Thread: Ever wonder how long an edge lasts after honing?

Have mentioned this before, but one of the things that intrigued me when I started was hearing about a gent who had one Puma razor and one strop.
He shaved with them for 20 years,no mention of a hone or stone although I imagine he at least had a barber hone.
I did my own experiment with a Bengall and a Puma a few years back. 70 plus shaves on each with just leather. Definitely technique and prep play a major part, and I recall sometimes the shave would be average but a hundred or so laps on rough and the same on smooth leather got the edge acceptable again. Basically got bored with the same two razors, but every now and then I put a shave on them.

Utopian, Yes those chips are even 1/4 of the way into the bevel ~100μm. If held up to the bright sky I could discern them with the naked eye, which is what prompted me to get out the pocket microscope. The razor is a 6/8 222 Puma Special I bought from the B/S/T here over three years ago. If it was rusty then it was restored before I received it. I have only stropped it on a home-cut strop from a local leatherworker's off-cuts and have been very pleased with it's performance especially considering it's lack of upkeep.

Grazor, I honed out those chips yesterday so I guess if I want to count 20 years it starts today... Glad to hear that!

The pic is an old one from Badgister in 2014.

I use a seven day rotation so it is very easy to keep track of the number of shaves between honing. I just record the hone date and count Wednesdays [or whatever day] to the present when I want to know the number. I often get 80-100 shaves before needing to hone. I do wear a Van Dyke with a not very heavy beard though.

Originally Posted by bluesman7

I use a seven day rotation so it is very easy to keep track of the number of shaves between honing. I just record the hone date and count Wednesdays [or whatever day] to the present when I want to know the number. I often get 80-100 shaves before needing to hone. I do wear a Van Dyke with a not very heavy beard though.

Great thread Bob....

I'm with the Bluesman, I've got a goatee, but a fairly heavy beard, and I don't get 80-100 shaves before a refresh is required, I will say have razors from when I started 5 years ago, that have never been refreshed and shave just fine, usually the big wedges, but only a few times have I ever had a shave and right after the first stroke put it down and grabbed another because it just wasn't shaving.

I'd say still a vast majority of my blades still have the original bevel and honing done by Val from the Gentleman's Den, and he really puts a master edge on razors. A few of his one's I've refreshed on the Nani 12k then the Escher, and they'll be fine again for another year at least.

Good stropping, proper care and cleaning of the razor, oh, and did I say proper stropping....LOL.

Like Tc mentions as well, at this point, now that I'm more finicky with my edges, if a blade isn't quite where I want it, nothing that a couple of light strokes on a finisher won't solve.

All those Primo Sheffields and Customs just to shave your cheeks. Lol No it cant be just no. Ahh im just kidding, Good stuff.

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

All those Primo Sheffields and Customs just to shave your cheeks. Lol No it cant be just no. Ahh im just kidding, Good stuff.

LOL - cheeks and neck...I've done the full shave before, really enjoyed it, and liked the clean cut look...walked upstairs, my wife asked if I shaved my chin off and was I growing my goatee back...like now?

So, that was the end of my "clean shaven" experiment....besides, every time I look at Brian Setzer from CNN I just want to punch him right in the face...so I don't think I'll go with that look....

Originally Posted by Phrank

LOL - cheeks and neck...I've done the full shave before, really enjoyed it, and liked the clean cut look...walked upstairs, my wife asked if I shaved my chin off and was I growing my goatee back...like now?

So, that was the end of my "clean shaven" experiment....besides, every time I look at Brian Setzer from CNN I just want to punch him right in the face...so I don't think I'll go with that look....

This is the look that I want to punch in the face...

https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset..._720_noupscale

I humbly bow to you gents willing to use an edge for shave after shave.

I used to get quite a long stretch of shaves between honing in the past, but in the past year or two... I'm simply not willing to endure anything but perfect edges, so for me, it's hone the razor lightly every week. No, it doesn't need much, but dang it all.... It's got to be uber sharp and comfortable.... This is likely the reason why even Feather DE blades get chucked after 3 shaves in my house, when I'm on a DE stint.

I'm sure it's a personality flaw.... The razor still shaves fine, but it's not quite as sharp as it was right off the hone.....<sigh>

It's not my stropping technique either... there is a very noticeable improvement in the edge after I strop, it's just *me*.

Regards

Kaptain "Anything less than perfect, is downright terrible to me, anymore" Zero

Yep as I said we spend too much time on the stones. Spare the stone save the razor. Or is it spare the stone cut your face ahh well something like that.

Originally Posted by jehler

Utopian, Yes those chips are even 1/4 of the way into the bevel ~100μm. If held up to the bright sky I could discern them with the naked eye, which is what prompted me to get out the pocket microscope. The razor is a 6/8 222 Puma Special I bought from the B/S/T here over three years ago. If it was rusty then it was restored before I received it. I have only stropped it on a home-cut strop from a local leatherworker's off-cuts and have been very pleased with it's performance especially considering it's lack of upkeep.

Grazor, I honed out those chips yesterday so I guess if I want to count 20 years it starts today... Glad to hear that!

The pic is an old one from Badgister in 2014.

To rule out a problem with the strop, do you have any other razors that you maintain on that strop? Are they chipped too?