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I tried a new DE and an old DE. When I placed the blade from one to the other I flipped the blade. Is this bad or does it really matter at all?
I have not had a super comfortable shave with either razor yet. I figured that my face would have to get used to the new way of shaving.
Perhaps I am just not an "open tooth razor" person.
The blades are symmetrical. They are not labeled "this end up," so it doesn't matter.
I understand that there is no "this end up" (that's funny) but I didn't know if it ruined on edge in use or if it prolonged the sharp life of the blade is flipped.
I had heard somewhere in my past that using a str8 rzr in one direction "aligns" the edge that way. Didn't know if it was the same.
thnx
PS. still a pretty rough shave.
I don't think flipping a blade has any affect. I'm an old guy with a lot of experience with SE, DE, and straights, and I've never had reason to think that it would matter. However, with age I've learned at least one thing: I'm often wrong, so maybe it does make some small difference in some circumstances.
Just to be clear about that "this end up" comment, I wasn't being flip.
:roflmao
Back when I used a DE, I experimented for a short time with flipping the blade between each shave to see if it would extend the life of the blade. It didn't seem to make any difference for me.
If you are getting rough shaves from a DE, it could be for a few possible reasons.
1. Poor prep. There's a straight razor that has an etching on its face that says "you lather well, I'll shave well." It does make a difference.
2. Poor angle. Even with a DE there is a right and wrong angle of attack for the blade. Try experimenting with different angles. If you're getting rough shaves, you may benefit to using a lower angle of the blade relative to your face.
3. Bad blade. Sometimes people find a particular brand of blade is incompatible to their face. Try another brand of blade.
in time all the bumps that I didn't know I had will be shaved flush with the rest of my face. I won't have to worry after that. If my nose is not one of these then I'm doing ok.
Speaking strictly from the perspective of a razor blade being foremost a blade -
Cutting something with it (within its intended use) will either (a) dull the edge or (b) raise a "burr" on the other side of the blade. If (a) happens, flipping will make no difference. If (b) happens, flipping might make the other side cut better, but will most like be much rougher.
Good blades don't cost so much that I see flipping, old-fashioned-glass honing, or similar things being worth the bother - but, if it pleases you, then by all means go for it! And, if it works wonders, please share it with us.
palm stropping works very well (for me when I was a de/se user)..and blade flipping I believe was known to many b4 palm stropping technique I believe..I remember talking to my father in law who used de for 20yrs..he never heard of palm stropping and only blade flipping..anyways just my thoughts!
pcdad
To palm strop, does that mean to just back drap the razor across your palm? As though I where wiping it? Does this work on Str8 as well?
It's simple...you basically "lightly--flick" the blade across the base of yer hand
HERE: YouTube - how to strop single edge/double edge/cartridge blades
Please pass this link along to others ;-)
pcdad
CAUTION... with a DE blade the second sharp edge is tooQuote:
Originally Posted by okiwen
close to the other sharp edge so you are very likely to give
yourself a big old cut by hand stropping.
In the early days of DE blades there were small shallow dished hones
made and special stropping gadgets that exposed only one
edge at a time. A gadget guy could make a stropping and honing
guide if he was so inclined.
The best bet is to hunt the local drug store for some DE blades.
They are all "no name" but are mostly in the Persona family
and they are inexpensive enough to use twice perhaps three
times. There is no internet shipping so the four cents per blade
is just that four cents... give or take depending on the area.
Almost all of the DE blades have fused layer of Teflon that helps
them shave well even when the edge so, so. Hand sharpening removes
it and the fusing of the Teflon is hard on the steel temper so resharpening
while an interesting exercise is difficult to do on such thin metal.
Flipping a blade is not equivalent to stropping on canvas+leather.
Once the cutting edge is collapsed using the edge from a
reverse angle will not help.
Stropping on canvas followed by leather seems to pull out and straighten
the collapsed edge and also finely polish it. So not the same process
as flipping.
I palm stropped my blades for 2yrs only had a nick 1 time when not paying attention now I'm into str8 razors..it doesn't matter what it is..point is..Focus
Pcdad
I thought that the DE would give me a more comfortable shave. So far, not impressed. Not so smooth and tiny nicks. On to str8 razors. I will use DE for a breather.
The key puzzle piece for me was face and whisker prep.Quote:
Originally Posted by okiwen
In the end: DE, tossable, or open they are all sharp steel
that is trying to cut whiskers and not your face.
That combined with a simple good to go shave goal very much
improved my comfort while shaving. Some days I even get
to chalk up a BBS shave but that is never my primary goal
and I am too old to ignore comfort.
SE is comparable to a str8 razor...BUT nothing near the quality and feeling..I always got some slight razor burn regardless..str8's have so far fixed this problem
pcdad
Awesome. If I can convince my wife I am drinking more and just stash the money I'll be good soon. Maybe kinda hard sell since she knows I don't drink. I'll pick up another bad habit to then give up. Then, I'll be even.
Thanks for the help guys.
QFT :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by okiwen