Thread: How long?

If a razor is professionally sharpened and is stropped before each use and occasionally touched up on a finishing hone how long (on average) would it be until that was not enough?

I understand all of the variables but I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.

If the bevel is not damaged, if you took it to the finisher as soon as you felt it tugging, and provided you hone it from heel to tip with consistent pressure, and your stropping doesn,t create a frown over the years; ball park maybe years, or until the spine or edge had worn enough to degrade and change the blades geometry. I could be wrong, i haven,t used a straight for a decade, nor will i use only one razor, so that would extend its life as well.

Originally Posted by gcbryan

If a razor is professionally sharpened and is stropped before each use and occasionally touched up on a finishing hone how long (on average) would it be until that was not enough?

I understand all of the variables but I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.

As tiddle said, years would probably be fair assuming no damage and correct form. I've read about people doing occasional "bevel resets" when touchups become ineffective, but I've been at this for 4 years and have yet to reset a single bevel on a previously shave ready razor.

Stropping is highly unlikely to create a frown. Stropping should have no effect on blade geometry at all. Stropped properly and touched up effectively, blade should stay sharp for months and months.

As long as you don't damage the blade, indefinitely. Glen once did a several month test with a freshly honed razor & a diamond pasted strop and he felt like the edge could last for years. I keep a 16K & Escher in my bathroom and at the first sign of degradation I touch up the edge. Some of those razors haven't had the bevel reset since I got them...

So on closing, a properly maintained razor will retain the edge for a LONG time, even years...

Cool! Good to know.

It seems like less recommendations should go out for Norton 4k/8k and more for just getting a 12k.

I'm glad I have the smaller (and cheaper) Japanese slip stones in 4k/8k since it looks like they'll only be needed once per blade

Strop it more!

If you have 7 or 8 razors in rotation all in good shave ready order and your stropping regime is up to scratch you could go on for many years before you may need to take them to a stone, I have about 12 razors I use and strop before and after shaving, and to be perfectly honest I cannot feel or see any noticeable difference or drop of in sharpness in the last 10 months. In fact with a good stropping action you may find the edge will slowly improve.

Jamie

I've been using a barber hone and strop on my blades, exclusively, for about a decade. I don't shave every day though.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Strop it more!

I spoke with a friend recently that shaves with a straight. I asked him about his routine (I was honing a blade for him). He mentioned that he stropped regularly...I asked him to explain. He said he stropped about 3-5 laps before each shave and none after.

The guy had been shaving with a straight for years this way....

Just sharing to demonstrate that there are many different understandings out there.

I suggested 50-60 laps before each shave...he perhaps never would have tried 10x his normal routine, but now sees the benefits of it.

Just food for thought for when we talk to new guys