Thread: How many shaves on a straight razor before the edge needs a refresh?

When I was using cartridge razors, I got used to using dull blades. I got used to it because they were $5 a pop. And I was being both cheap and lazy. My expectation were also very low. Just get enough of this stubble off to look presentable. Good? Got it. Done. I have different expectations now. And because I can hone my razor, there is no reason to get used to a deteriorating edge. Five to ten passes on my finishing stone and I'm right back to optimal sharpness. How long? I have no idea. The minute I notice it starting to slip I fix it. I like a freshly honed edge. So I never let it get too far before it gets a couple laps on finishing hone. And the more razors you have, the harder it is to keep track of how long its been. I don't allow myself to get used to an edge that's past its prime.

I keep an Excel Spreadsheet to keep track. And with all my razors I'm still finding ones I honed last year sharp! I'm working thru them all again now that I can hone better, but It will take a few years before they need to be done again. BUT, My guess is 2 to 4 month on one razor operated properly daily should be about right for needing touched up. But if your like OCD above, why not touch it up sooner.

I did an experiment using my 2 x 8 x 0.5" Dan's Black Ark where I did 20 laps after every shave in maintenance mode. I got over 150 shaves on that blade with no deterioration of performance. That does not do anything to answer the OP's question, but I feel it has already been adequately answered.

I keep track of how many shaves I get, but I don't use that number to determine when to hone. I hone the razor when it no longer performs as well as a freshly honed razor. The counting is just a curiosity and product testing.

I just don't keep track. If it pulls, it gets honed.
What with all the stropping, it seldom happens. Most get better!

It depends a lot on the type of metal, the shape and the grinding.

I had a Medusa sintered steel blade of the latest generation (CPM-S35VN, see pic).
It is as sharp as a C135 (Thiers Issard Carbonsong, see pic) but definitely much more resistant and durable.
With the TI I have a good shave daily for about two months before returning to the finishing stone.
With the Medusa over three months.


But my favorite, for sweetness and pleasure, is another.

Yup, depends, mostly on your stropping ability and your strop. The quality of the strop and more importantly the cleanliness of the strop will dramatically determine how long an edge will last.

There is also the quality of the steel, grind and quality of the honing and the ability of the stropper.

Mostly it is stropping that determines the life of the edge. As your stropping improves, so to will your edges and your shaves. Keep your strop clean, it is the final polish on your edge, proper stropping and a clean strop can keep you shaving a long time. Too much pressure will flex a weak edge and cause it to fail, resulting in micro chipping.

There is a micrograph photo in a video in recent post on honing forum, of a 12k edge with deep random stria on the bevel and resulting chipping, caused by stropping on a dirty strop. This is consistent with razors I see that come in for honing.

Years ago, a few of us stropped the same razor on Chromium Oxide and shaved with it daily for over a year, with no damage to the edge. After a week or two of stropping and shaving, all the stria on the bevel disappeared and the shave plateaued to a smooth comfortable shaving edge. After a year most got bored with the experiment as there was no change.

excell spread sheet? really? wow.
If it ain't broke don't fix it! If it doesn't shave comfortably, hone it!
Keep a dull razor around in case you get bored and just want to hone something!

I really don’t count the shaves I can get, I go by the feel. If there’s tugging, harshness or slight irritation(and I mean starting to) it’s time to that straight to be refresh.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Rookies ask this question all the time. It's probably in the top 10 questions and in all the years I've been around these parts the answer hasn't changed.

The answer is there is no answer. Like others have said there are too many variables.

From my own experience I've had razors give hundreds of shaves before requiring a touch-up and some needing it after 15 shaves.

I'm pretty sure I'm one of the many that's asked this question. Probably for the same reason, I was searching for a rule been which I could gauge the quality of my stropping.

That said, I've found the low number, 15-20, to be a good starting point to aim for. About half my rotation is in need of touch-up. The other half havent seen a hone in over a year. I've got 11 or 12 blades that I scroll through. Well, 5 or 6 for the moment.

My Dovo is the exception. I've got a running test on it. If it tugs in the slightest it gets 4 laps on a Swaty barber hone, quick shave test, 4 more If needed but If good re-stropped 25-ish strokes on linen, 30-50 on leather. It seems to last 6 months or so before it wants attention. That's been the maintenance routine for That blade for nearly 2 years now.