Thread: Double edge blade sharpining

How do you sharpen a double edge blade?

Back 50+ years ago there were DE blade sharpeners made commercially, but I don't think any were worth a hoot. Certainly you'll never get one as sharp as a new store bought blade. Some guys try the inside of a water glass, but I don't think that is worth a hoot either. Here is one of the oldies that I stole a photo of through google ;

Most just bin the DE blade when it's performance starts to fade. The general opinion is that DE blades do not respond well to sharpening due to special coatings and thinness.

i get 3 to 5 shaves from a DE blade. Stretching more shaves leads to loss of closeness. Applying pressure to compensate leads to razor burn, nicks, and ingrown hairs. This is why there is endless discussion about SR honing, refreshing and stropping to get a close and comfortable shave.

With a DE, just change the blade. The discussion changes to the razor and blade combos delivering the best shaves.

Before Gillette, there were safety razors made using proprietary blades that required honing and stropping like a SR, but disposable SE and DE blade systems took over the market.

Just buy blades in bulk and throw them out when you're done. I think I have a lifetime supply now.

That's what I was told by my wife she said that her father always used a drinking glass and moved it back and forth from the inside of the glass then turned it over and did the otherside. That's when you had seven kids and it wasn't a throw away world. Thanks for the photo never saw one before.

if you want to resharpen and reuse DE blades you need to get the vintage ones the were actually sharpened. Modern blades are coated to make them sharp and if you try to sharpen them you just wear the coating off and have a piece of metal not good enough to hold an edge. I have no idea how old of blade you would need to get though

I think these contraptions (I have a few) Worked somewhat before the thinner stainless, platinum, etc.
For old carbon steel blades. Nobudy tries that anymore for DE's. JMO............Or do they?

I have been shaving for few years now my first razor was a gillette de that my dad gave me with a box of blades. I am still learning about razors and blades to this day b/c i have never seen a de blade that you sharpened. I just thought you threw them out and put a new one in. As long as i am still learning something new daily i guess i am good to go.

I would agree with the majority. Just replace the blade. I think the idea of using a drinking glass or a curved piece of glass is wishful thinking, but that's just me. MHO.

Modern DE blades are meant to be disposed of after a few shaves. Trying to sharper them will result in damage to the edge. As has already been stated, they are coated, and the coating is essential to their performance.

Those sharpeners were meant for vintage blades, and I doubt they worked well even then.