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

As the title asks I have been wondering this for a good bit now. Normally I use a different straight razor daily and it takes about 2 months to go through my rotation. I really had no idea because of that.

Looking for a more definitive answer for myself I decided to use a lovely vintage G&F Timor razor that I got on the 18 Jan. I honed it up and it has been in continuous use since. Who would have thought that after 3 weeks of daily use the edge does not seem to have deteriorated. I conclude that the G&F razor is capable of taking and holding an edge and my pre shave stropping routine is no so bad after all. Colour me happy and am continuing with the experiment.

Bob

I've been checking off how many shaves I get from a honing too Bob. My 8/8 Koraat made 16 shaves on Ulrik's edge before I refreshed it on my translucent Arkie. Today my Isaac Diller made nine shaves on Outback Mike's edge and it still shaves like a dream. I think Mike used an Escher. My record so far is my 7/8 Wosty with 18 shaves on my coticule edge.

I have a maintenance routine that has me making 3-6 laps on a naniwa 12k every 14 days or there about, and I,m talking ultra light not even any water on it. But I have a razor that I,m using as an experiment that only sees a strop. Has 70 shaves the on it. only linen a leaded strop and clean leather I,m convinced technique and prep goes a long way in keeping an edge sharp, my wire beard only hurts an edge when I get careless and start scraping. Tc

Yep...it was a Escher, Benz. Then a leaded strop, and lots O leather, like Tc.

My finisher is 12K Naniwa followed by 20 laps on a crox sprayed hanging felt strop, 40 on English/flax linen and 80-100 laps on shell cordovan leather. Before each shave I used to do 10 laps on the crox sprayed hanging felt strop, 40 on linen and 80-100 on leather. For a week now I have been doing the linen and leather first and the crox last. I am leaning towards using the crox last working a little better. May also put the crox last after the finisher next time I hone a razor.

Everyone has a different pre shave stropping routine that works for them. Too many variable involved to say everyone's edge should last X amount of days/shaves. Just doing this little experiment to see how I'd do.

Bob

I'm keeping track on a log sheet, but my rotation is all of them. I just check the log and find one that has few shaves on it and use that one. I figure I should be good for a few years before I find one starting to drop off in performance. Now, I do find one now and then that I didn't' get a good honing on so it goes back to the hones and the count starts over. But for now, I think I'm in the teens.

Originally Posted by outback

Yep...it was a Escher, Benz. Then a leaded strop, and lots O leather, like Tc.

I agree with you and Tc. Spare the rod spoil the child, spare the strop spoil the razor.

I'm sure someone will gloat over this thread as his gold dollar shaving videos probably number over a hundred by now, "cuz awl that mattas is thu edge and thu honah and a gold dolla is as good as any other razuh."

I guess I,m not as educated as that Chod. So I'll just use my razors and technique. I would get a lot more shaves out of a razor than the 2 weeks, but glen got me doing maintenance instead of letting it get diminished. The blades aren't dull but it keeps them the same every shave, and 2-3 laps on a dry Nani ain't doing much. The razor that I've been testing is my old stand by Kinfolks, holds an edge for a long time anyway. Marty sent me a sailcloth Cbn impregnated to use, I do 10 on it before shaving,mother I use my linen after the shave and a few on leather. So far after 70 or so shaves it hasn't needed a stone yet, and it's a laser when it comes to shaving. Tc

Bob with your routine and your stropping abilities you could probably go indefinitely, like mine stoo with the Cbn, those European guys live by the loaded strop and don't use a stone that much. Tc