Thread: Resting a razor?

I tested this a while back. Rested razor vs used everyday. Same razor touched up before each test period. I found no evidence of a better shave by resting vs non resting.

Seems like a great marketing scheme - on the order of shampoo's greatest marketing gimmick: "Wash. Rinse. Repeat."
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Adam

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I've never needed another shave in that amount of time so I wouldn't know.

Finning is real and observable. It does exist!
That being said, I agree that it was a marketing ploy to sell more razors.

Finning is easily seen in a hand rip saw. Before you start sawing all the teeth are lined up and the sides feel smooth when you run your hand over it. Use the saw for an hour and when you run you hand over the sides you can feel the misaligned teeth (no longer smooth). Let the saw rest for about 8 hours and run your hand back over the sides and it is smooth again.

Before the age of power tools, lots of people knew what finning was. Men knew that their saws finned, so it was only logical that their razors finned as well. So why not use the common knowledge to sell more product to men chasing the BBS face?

I've never actually measured the movement on a saw blade, but it is very small - like a few micrometers level. You can't usually see that the teeth are out of alignment, but you can feel it. On a razor the teeth are so small, I would expect the movement to be in the few nanometer range. Which in my opinion is negligible since I'm pretty sure nobody hones their bevel to within a few nanometers (ok maybe Lynn and Glen do).

I asked my barber friend and he said he had 4 or 5 razors in his shop. He would soak a razor after using it in disinfectant and by the time he went through the rotation the first was ready to go. He said on a busy day he would use them twice. He said he needed to rest more then his razors. He started to laugh and said don't buy union razors so they won't demand time off. Keep in mind that was in the days barbers used straight razors. He also pointed out the stropping and honing have more to do with it then anything else. I also asked how he knew if the razor needed work. He said he shaved every morning with one of the razors. If he didn't like the feel it was set aside and at night it was honed and stropped.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I asked my barber friend and he said he had 4 or 5 razors in his shop. He would soak a razor after using it in disinfectant and by the time he went through the rotation the first was ready to go. He said on a busy day he would use them twice. He said he needed to rest more then his razors. He started to laugh and said don't buy union razors so they won't demand time off. Keep in mind that was in the days barbers used straight razors. He also pointed out the stropping and honing have more to do with it then anything else. I also asked how he knew if the razor needed work. He said he shaved every morning with one of the razors. If he didn't like the feel it was set aside and at night it was honed and stropped.

Makes complete sense. In a barbershop they don't have the luxury to rest razors days at a time. Thanks for sharing!

“Seems like a great marketing scheme - on the order of shampoo's greatest marketing gimmick: "Wash. Rinse. Repeat."

Kind of like the Marketing Ad Executive that doubled Alka-Seltzer’s sales over night, Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, (Take 2 tablets, instead of 1).

I only rest my razors if they begin to droop! Euclid,noticing your location brings to mind one of the greatest marketing schemes in history. The Engagement Ring Story: How De Beers Created a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry From the Ground Up

Enjoyed the read. We're all using a shaving method that started to be outdated over 100yrs ago when Gillette came up with his '04 and we're saying that the Fin is a myth and resting a razor is obsolete[emoji33]
I for one say: Yes, men, there is a Fin. In all this world there is nothing else real and abiding!


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I for one believe there is a fin, if for no other reason than to have more than one razor!