Carazor, that is your personality and there is nothing wrong with it. It's who you are and I respect that. Ryan gave you good advice and I also agree with him. I'm like Ryan, keeping things simple.

Yeah, I'm a bit neurotic! Just ask my employees....what other CEO complains about the grass not being cut right! Somethings I gotta let go!

Originally Posted by carazor

Yeah, I'm a bit neurotic! Just ask my employees....what other CEO complains about the grass not being cut right! Somethings I gotta let go!

Your the CEO, you are the boss and if something doesn't meet your standards you have a right to say something about soimething that is not to your satisfaction.