Thread: Resting a razor?

I have read more than once that some believe you need to rest your razor for a day or two after shaving. Is there any truth to this maxim or is this just a myth? If it is a myth how did this idea get started?

I say myth.
Who know how it started?

Yeah, myth. If I let a razor sit too long I usually feel like I want to hone it, like the sharp/keen got old somehow. That's probably a myth too.

I never heard of resting a razor but I have heard of letting your razor air dry for at least a day or so, more if you want. I will wipe mine off, blow through it in case there might have been some water in between things. (I've blown excess water out before). If I have some, I'll use canned air like they use on computers. I wipe it one last time & let it sit for about a day. I apply some pivot lube, wipe off excess & put it away.

Vintage, R.A.D.

But Babe, I have to let the razor rest so the edge can rebuild, at least 7 days…

Yes, I've heard of this, the legend is you are supposed to allow the razor to, "Fin", to rest for 24 hours or so.

The thinking being that the edge will return to its proper shape with a rest, as in straight, upright dorsal fin shape. That using the razor causes the edge to droop, or bend, and resting the razor and of course stropping the razor, returns it to its best performing state....legend? Who knows.....

Actually just checked my TI instructions and it say the same thing, as does the Dovo web site,

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

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).