Thread: Heating up the blade

This is my first post and I do not know if this has been discussed before but I find if I dip my straight razor blade in very hot water just before I shave I get a better shave .Anyone else notice this .

Welcome to SRP Baldylocks! Don't forget to post to the Beginners/Members Introduction forum to tell us a little about yourself!

It's recommended to warm the blade by running hot water on it just before stropping. But that's the last my blade sees of water until I'm done shaving and it's time to rinse every trace of lather off it before oiling & putting it away. (I wipe the blade on a dry folded towel between strokes.)

Be careful if you're dipping your blade before each shaving stroke. It's way too easy to hit the faucet or the sink basin accidentally and both will take a chip out of the edge or tip.
Namaste,
Morty -_-

ditto on the hot water before the strop but its cold water from then on to rinse.the hot water expands the edge a bit and then the cold compacts it. in the real world this is a feel good sort of thing. the improvement to the edge is not great

just wondering..is there any proof to hot/cold water on the blade to make it expand/contract or is that true for almost anything?

pcdad

I think the robeson shave manual talked about hot water aligning the "teeth".

I personally have not noticed a difference in the shave though.

Originally Posted by pcdad

..is there any proof to hot/cold water on the blade to make it expand/contract. . . ?

I would suggest that in this context, proof is irrelevant. What matters is what works for you. There are a considerable number of SRP members who shave exclusively with cold water. Why? Because they discovered that cold water gives them the best shave they ever had.

I tried cold water a couple of times and didn't like it. Apparently my beard and skin type or/and shaving technique places me firmly on the hot water side of the fence for beard prep and lather making.

Regardless of the physics of the effect of water temperature on a blade edge, you should experiment and try different things to determine what options give YOU the best shave you ever had.
Namaste,
Morty -_-

More water = more rust. There is no lapse it begins instantly. Heat accelerates many other chemical reactions, I suspect the same is true for oxidation.

I thought this thread referred to running hot water over the blade right before putting the blade to your face. That's like putting pants on right out of the dryer.

I don't always do it, but tend to do it more often with a blade that requires a low profile. I have a Reynolds frameback, for example, that has to lie almost with the spine touching my face. When that's warmed up with hot water, it's really great.

Ive been doing the hot water in a cup thing for a few months and love it. i keep a cheap cup fill it will really hot water and before i do my neck or ATG ill dip it in and i notice a huge difference, but i always make sure to dry my razor completely and oil it after have not noticed any rust formation ect. Also i only dip the razor part not the tang anything else it really does help and feels great for me on the skin( hot knife through butter analogy)

I usually do as the Robson brochure advises...I run hot water over my blade, dry it, then strop it--50 fabric and 55 leather. I could be wrong, but I think that it helps me better maintain the edge of my straight razor.

I also carefully rinse my blade under the bathroom sink tap during my shave with warm water, then wipe it dry on a barber's towel.

The preceding may not work for everybody, but it works for me.