Thread: I'm Resting a Razor

Thanx Jimmy,

So, just to address a few concerns.

I am resting the razor between shaves.

I am making subjective evaluations of the shave, both before 24 hours, or resting, and after 48 hours of resting.

I am not making any postulations on the cause of the subjective impressions. For example, I'll not postulate that the steel moved in any way (even if the shave feels dramatically better).

Variables always exist. You may choose not to agree with the observations. I'm only going to try to make them repeatable for others. If you are not familiar with qualitative research please read up on the concept. Variables can be accounted for and mitigated against and tests don't have to be quantitative, to be valuable.

Also, please don't be fearful of the potential results. If your assumptions are correct than they should be confirmed by the results.

If everyone's assumptions are correct, it should be easy and quick to disprove the resting theory.

The thesis I'm trying to evaluate is not that resting is beneficial or that it changes the steel composition. I'm only evaluating whether it seems to improve the shave or comfort.

If we can replicate the conditions when it seems to increase comfort, perhaps, with our better scientific understanding prevelant today, along with the collaboration and peer review of a forum, we may be able to target the real cause of the "resting" theory.

So, really the question to be addressed is not "Does resting improve an edge?", but at this point, more towards "Why did people back in the day think that resting improved an edge?".

Let me be the one to throw a monkey wrench into the mix.

Ever see those commercials on TV for that silicon band that supposedly makes you stronger and they have the demo to "prove" it? Of course the product is a fraud however the reason the dupes in the commercial react differently to being pushed or pulled is because the first time it's unanticipated and the second time they know it's coming and they tense up.

Ergo when you switch razors do you subconsciously or otherwise expect a result and how do you know you aren't making some subtle difference when you shave with the rested as opposed to the non rested razor. For your result to be more exact you should not know which razor is which like a double blind scientific experiment.

I couldn't resist this cause when I did the stropping experiment years ago guys through this stuff at me.

Nelson~ I remember. That was a good thread too. You stuck to your guns too.

I will be glad to mail the resting razor, along with several unrested razors out, all to seperate US locations.

Then, when the razors return, they come back in an unknown order.

Had you not done your experiment those that thought stropping after a shave had no effect would still be chiming in on their "common" assumptions.

But, please don't expect me to go through the face torture I remember you going through with those experiments.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Nelson~ I remember. That was a good thread too. You stuck to your guns too.

I will be glad to mail the resting razor, along with several unrested razors out, all to seperate US locations.

Then, when the razors return, they come back in an unknown order.

Had you not done your experiment those that thought stropping after a shave had no effect would still be chiming in on their "common" assumptions.

But, please don't expect me to go through the face torture I remember you going through with those experiments.

Owww, my face is starting to hurt just reading your response.

So, this mornings shave was number four. I am beginning to feel some degradation in the shave.

So, for those wondering that is four shaves without stropping. That is an interesting data point for me.

I realized there was yet another wrinkle to this testing process, and that is the theory of resting a razor for 24 hours instead of 48.

Since I've been shaving with the same prep and at the same time every day, technically I've been resting the razor for 24 hours.

Now, I'm not anywhere near the point where the testing is going to begin. But, I was thinking this morning that if I can feel the razor degrading that isn't a very positive sign for the benefits of resting. At least not in favor of resting for only 24 hours. Again, it's too early to make any conclusions, but if resting 24 hours helps the blade "realign" or whatever, then shaving every 24 hours with a blade shouldn't allow for any degradation.

Anyway, because of the degradation I began applying a little more pressure while shaving and doing more passes. No significant degradation yet, it's very, very mild. I'm just hoping I don't cut myself severly in the process of this test.

I'm thinking though that the razor might be ready for a "rest" and testing sometime next week at which time I hope to let the razor rest for 48 solid hours. It may take 3 weeks though, because I want to ensure the razor is shaving very poorly. I think sometime through next week I should start shaving twice a day just to accelerate the degradation and increase the differences.

Just my rambling thoughts . . .

I took the day off.

I couldn't stand the idea of shaving again with a stainless blade without stropping for five straight shaves. It was more than I could deal with.

I used my Carbon Steel World Master, the finest straight razor ever crafted. I did 40 passes on linen and 30 on leather. Oh, yea, I was going all out.

I used Mama Bear's soap. I got a magical shave. Nearly BBS using only WTG passes, with a slight cross grain pass after the first pass.

My face feels pampered, clean, and smooth.

Oh, yea, life is pretty good.

Ok, tomorrow back to the experiment.

I'm not ready to do such testing yet, but I like when people try interesting stuff.
So tomorrow would be a 48h rest instead of the usual 24h?

I seem to remember something about having two razors for resting, may be there is something important happening between the 24h and the 48h.

I think once you have some ideas with the first iteration, one relatively easy variation is to have 2 or 3 razors, the 2nd and the 3rd serve as a benchmark, they get one or two strokes just for a reference and are stropped (#2 could be used every day, and #3 can be used once a week).

I doubt I can commit to several weeks of this anytime soon, but I can contribute three identical razors (I think I still have an incomplete 7-day set of something).

Gugi! Good point. I've always had hesitations about testing multiple razors. I find that even "identical" razors aren't really so identical. Then on top of that is the problem of honing them the same.

So, my plan was to really tear up the blade and then give it 48 hours of rest. I haven't really torn up the blade yet, but I did let it rest for 48 hours.

At first it did feel like there might have been a slight improvement in the edge, but nothing I could hang my hat on, so to speak.

The primary problem is that as the edge gets worse you immediately, naturally, begin just lowering the shaving angle and adding more pressure. So the shave quality and comfort remail optimum.

But, the shave was still not very good. Nearly identical in quality to the others before them.

I'm having doubts, now though, that I can really get the edge to get much worse, and remain a viable testing tool.

At this point I think I am starting to be able to visible see edge damage with the naked eye and bright light.

So, I think the only thing I have managed to identify is that I can go, but wouldn't want to, six shaves without stropping.

I think the 48 hour resting myth is busted.

Aren't you supposed to put the razor inside a pyramid while it's resting . Anyone remember those pyramid blade "sharpeners" from back in the late 60's , and early 70's ?

Originally Posted by MendedSlinky

So you're saying this whole resting thing is a sham!?

How else am I supposed to convince my wife that I need more than one razor? Oh no, it's started. There's no going back for me. Must have more razors.

LOL, I started collecting straights, and still haven't stopped!

Note: If you get a collection of more than 7, do yourself a favor and oil the blade and hinge pins before putting them to bed. You wont have to re-hone them quite as often due to corrosion damage from to lack of use! (I learned that the hard way)