Thread: How many shaves??

Everyone is talking number of weeks (months) their razors last between honings, forgeting to mention their shaving routine, rotation, beard type... So, the better benchmark is not the time razor keeps the edge, but the number of shaves. That way, regardless if the razor is in the rotation or no, we can determine the edge holding capability. So, the questions (actually 3 of them) are:

1. How many shaves you get from your razor between honings?
2. What stropping routine you use?
3. What is your beard type, color, growth (goatee, moustashe, clean shaven)?

And the aditional info is on how do you hone your dull (from shaving) razor?


hope this helps,
Nenad

1. 10 - 25 depending on the razor mostly
2. 50 laps on kangaroo leather right before the shave
3. wavy - maybe wiry, brown, clean shaven

Note: I often shave with a different razor and I do not shave every single day. I also do not always shave the same way: sometimes I will shave one pass, two passes, or three passes. I think these variables are significant if one's shaving technique is far from perfect. I may have a razor sit for a month before it gets its 3rd shave since I last honed it. It seems that the longer a razor sits out, the fewer shaves it will perform well before needing honing again.

I resharpen most of my dull (from shaving) razors on strops which have been pasted with fine abrasives. Sometimes though I will get a better result by using a medium to high grit hone and then more stropping

Originally Posted by superfly

1. How many shaves you get from your razor between honings?
2. What stropping routine you use?
3. What is your beard type, color, growth (goatee, moustashe, clean shaven)?

And the aditional info is on how do you hone your dull (from shaving) razor?


hope this helps,
Nenad

One thing not covered above is a steels ability to NOT loose an edge over time. Carbon steel over time errodes it's edge due to oxidization. Acidic skin types are WICKED on any steel A friend of mine is like that, any carbon steel that he touches or touches his skin will leave a mark. Most of his guns show his hold pattern

#1 I'd say 10 to 15 is a good avg, some more...
#2 I only strop about 15 to 20 passes
#3 Not much growns on the cheeks, but rather dence at the chin area. Blond/brown going silver and black... yup time is catching me I shave all but the mustache, tried that once and was asked not to do it again... Seems I look 20 years younger without it and I was not ready to deal with THAT ball of wax...

1) Still counting, I haven't honed any of my razors for close to a year now. I have six and only shave 6 days a week so we are in the 50 shave range. I think I am beginning to sense a little dulling so I will probably touch them up in the next week or two.

2) Typically 40 cloth, 40 leather before each shave. I have an Illinois Russian Leather Strop

3) Clean shaven, average beard, It was brown originally, but mostly grey now.

As frequent readers of this forum will know, I always go with a once over shave.

I hit the steel to stone every week or so. By my 7th shave I feel a tugging on the blade of my Dorko. On my Le Grelot I feel the tugging after the 4th shave. I use a Nakayama or cro ox strop to touch up. Because these are so fine I don't worry about wear on my blades.

Oh yeah. My beard is moderate.

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

One thing not covered above is a steels ability to NOT loose an edge over time. Carbon steel over time errodes it's edge due to oxidization. Acidic skin types are WICKED on any steel A friend of mine is like that, any carbon steel that he touches or touches his skin will leave a mark. Most of his guns show his hold pattern

exactly

tell him to try engine assembly lube mixed with very thin oil of the sort that evaporates over a day or so
the trick is to cut it WAY down and only leave a film


the questions
10 shaves before I hit paste
30 linen, 30 leather before every shave
15 leather before second pass
shave entire face but have mostly been test shaving razors lately, not my own
coarse beard

I will try my best to explain

Originally Posted by superfly

1. How many shaves you get from your razor between honings?
Depends on quality of the blade
2. What stropping routine you use?
Regular stropping? not clear question
3. What is your beard type, color, growth (goatee, moustashe, clean shaven)?
clean shaven

And the aditional info is on how do you hone your dull (from shaving) razor?
Depends again what do you hone. hallow blade, wedge, new,old blades. i usually do Norton 1k,japan 3k,norton 4/8k,Barber hone,pastes


hope this helps,

Originally Posted by superfly

1. How many shaves you get from your razor between honings?
2. What stropping routine you use?
3. What is your beard type, color, growth (goatee, moustashe, clean shaven)?
4. And the aditional info is on how do you hone your dull (from shaving) razor?

1. 3-10, depending on how fine the edge is, and the steel of the blade, and... Too many variables in there.
2. 30 on linen, 50 on leather.
3. Coarse, dark, heavy, clean shaven.
4. Escher or Coticule.

1. Between honing about 150, between touch-ups about 10 using a 16K Shapton, four sided strop with 0.5,0.25 diamond paste then 0.5 Chromium Oxide followed by 100 laps on leather.
2. Hard steel 25 linen, 60 leather. Soft steel about 10,20.
3. I have a heavy beard both the neck and around the chin with spotty on the cheek. I am clean shaven including back of the neck.

Later,
Richard