Thread: Time between tune ups

Originally Posted by Utopian

Some people go 6 months or longer and some touch up every couple of shaves. It depends on your razor, your face, your stropping, and your tolerance for anything but an absolutely optimal edge.

This is great. Very insightful and well said Utopian.

To answer the question, I just did 9 months of daily shaving without touching up. I left in a hurry and had no stone to touch up on. Just one razor, hard leather and cordovan. After about one week the feel of the edge changes to whatever the razor is - I mean you can't really tell what it was honed on. By about month 5 or 6 it was less than optimal and by month 7 or 8 it was becoming unpleasant.
My routine was 100 hard leather / 120 cordovan.
I can't say why the edge became less than satisfactory, other than I'm just a normal shaver with normal skills. I do recall a few bad stropping sessions and each one took its toll. You can bring it back to some extent but each time it's a little bit less. The type of beard you have also effects it.
When I have a stone I like to touch up once a week whether it needs it or not.