Thread: A study on the straight razor lifespan

Hello gents.

Is it possible to measure the lifespan of a straight razor? No. But can we find a general consensus on how many years would a straight typically be of good use? Maybe.

Honing is something that comes in mind. Depending on the hones used, a straight razor will have more or less metal removed and thus have a shorter or longer lifespan. As we all know, using a coarser grit hone will remove lots of metal and should only be used to set a bevel. If a straight razor has a bevel, will the higher grit (>8k) stones be sufficient to keep the edge sharp forever? If so, the metal removed will be minimal and the size of the razor will remain pretty much the same for lots of years, right?
We see straight razors with more than 100 years, spanned across several generations of a family, slowly getting shorter throughout many years of honing and stropping. We also see lots of junk for sale, straight razors that look like toothpicks, honed far more than they should.
My old barber told me that there were some days that he shaved more than 10 men. At that pace, his straight razor didn't have the same lifespan as the straight razors that we collect but use in a much less pace. And I saw his Fillies, and yes they were pretty slim, but then again, I don't know what honing process did he use, I only know that he used a red paste on a strop, so he seems to use only an abrasive paste to keep the edge sharp. How abrasive? I don't know. Assuming that it was similar to Dovo's red paste, then it should be around 8k grit I guess. So, if he didn't hone the razor, shaving 10 men each working day for, say, 10 years would turn the razor useless. I don't know how many shaves would that be, but they would be several thousand.

What are your thoughts on this, gents?

Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject....

Most of the badly worn razors that I have seen, have something in common, un-even wear... and that is usually at the toe...
This has always made me think of the barbers hone held in one hand and the razor being "touched up" with an incorrect swooping motion off the hone...
I think after years of the everyday or every other day barber hone re-touch-ups it would lead to the early death of the razor...
Or perhaps this was just the way it was...
I don't think a true comparison can be drawn from how we treat our razors today, to how they were treated back when they were just a tool...
To most of us on this forum straight shaving is a luxury or a hobby, and our razors are prized processions to be cared for, not just something to shave with that is tossed in the wet shave cup and slapped across the hone in two days to shave with again...
Now I do know there are a few of the guys on here that use razors as just a tool, and care and maintenance is a far second to just having a economical shave, perhaps they could enlighten us as to how their razors are wearing...

All of the above are just some random thoughts of mine, and have no basis in fact...

I've seen razosr from the 1800s that had obvious signs of wear and they were used plenty however they were well cared for and still shave fine. No different than watches. I carry a Hamilton pocketwatch that was made in 1902 and its the most accurate watch I have. I only set it a couple times a year. I've seen plenty of pocketwatches from the 1950s that were trash.

if you don't use the razor, then it should last virtually forever i would think

very interesting post as sixgun said most of us that only need to hone a couple times a year and are good with a hone or send them to a honemeister the razor should last long enough for our great grand kids to use i imagine the quality/hardness of the steel would also have some effect to the life of the blade

I have my great-grandfather's one and only razor (a Max Dorner if I remember correctly). He used if from the time he was 15 until he died at about 90. It is well worn, but I could probably still get a few shaves from it if I wanted....
(However I have a few other, nicer razors in my collection – so it's just an heirloom)

Properly cared for they will outlive many owners. Going on what Glen said, I have recently picked up a vintage coticule that belonged to a barber who used it for forty years. I have a Shapton GDLP diamond plate and flattened it. This coticule was so dished from forty years of honing that it took me as long to flatten it as it did to flatten a Chinese 12K. For those who haven't flattened a coticule it is usually a very quick procedure.

I was talking to my barber who is 89 years old and still cutting hair. He doesn't shave customers anymore because sometimes his hands shake. He told me that he has many stones at home and he gestured with his hand to show that they were wallowed out. As Glen said we take far better care of our razors then the average person did years ago.

The best we can probably say is, a lifetime at least if well cared for. We can claim more for razors very well cherished and less for those abused. I will pass on a few razors to my son which will be 200 years old by then. That's several lifetimes. The ones I'm thinking of were in pretty bad shape when I got them, but are fine now thanks to the talents of some of our members.

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