Thread: Time between tune ups

So in the past I've rotated through razors over the course of the year then refresh them after the rotation gets dull. The last 6 months or so I've been using the same razor. It's a wedge grind and I like how it plows through my thicker beard. I usually shave once or twice a week so when I do shave, it's a pretty good growth I deal with. Here's my question: how often do you find you have to refresh your edge? I'm finding I'm getting about 6-8 shaves before I start feeling the tugging and burn.

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.

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.

I'm still fairly new to the game, but I find that just like Utopian said, it all depends on the razor and my mood. Since I'm picking up new stones like a mad rock hound on the hunt, any excuse to touch up and I'm there!

Would the edge get sharper if touching up every shave? In theory?

I just think constantly doing strokes would yield a sharper shave? Constantly doing strokes would make an edge sharper then just honing and shaving for 6 months?

What I'm saying is would your shaves improve from touching up more often?

That is the question?

(I touch up when it pulls, haven't done much touching up lately as I've been expirementing lately, so if I get a crap shave and I think it's the blade I re hone from 4k ^)

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Would the edge get sharper if touching up every shave? In theory?

I just think constantly doing strokes would yield a sharper shave? Constantly doing strokes would make an edge sharper then just honing and shaving for 6 months?

What I'm saying is would your shaves improve from touching up more often?

That is the question?

(I touch up when it pulls, haven't done much touching up lately as I've been expirementing lately, so if I get a crap shave and I think it's the blade I re hone from 4k ^)

No, it would not. Whether there is a shave in between or not, doing too many strokes on a barber hone can be destructive. The best approach is to do just a few (4-6) light strokes as soon as you notice any diminishment in the quality of the shave.

Originally Posted by Utopian

No, it would not. Whether there is a shave in between or not, doing too many strokes on a barber hone can be destructive. The best approach is to do just a few (4-6) light strokes as soon as you notice any diminishment in the quality of the shave.

Thank you for clearing that up for me. That question has been bugging me, especially if the razor isn't quite there on the hones in the first place. I had in my mind more strokes would fix this.

This would also depend what ones touching up on no?

Yes it will. Depending on the razor and the hone and the hands holding them, too many strokes may lead to degradation of the edge with more strokes.

Originally Posted by furious

I'm still fairly new to the game, but I find that just like Utopian said, it all depends on the razor and my mood. Since I'm picking up new stones like a mad rock hound on the hunt, any excuse to touch up and I'm there!

One could say you're "furiously" picking up new stones?

One thing I will throw out there is the next time you feel the need to touch up the edge try doubling or tripling the amount of laps you do stropping and see if that brings the blade back up to snuff