Why does a razor cut better after been dipped in hot water?

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Originally Posted by Lemur

Maybe you can find some steel without electrons, I've heard Unobtainum alloys comes pretty close!

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I've got some Upsidaisium from Mount Flatten.

Hot Damn! It Works! ;)

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Goes to show that one should be wary about scientists who come calling bearing theories and models. We're laughing about the pointed hatters who came along 400 years ago, wonder what the straight shavers 500 years from now would do if they were to dig up this thread. Liked the heated mercury suggestion :-)

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Originally Posted by xenophon

Goes to show that one should be wary about scientists who come calling bearing theories and models. We're laughing about the pointed hatters who came along 400 years ago, wonder what the straight shavers 500 years from now would do if they were to dig up this thread. Liked the heated mercury suggestion :-)

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You've hit the nail on the head with this post. Most of this just remains theory and speculation - there's no actual scientific hypothesis testing. What's really needed here is a well controlled trial of blade heat and cutting efficacy, I'm not sure we'll get funding for it though...pretty quickly most potential shaving enthusiasts will cotton on to the fact that actual evidence instead of well delivered anecdote is going to spoil all the fun!

The good news is that the older the anecdote the more believable it becomes - in 500 years this stuff will be gospel so watch what you write :)

Now, has anyone noticed that their shaves are smoother when the tide is in? This is the reason why in the 19th century there was a strong correlation between number of barbers and the distance of their shops from the sea...:hmmm:

I notice a huge difference in my heated razor - mostly when going ATG in the hardest areas. A cold razor or a cold prep for me equals irritation and blood. So my experience is that a warm/hot razor cuts better. Well, I think it has more to do with my skin relaxing or contracting with the temperature of the razor than the steel itself.

I wonder how quickly the heat dissipates? I do dip the razor into the water in the sink between shaves, and it is hot (at least it is as hot as my solar hot water system generates). When the ambient temperature is low how quickly does the razor stay heated? The argument that the lather cools in ambient temperature should also apply to the razor, shouldn't it? Admittedly, repeated dipping in hot water will do something, but I can't keep a running tap going through a shave - I'm on a limited water supply.

James.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

I wonder how quickly the heat dissipates? I do dip the razor into the water in the sink between shaves, and it is hot (at least it is as hot as my solar hot water system generates). When the ambient temperature is low how quickly does the razor stay heated? The argument that the lather cools in ambient temperature should also apply to the razor, shouldn't it? Admittedly, repeated dipping in hot water will do something, but I can't keep a running tap going through a shave - I'm on a limited water supply.

James.

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It's iron so a good conductor of heat, has a low mass so a low total storage capacity and the temperature differential between the razor and the lather/your skin is significant so my idea is that it'll cool down very quickly to equilibrium. Meaning of course that any beneficial effect -and I doubt there really is any- will dissipate fast and unless you keep rinsing it under hot water it won't do a lot. And that's assuming that heat really has some beneficial effect. IF there is a beneficial effect I'd think it will be physiological: the application of heat *might* trigger an effect in your skin that causes the whiskers to stand up more (vasodilatation does this perhaps, don't know and my physiology handbook is at my other living location 7000 km away so I can't quickly look it up. But in the last case, application of a hot towel or hot water before lathering would certainly create the same or a more pronounced effect than heating the razor.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

I wonder how quickly the heat dissipates? I do dip the razor into the water in the sink between shaves, and it is hot (at least it is as hot as my solar hot water system generates). When the ambient temperature is low how quickly does the razor stay heated? The argument that the lather cools in ambient temperature should also apply to the razor, shouldn't it? Admittedly, repeated dipping in hot water will do something, but I can't keep a running tap going through a shave - I'm on a limited water supply.

James.

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I don't run a sink full of water. I merely turn on the hot water tap and rinse off the blade (and warm it up), then turn the tap back off.

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Originally Posted by xenophon

Goes to show that one should be wary about scientists who come calling bearing theories and models. We're laughing about the pointed hatters who came along 400 years ago, wonder what the straight shavers 500 years from now would do if they were to dig up this thread. Liked the heated mercury suggestion :-)

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I suspect that in 500 yrs one or both of the following will happen:
1- due to climate control and clothing body hair will evolve out.
2- the safety police will ban all sharp objects.
:-)

I just keep a couple bricks of uranium in the bathroom. I move them closer together and wave the razor between them, that really excites those steel atoms:)