Thread: how long

how long will a edge last after i get the razor sharpened. going to send one out to get honed and just wondering. i will be buying a strop and hone soon. thanks dave

I'm sorry to say there are too many variables to properly answer that. It depends on the razor, your beard, your beard prep, and most critically, your stropping. Unfortunately, for many newbies the answer is "one shave" because they've screwed up the edge with bad stropping. In general, you could hope to go two or three months between honings but some people have to, or choose to, do a touch up after as few as ten shaves.

Also, it's a matter of degree of the touch up. The oft repeated rule for barber hone usage is that you should do a touch up AS SOON AS you notice ANY diminishment in the quality of the shave. This is because it takes much less effort to keep a razor sharp rather it does to sharpen a razor.

thanks for the reply. i have been sharpening knifes and broadheads for bowhunting for years, i can get them razor sharp. so i hope i will be able to sharpen a straight razor. i just was told from a friend a barber up the road does straight razor shaves. i think i will stop in and see him.thanks agian. dave

Originally Posted by buckeye

thanks for the reply. i have been sharpening knifes and broadheads for bowhunting for years, i can get them razor sharp. so i hope i will be able to sharpen a straight razor. i just was told from a friend a barber up the road does straight razor shaves. i think i will stop in and see him.thanks agian. dave

Odds are that the barber uses disposable straights, as in most places it is illegal for a barber to use a real straight razor due to risk of disease transmission. On the other hand, if he is older, then he might know about real straights.

There is a significant difference between knife and razor sharpening. For example, there should be no wire edge formation in razor honing and the finest hones used for knife sharpening are the ones that we use for initial bevel setting.

Just remember that sharpening knives is a bit different from that of sharpening a razor.

My general rule of thumb for sharpening a razor that has been maintained is to get it expertly honed at its one year anniversary when I began using it. If you use your razor everyday, then probably every 4-6 months.

I'm sure this is not the answer you want ...but..... Really depends on a lot of things, like, the razor itself, your stropping ( big factor), your beard, whether you let the edge rust, whether you drop it or hit something with it, even how big your rotation is.
Really the possibility is 1 or 2 days up to 1 or 2 years.

I've been using 2 razors in rotation since mid May and have used just leather and cro oz a couple of times until about 2 weeks ago when I took both blades to a 8000 grit wet stone for touch-ups. Will see how the shaving goes as to when the next touch-up will be. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by buckeye

thanks for the reply. i have been sharpening knifes and broadheads for bowhunting for years, i can get them razor sharp. so i hope i will be able to sharpen a straight razor. i just was told from a friend a barber up the road does straight razor shaves. i think i will stop in and see him.thanks agian. dave

If that barber knows how to handle a Straight razor well, I would hang on every word he tells you about shaving technique. Most of us go on and on about honing, but really shaving technique is the art, and as you improve, and you will, it just gets better and better.

Maybe you can get a few personal lessons, that would put you ahead of the game in terms of how long your edge will hold up. Man, I would pick that barbers brain clean. Good luck.

thanks for all the replys. i know this is going to take some time so i will take and listen to any advice. i stayed up late reading many threads. once i take on something new i eather take on full bore or not at all. well i have been interested in using a straight razor since i have been a kid and i am now 53, so its about time i get with it. i have been driving past this barber for years, he has been there since i can remember. looks like a one chair shop. guess i will stop in for a haircut and a shave and see what he knows. thanks dave

Would be great to hear if your barber is one who knows his stuff and has some wisdom to impart.... or one of the other kind.