Rotation of DE/Straight Razors

I often read on different forums and have heard on youtube videos, where shavers refer to "My rotations." How often does one rotate your DE razors. Daily, Weekly, Monthly? Thanks for your help.

I rotate razors every day. This is mostly because my collection is large and I hate having unused razors.

On the other hand, a while ago I went through several months where I used a single razor for a week. I found that my shaves got better over the first few days and peaked at about the third day. It does take some time to get the best out of a specific razor, even for an experienced DE/SE/Straight shaver.

My suggestion is to try and keep your rotation as small as possible. Your shaves will be better.
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..........that also means more razors for the rest of us!! :D

I've got 4 razors in my rotation.

Each time I shave I use a different razor which is good because I shave about 4 time a week.

At the end of each month I usually do a small 5 pass touch up on my stone and I'm good to go.

Sometimes I shave with the same razor for a week straight, sometimes i shave with a different razor every day. I do not really have any method to the madness.

I call mine a rotation because I'm in denial about it being a collection. It's actually quite rare for me to shave with my keepers.

Thanks, I really do appreciate an honest answer.

I rotate my de razors, but I do have my favorites. My favorite is my vintage Gillette 1960s Superspeed TTO or butterfly. That and a Wilkinson Sword de blade and I'm in Heaven.

I use my DE (I only have one) on those occassions that I feel like a change of pace or something different. So it is an occasional thing that has actually had more use in the last week than it has had for sometime. It's been a busy week that required me to be in a few different cities/towns and I decided it would be my travel razor this time around.
Usually I use the one cut-throat for around Two months, then put it on the C12k for a quick touch-up, oil it up and put it away before grabbing the next one out in random order. I have Seven razors all up iirc, including the DE, so they all get used in the space of a year.


Mick

I have a few DE's but mainly use the feather stainless and since I mostly shave with a straight it's the times I'm in a hurry that I use the DE. For the most part I probably use the DE on average 1x a week.

Hello, senoreme:

I have a modest collection of 28 straight razors, including the Feather Artist Club, and 12 double edge. I rotate my straights regularly, a different one each day, and every two or third shave I throw in the double edge, rotating them regularly as well. All my razors are used, because I don't want to hurt their feeling.

Regards,

Obie

I've lost count of my "Working" straight collection -- somewhere around 100. Once a day I cast my eye over the shelves, boxes, etc., and it just comes to me what i want to shave with that day or the next. Today it might be an 8/8 Sheffield near wedge, tomorrow a 5/8 hollow Dovo, the next day a Grelot 6/8 quarter grind. A good deal of my shaving pleasure comes from following my whims this way.

I always keep a replaceable blade razor near the sink for those days I want a complete change-up or I sleep late, maybe once every couple of weeks. I will keep that razor at hand until the blade starts to dull, then I will load up a different razor and keep that on the sink until it dulls, etc. So I end up switching my DEs and SEs every couple of months, but use a different straight every morning I use a straight.

The DE/SE rotation is simply because if I get involved with more than one I lose track of how many shaves I have on a blade, or the blade itself deteriorates from not being used, so it's easier for me to just stick with one, then move on.

Hope this isn't as confusing as I think it may appear.

Funny I should see this thread tonight. I only rarely use a safety razor- actually an old Heljestrand with wedge blade pieces. I have it honed up right now for the SOTD.
Normally, it would be two straights per shave. One for each pass. I won't keep a strop in my bathroom as it gets quite foggy and moist.
My regular rotation run about 24 razors, with others for special occasions, or a whim.
I am trying to get the hang of an adjustable Gillette DE now as well.
Ed
quicknicker

I used to have a set weekly rotation, with Sunday being the change-over day. This would include both straights and DE's. However, after doing this for a couple years I got bored of having to wait 7 days until I could use another beauty out of my collection, so I just started using whatever I fancy on a given day. Same goes for shaving soaps/creams and aftershaves.

i tend to use the same razors in bursts.. same with my soaps, creams, and aftershaves.. i find a setup i like and use it for around a week or so.. then i'll switch to something else.

I use a different one every day in the course of a week. It's not that I'm particular about giving the blade time to rest, it's because I enjoy using all of my razors.

After you've been at this a few years you find you use every conceivable rotation method. I have over 100 straights and at first I'd just use a different one every day. Then I used whatever I liked on a daily basis. Then I used one razor for a week or more. Then I gathered about 30 and rotated through them. Then I picked whatever of the 30 every day. Then I gave up. Now I just use whatever each day and don't worry about it. Sometimes I'll use the same one several days and sometimes just 1 day. I'm more consistent with soaps. I have about 9 I rotate and go through them day by day in the same pattern. Dull eh?

I shave with whatever I feel like shaving with at the time.