Thread: Waiting too long before hitting the hone

This is the third time that I have done this. I seem to keep using a blade for a while after it has really lost it's edge, then I hone it and go "Wow, this is so much better! I can't believe how bad it had got!".

I think that because the edge dulls slowly, I don't notice it getting worse, just that it is very slightly worse than the last shave. Maybe it's also a bit of "Bah, it's good enough, I'll leave it another week".

Anyone else do this, or is it just me? Maybe I need to hone by a calendar rather than on feel.

Of course every razor is a little different and there are some that deteriorate very suddenly but with many you are correct and they change so slowly you don't realize it. I usually find before they start giving a poor shaves the comfort level starts to fade.

My memory isn't good enough to remember which razors in my rotation would need touch ups when. So I touch up all of my razors at one time on my pasted strop every few weeks. And further refresh on my Norton 4K/8K followed by the pasted strop every few months. I think preventative maintenance works better for me rather than waiting for problems to start.

Your comment reminds me of the story where you put the frog in a pot of water and slowly turn up the temprature until it boils to death.

I keep a few razors in my rotation that I use depending on my whim. I f there is one in need of a touch up it is really obvious. I think "Damn this one isn't nearly as smooth as yesterday's shave." This morning I had a scratchy blade feel so tonight I will touch it up and see how it feels tomorrow.

When one of mine starts to get dull I just put it out of rotation until I have about three to hone at one time. It gives me something fun to do on the weekend.

I watch my chin. When it starts coming through a shave with to much stubble or I really have to work extra hard to get it smooth, time to hone.


Later,
Richard

I'm probably on the other end of the spectrum as I normally do a weekly touchup on a razor that I'm shaving with every day over a long period of time. Takes all of 15 minutes on a barber hone and pasted paddle strop...including the post honing stropping.

I find if I don't do that when it gets so dull it starts to pull then I have to drop all the way back to 4k and spend the better part of an hour working it back to shave ready...most of which is spent soaking the stone, lapping, and cleaning up my mess.