Thread: rinse or wipe the blade?

During the shave I NEVER WIPE the blade. I roll the blade over and use it like a spatula to smear the used lather like cake icing onto the area I am to shave. Most of the time it is for a second pass. It saves lather, water, and time. Try it before you ridicule this procedure. I do not seem to dull the edge at all by doing this. The shave goes much smoother also. I only clean the razor after the shave. I do it very carefully to avoid damage to me or the blade. After drying with a towel, my razor gets a good stropping and then a coat of Baby Oil. No problems at all, just a good smooth shave. Works for me every time.

Whenever the blade has collected its max amount of lather I rinse (only the blade!), and I do not shake off drops of water in the sink(!!!), then wipe it with a towel, staying about 1 mm away from the edge. First, I don't want lather accumulating in my towel, therefore I rinse. Second, I don't want water sneaking towards tang and scales, therefore I wipe. At the end of the shave I finish with 20 round trips on the strop to make sure the edge is dry as well. None of my razors received any oil treatment, and yet, all of them are spotless.

Rinse under hot water to get rid of lather.
Believe it or not this helps the shave, hot blade cuts better, go figure.

I rinse at the end, wipe from shoulder to point keeping a mm or so from edge. Then light stropping on towl to get water of edge.

I might add the stroping on a strop due to advice here.

+Buckler

Originally Posted by CatMan

Whenever the blade has collected its max amount of lather I rinse (only the blade!), and I do not shake off drops of water in the sink(!!!), then wipe it with a towel, staying about 1 mm away from the edge. First, I don't want lather accumulating in my towel, therefore I rinse. Second, I don't want water sneaking towards tang and scales, therefore I wipe. At the end of the shave I finish with 20 round trips on the strop to make sure the edge is dry as well. None of my razors received any oil treatment, and yet, all of them are spotless.

same here, but without the stropping. Do you strop on the leather?
Afterwards I wipe the blade with some toiletpaper.

HA !!!! I think I have found one thing that the rest of you are more fanatical about than me..... and I am the OCD personality.....
Heck I just swish that puppy around in the sink full of hot water blade, tang, pivot, and half the scales.... when I am done shaving I hold it through the tang and tail in my fingers, and snap it hard with my wrist a few times, wipe the blade, oil the blade and leave it open in the drawer until the next day, when it goes to the back, and the next one comes out to play..... I have never had any problems at all.....

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I fear cutting myself wiping if I wipe the blade several times during my shave while my hands are a little wet.

I wipe and yes Lee I have cut my finger a few times but it's nothing major, ya big jesse.

When I have finished shaving is when I rinse under the tap and dry off with either a towel or toilet roll.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

HA !!!! I think I have found one thing that the rest of you are more fanatical about than me..... and I am the OCD personality.....
Heck I just swish that puppy around in the sink full of hot water blade, tang, pivot, and half the scales.... when I am done shaving I hold it through the tang and tail in my fingers, and snap it hard with my wrist a few times, wipe the blade, oil the blade and leave it open in the drawer until the next day, when it goes to the back, and the next one comes out to play..... I have never had any problems at all.....

probably because of the oil, no?
I don't oil my blades, but I only have a 3 razor rotation ofcourse..

Originally Posted by Dave_D

Same here. The blade gets wiped off after the shave.

Same here.

Originally Posted by Silver

I wipe and yes Lee I have cut my finger a few times but it's nothing major, ya big jesse.

I thought I heard someone taking my name in vain
Don't wave your fingers at me like that, you might bleed on me

I use a Watchmakers trick. Chamois.

Go to the local autoparts store and buy a small natural chamois. It is treated with cod liver oil. DO NOT WASH IT. I cut it into 3x5 inch strips. Not only does it act like a strop,it removes soap scale and polishes the entire blade.

Use the rest on your fine timepieces.