Thread: On razor rotation and resting

I can't see any harm with continuing your approach, but as others said I've not seen much in the way of evidence to suggest resting is a "thing". Even supposing it is a thing I think stropping would dominate any resting effect.

On a side topic, one thing I have noticed with myself is that having a large rotation can in fact induce a bit of a "honing laziness" where you put off honing a razor as long as possible (and probably past the point where it really should be done) because there are so many others to use instead. Eventually what can happen (I know because I have this friend....) is that you repeat this process over an over until you are down to maybe one or two razors that shave OK, and you have 20 or 30 in dire need of honing. I guess that's not really an issue for you if you send your razors out, but I guess the point is a rotation is only as good as its dullest razor. Oh, and don't prohonecrastinate (did you see what I did there? Hone + procrastinate = prohonecrastinate... )

James.

If, unlike Jimbo, you really enjoy honing, then it's good to have a bunch of blades because then the hone wear gets distributed instead of getting concentrated on just one of the poor things. That's my thought on the subject. Rest from honing is what some guys' blades need.

Not that they are providing any science behind it, but the Dovo website says:

5. The straight razor I bought a short time ago no longer shaves properly. Do I have to whet it, and how often is this necessary?
DOVO straight razors are whetted in the factory for use (whetting on leather by hand). If you own a suitable strop, you should nevertheless take into account that the razor must first "rest" after use. After the razor has been carefully rinsed and dried, it should not be used again for at least 24 - 48 hours because the fine "fin" on the cutting edge straightens up again extremely slowly. If the razor is stropped too soon (or stropped incorrectly by moving it backwards and forwards without turning it over), the "fin" which is necessary for a close shave breaks off. Between six and fifteen shaves are possible without stropping in between.
Very interesting how they say you don't need to strop until 6-15 shaves!

Just think for a second - if a barber has to rely on resting his razors for a couple of days he will be out of business in less than a week.

As far as what Dovo says about their razors - well according to them you can get a great shave with the edge they ship from the factory. If Gillette would ship their cartridges with the same level of chipping that Dovo ships their edges they'd be long bankrupt by now. In my opinion the only reason Dovo gets away with their factory edges is because people who buy those think it's a very hard new way of shaving and they need to persevere. Plus the rest of us who simply rehone the razor and move on.

Even the teflon coated cartridge blades have hard time lasting 6-15 shaves, the bare steel deteriorates after one shave and you can't get more than 2-3 good shaves without stropping the razor to remove the oxidation. Dovo's paperwork is simply BS and for proper directions one really should consult the paperwork of vintage razors.

Yeah it certainly seems like very different advice than the rest of the collective knowledge.

Razors that need rest are just plain lazy.

I bet they are the younger generation razors; them old Sheffield razors never needed a rest.

iPod wearing Gen Y razors.

Hone Lazy Gen Y razors.

Originally Posted by gugi

Just think for a second - if a barber has to rely on resting his razors for a couple of days he will be out of business in less than a week.

As far as what Dovo says about their razors - well according to them you can get a great shave with the edge they ship from the factory. If Gillette would ship their cartridges with the same level of chipping that Dovo ships their edges they'd be long bankrupt by now. In my opinion the only reason Dovo gets away with their factory edges is because people who buy those think it's a very hard new way of shaving and they need to persevere. Plus the rest of us who simply rehone the razor and move on.

Even the teflon coated cartridge blades have hard time lasting 6-15 shaves, the bare steel deteriorates after one shave and you can't get more than 2-3 good shaves without stropping the razor to remove the oxidation. Dovo's paperwork is simply BS and for proper directions one really should consult the paperwork of vintage razors.

+1
The last two new DOVOs had an edge so poor, that I could understand any beginner, who tries it once, puts it into ebay ("not for me") and returns to the cartriges.

Before I started honing, I emailed DOVO to get some tips (I thought they should know). The answer was prompt but so unbelievable bad, that I wished they never answered.