Thread: Is it possible to hone double edge blades and use them on adjustable razors?

Honing takes off metal, so the blade would be narrower. I'm guessing that with an adjustable razor, the ones that can be adjusted to let more of the edge exposed, could be used with honed, narrower blades.

What do you think?

I'm thinking of buying an adjustable Merkur if this is possible, but don't want to spend $60+ just to find out that it's not possible.

Honing doesn't take off much metal at all. A few circular rubs on a DE hone should be all that is needed

What wears down a blade is restoration and repair, and poor honing technique

Just keep in mind modern DE blades have coatings on them which is what gives them the performance they provide. Once worn you can't replace that. Yes you can hone the edge but I'm not sure I would really call it honing, more stropping. Those blades are all machine made and honed so if you really want to hone one how do you propose honing the blade?

lets say yes you can.
Now question is how you hone that blade?
there is safety blade honing tools out there you can use them but not the hones which we use sharpen straight razors.
gl

Why is it important to hone DE blades, and how would that make buying a DE a waste?

There was another thread on this recently. IMO I think this defeats the purpose of the DE - cheap blades that serve their purpose before they are disposed of. If conservation is the determining factor than a straight is your best bet.

I tend to agree that if being eco-friendly is one's goal, then a straight razor is the way to go.

I think that the low cost of de blades actually makes a good argument for not honing and reusing them.

Of course, one can always store one's used de razor blades and take them to the scrap metal yard for disposal.

I think the difficulty would be maintaining a constant angle of honing on the Dual Edge blades. And also stropping.

If you want a razor you can hone and strop just get a straight.

Originally Posted by ironman9889

Honing takes off metal, so the blade would be narrower. I'm guessing that with an adjustable razor, the ones that can be adjusted to let more of the edge exposed, could be used with honed, narrower blades.

What do you think?

I'm thinking of buying an adjustable Merkur if this is possible, but don't want to spend $60+ just to find out that it's not possible.

Possible yes. Productive not likely.

You are only going to touch up the edge not hone it so the dimensional change
would be difficult to measure and should not be an issue.

eBay is full of DE hones that date from the pre-stainless pre-teflon days.
The older blue blades would rust overnight and it was hard to
get a couple shaves from them let alone the three, four or more
that modern Teflon coated, diamond honed, stainless blades give.
Today the price of a good hone and way to strop DE blades would likely
dominate the price of a five year supply of DE blades.
So there are tools to be had but the cost needs to be checked.

I have my eye on a $20 Feather DE to compliment my Merkur "Long Classic"
that shaves me so well. In the end it is a subtle match of edge, angle
and exposure that makes for the best shave. If I find a blade that
works with my face in my Merkur adjustable all bets are off... I love
the look, feel and heft of it.

If I stumble on an old DE glass hone I might try it. An almost invisible
smear of submicron diamond, CrOx or CeOx on the old glass DE hone/
strops might work well.

I don't hone DE blades, but I know a man who does. He's Henk Verhaar from the Netherlands, industrial chemist, small-scale soap maker, brush maker and fly fisherman ... sort of a renaissance man and one whose opinions I tend to take seriously. I'm just going to paste what he has to say across from his post at another forum (The Shaving Room) and you can make your own minds up:

"My current blade (in my Toggle) is a Thai Super Thin that I have been using for about six weeks now, with an average of 6 shaves a week. I use a new blade for 4 shaves, like normal, then start sharpening, right after each shave. Four strokes on each edge side (two cycles on the machine equals a single stroke on each 'edge side' (left edge top, right edge top, right edge bottom, left edge bottom...), so 8 cycles in total) on the black stone, then four strokes (8 cycles) on the green stone, then 16 strokes (32 cycles) on the leather strop.

These machines were meant for blades from the 1920s-1940s, which were much thicker and heavier and studier than the current crop of blades, and also less sharp. THat is probably why many people are commenting the Allegro machines do not work on modern day blades. However they do, only they do not restore a Super Thin or Astra to factory sharpness. They do keep them sharp however, probably about as sharp as they kept the original blades they were intended for. You get a consistent sharpness comparable to the sharpness of a Super Thin after three shaves. If you want you blades sharper than that, forget about the Allegro; if you can manage shaving for weeks on end with the equivalent of a Super Thin after three shaves, they're well worth the money".

Found an interesting link. Lots of gadgets at:
Stropper Redirect