Physical it's possible, but does it improve the blade or does the blade last longer regarding number of shaves????
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Physical it's possible, but does it improve the blade or does the blade last longer regarding number of shaves????
Modern blades are really inferior to the old ones. The old ones like the gillette blue was carbon steel and when it dulled you could strop-hone them. Newer blades shave better because of the coating on them. Take the coating off and you have a very rough stainless blade. If you want to strop one of those the work probably isn't worth the cost of a new blade.
What is the coating you mention? and how long before it wears off?
All modern blades have coatings. Platinum of some kind or teflon or some other substance. The manufacturers tell you not to wipe the blade after use. The coating is microns thin. Most DE blades last 3-5 shaves and that's how long the coatings last.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulA
That makes sense.....no more wiping the blade.
Thanks.....
I remember once making a strop for a fellow for a safety razor - I think it was called an Velet Autostrop and I think it was a single edged razor. Not sure if there are many around and I guess they are probably all vintage if you find one, but they were definitely made to be stropped.
James.
As others noted almost all DE blades have a thin PTFE (teflon) coating.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulA
PTFE is a world class improvement to any razor... however the heat needed to fuse
it to the blade harms the temper.
The steel of DE blades is darn fine steel. I have started saving all my DE blades.
Perhaps one of the hammer and fire folk could crucible fuse or hammer weld them
and spit a razor out for me ;-)
People have been trying to do this forever. If it was easy the razor landscape would be very different.
A DE has a built in compare and contrast trick. Try something on one edge. Mark with ink and
shave test. A clever person could make a Rolls razor like strop/ hone that used modern hones
and automated the process.
I think folk will find that the temper of the steel has suffered and the PTFE combined with Pt/Cr
and electric etched final edges do not leave a working edge that resharpens worth a darn.
Those things float around Ebay, quite often.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbo
Are we talking honing or stropping? As in stropping the blade on leather vs. honing the blade on a stone?
I think honing would be... well, they just aren't that expensive and like it's been said, with today's DE's, it probably wouldn't bode well. But I have stopped a Feather over my leather strop once to see if it would tame that first shave... I think it worked. I only did it that one time, and that was a while ago.
The original safety razors used a thick blade that was meant to be honed and stropped. Modern DE blades are designed to be disposable. They are so inexpensive that I cannot see any reason to try and extend their useful life. The goal of a modern DE blade is up to 3 (yes, some can go longer then that for some shavers) good shaves. Instead of trying to resharpen them, you get a consistent edge by replacing them. If you want to maintain the blade edge, I have some straights you might be interested in. ;)
I've hand stropped Modern DE blades and have had "some" last comfortably for 30 head and face shaves. I will point out though it is a rarity and believe it's only removing soap and hair debris that gunked the edge up, getting an extra 2 shaves for me is more common. So if your after the nostalgia of the routine go for it. Hand stropping a DE blade - YouTube
I shave everyday, and change the blade when it pulls, not by the number of shaves.
I've experimented with palm stropping too and it works, but it's not the miracle cure to blade longevity. For me it usually allows a couple more comfortable shaves out of a blade than normal.
What a pain though!! :) :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
I think some people don't understand. It is not about the expense or frugality. It is the challenge to see if you can do it. I have spent some time honing and stropping de blades in addition to a lot of old single edge blades that were meant to be resharpened. I use a straight , but if not I might try more on the modern de blades. As has been stated they have a coating and the results are iffy.
I agree, but the challenge aspect only goes so far. Eventually you get bored and simply go back to, well, shaving ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by 25609289
Durn you talked me into trying.Quote:
Originally Posted by 25609289
But today my open blade razor shave was smoother than many a new DE blade.
Perhaps it was the "Latherin"...
I've tried palm stropping, pants stropping and using the inside of a glass. They all seem to do nothing maybe even make the blade worse. What I have found to work (I'm still on the first blade I've tried this with) is to not wipe the blade off,( which i think has more to do with bending the feather edge than wiping off the coating,after all it the coating is that delicate than why doesn't shaving wipe it off) and to make a conscious effort to flip the blade with each shave. I'm on at least my second week with this blade(every other day shaves) and still no tugging.
I personally have not tried this but I think it would work like stropping. I have seen suggestion to cork the blade. You take a wine cork and run the blade lengthwise across the cork. The cork is soft enough not to dull much but I think it might straighten the edge as you would do with a strop. Again I haven't tried it but I have heard people who think feathers are a little rough say that it takes the roughness out.
The Swiss company Allegro made a honing/stropping device for SE blades and with a different blade holder DE blades http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...ck-holder.html .
Bob
You hear that term used often in conjunction with the name Feather :) Feathers aren't really "rough" per se, but many shavers don't find the extreme sharpness to be comfortable while shaving. Others (myself included) find them to be very nice blades. YMMV.Quote:
Originally Posted by jjw509
Typically when the term "cork the blade" is used, the edge itself is run across the top of the cork. In the case of a Feather blade, known as among the sharpest blades made, this WILL remove some of the sharpness and make the shave more comfortable for those that find them too harsh.
I also like Feather blades. I think they make shaving with a DE the best and fastest shave available. When I don't have time for a straight I pull out the DE. Feather blades require absolutely no pressure to give a great shave.
I keep mine in a shot glass full of vodka and it lasts for many many shaves before both sides go dull. Cheapest shave you can buy. Any well kept DE not just Feather.
I have two of these things was bummed when the second one doesn't work.Quote:
Originally Posted by mannye
It keeps Jamming.