Thread: Magnetic razor anomaly solution

I was talking to my barber friend who is 84 years old and still a working barber. I asked him about magnetic razors and what the purpose was. He said he remembered some advertising about how the magnitism caused the whiskers to stand up so they could be shaved off easier. He could't remember any particulars. Anyway there is a possible answer to the question we have all been wondering about.

That is an interesting fact... I cant say I have ever heard that a magnet could lift hairs, but mebbee.. Any science buffs out here?

I don't think it was for real. Just advertising. Maybe back then they actually believed it. We haven't had electricity for all that long and there was a lot of experimentation with magnets in the early years. There are those who still believe that magnetic braclets help pain. I wore one myself for a while but never was sure if it helped or not. They may have believed that magnetism caused static which will make your hair stand up.

My thoughts too...

In my searches, I found this old article...maybe this is the answer...

Very interesting article, and neat find too... I doubt there is much scientific standing tho

Yeah, I have no idea about the magnetic tempering thing...I'm sure it works, but I really doubt that you'd never have to hone it...if only though huh?

When heat treating carbon steel there is a method that I have used wherby you heat the blade until a magnet will not stick to it. This is the optimum temperature for that particular piece of steel. At that point you quench it, and then draw the tember by heating it slightly and slowly to a certain point, depending on how hard you want the blade to be, and then let it cool by itself. This use of a magnet does not impart any special effects to the blade though.

Ugh, I meant ELECTRIC tempering, not magnetic. The magnetic property is a result of the electricity...

BAD brain!

It sounds like an advertising claim to me. Its a bit like those older adverts you get claiming that cigarettes keep you slim and are good for your health..!

I guess it would only work if you had a metal beard..! Hehe!

I can see that causing another problem with honing, as the metal removed by the hone would stick to the magnetized razor and affect your edge.