Thread: Razor Regrowth?

In all seriousness, there actually might be something to the claim that the edge straightens out with time. I understand that the translation from German reads, "growing" but I interpret that as "straightening." I've been playing around with not stropping a razor (a Dovo, naturally) every time between shaves. I've been able to go several shaves without stropping, sort of like with a cartridge razor and the edge does seem to be sharper than at the end of the previous shave. Furthermore when the razor started pulling a few rubs of my thumb over the edge as suggested by Dovo allowed for a good shave. Those folks at Dovo apparently know what they're talking about!

After a few days I do need to go back to the strop, though. I find stropping too entertaining to try to minimize using one but I find it good to know that it isn't essential for every shave.

Originally Posted by JeffR

In all seriousness, there actually might be something to the claim that the edge straightens out with time. I understand that the translation from German reads, "growing" but I interpret that as "straightening." I've been playing around with not stropping a razor (a Dovo, naturally) every time between shaves. I've been able to go several shaves without stropping, sort of like with a cartridge razor and the edge does seem to be sharper than at the end of the previous shave. Furthermore when the razor started pulling a few rubs of my thumb over the edge as suggested by Dovo allowed for a good shave. Those folks at Dovo apparently know what they're talking about!

After a few days I do need to go back to the strop, though. I find stropping too entertaining to try to minimize using one but I find it good to know that it isn't essential for every shave.

Try one razor for just the first cheek pass every shave, no stropping. No thumb stropping either! This would eliminate change in skin moisture/lubrication/etc from you face getting doused in lather a few times from the equation. Plus if it really re-grows, you should be able to do it indefinetaly.

Thumb strop, great idea btw, I wish I would have thought of that for that 3rd pass on the tough spots instead of stopping and stropping. Gonna have to give it a try.

Originally Posted by LameBMX

Try one razor for just the first cheek pass every shave, no stropping. No thumb stropping either! This would eliminate change in skin moisture/lubrication/etc from you face getting doused in lather a few times from the equation. Plus if it really re-grows, you should be able to do it indefinetaly.

Thank you for the suggestion; I'll give it a try. I'm not sure I understand how changing skin moisture, etc. is relevant, though.

To clarify, I suspect that the edge doesn't grow - it straightens. Any metal that is abraded, fatigues and breaks off or rusts away won't be restored. I observed that the edge does degrade over time. But in the course of a number of shaves with a 24 hour wait in between the edge at the beginning of each shave the razor seemed sharper than it was at the end of the previous shave.

However I could just be observing something and attributing it to the wrong cause. It wouldn't be the first time I've done that.