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A long while ago, I was told that one should never allow moonlight to fall on the edge of a razor, as it would dull more quickly. Being a simple country lad, I believed it at the time, though I now recognize that advice for what it is - a heap of steaming, without foundation in experience or science.
Do any of you gentlemen out there have any other examples of the razor myths which circulated as facts amongst the old-timers?
You mean the moonlight thing is not true???
Funny, I heard that moonlight keeps the edge keener!:shrug:
There used to be a suggestion that you let the razor "rest" for a day or so after using it, and the result would be an edge that lasts longer.
But that could actually have some solid truth. Steel can be "work hardened" by being flexed and stretched slightly. You know how steel wire, like twist ties, can be bent back and for only so many times before they just snap in half? The same is happening (on a smaller scale) at the edge of the blade, and letting them rest actually relieves some of the internal stresses of the steel thus keeping them from deteriorating as fast.
Whether or not a day is enough rest time is hard to tell. I do it anyway because I enjoy using different razor day to day.
Maybe it depends on which side of the equator you're on:thinking:Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
Jordan ;)
Foolishness.Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
Everyone knows that to keep your blade shave ready at all times, all you need is the new Zeepk Power Pyramid holder.
:roflmao
actually, the whole moonlight myth is very true. but of course only for werewolves. cuz as everyone knows werewolve beards are very dense and corse, thus making a great str8 into nothing more than a zeepk in no time.
vgod
That straight razors are really hard to use and dangerous.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkshireman
I suspect you mean the international date line!;)Quote:
Originally Posted by jnich67
Maybe JohnP or one of our other sailors can confirm or deny this?
For honing it certainly does. If you live south of the equator, and you need to do some circular honing, be sure to go anti-(counter-)clockwise. If north, you have to hone clockwise.Quote:
Originally Posted by jnich67
In Kenya there is a station on the equatorial line. Local entrpreneurs delight in doing demonstrations of this. They walk you 30 feet north of the line and hone, then 30 feet south of the line to hone, and finally right on the line. If you try to hone bang on the line, your blade will become magnetic.
And if you want to keep your edges scary sharp for as long as possible, keep your blade in a pyramid. I have Chris Giraffe making me one out of cherrywood right now...
Yeah - I had all sorts of trouble honing after I first read the advice here. Just didn't seem to work for me. Then I realised I had to do it all opposite to what you guys said. Bingo!Quote:
Originally Posted by majurey
Actually, there's a myth over here that only hoodlums use cut throats. But after meeting all you fine gentlemen, I think we can put that one to bed.
James.
Well, thank goodness we got past the hoodlum thing...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbo
Both are true. Moonlight will sharpen the blade, but too much moonlight will give you a wire edge. To avoid a wire edge, you should expose your blade in a light pyramid, usually five days moonlight followed by five days sunlight and then three days moonlight followed by one day sunlight will ensure a sharp, but not wired, edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
If you do end up with a wire edge, move time backwards while exposing the blade to moonlight.
What grit is moonlight?Quote:
Originally Posted by They Call Me Blockhead
James.
I think the guys with the moonlight were drinking too much moonshine and got confused.
Depends.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbo
Are we in Belgium?
...Im a hoodlum...and I keep all my razors facing north and clap 3 times before opening them to appease the razor gods...
Grow a beard. It's much safer, you won't cut yourself, you will save the cost of a pyramid (dashed expensive these days) and you can go out into the moonlight and pretend to be a werewolf whilst honing your razor hung upside-down in a tree which - as any fule kno (!) - is the only real and true way to get a good edge. Apparently the rush of blood to the brain starts a very slight hand-tremble that does wonders for wires, nicks, cracks, warpage, pitting, scratches, busted ends, moustache-notches (sic) and shortened blades. Marvellous stuff. Do it all the time meself and it ain't done me no harm......:w
:roflmao Well I'm convinced. It clearly hasn't done you any harm...Quote:
Originally Posted by blueprinciple
And I'm with you on the pyramid. Very expensive indeed. I tried building one instead of buying, to defray the cost somewhat. But do you know how hard it is to find decent slaves nowadays? I remember when you could get a slave to haul stone blocks from dusk till dawn. The current generation all want the wages of a servant nowadays - they want all the perks, but none of the responsibility. Whatever happened to paying your dues?
James.
Below the equator, it's still important to hone with an upside down X-pattern because a rightside-up X-pattern would be backwards down there.
I heard that if you whistle while you shave, the edge acts as a tuning fork, and will cut you due to the vibrations.
Skeptics claim the cuts come from moving your face while trying to shave, but that sounds like a pretty cock-eyed explanation to me.
You know, I heard that in the late 18th century the Austrians were working on a special straight that played a tune when stropped. Apparently they'd developed a hone technology that put very precise micro-striations on the razor's edge corresponding to pre-determined and very sensitive lengths of wire embedded just underneath the surface of a special acoustic strop. Different hones created different striation patterns, making different tunes. Tempo was, of course, determined by the stropping speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainTex
It was so popular, in fact, that they commissioned the greatest composer of the day to create new music for these razors. They named these compositions after the hone used to create the striations on the bevels - K. 216, K. 218, K. 219 etc...
James.