Another newbie question. I have read that a straight razor should not be stropped after being used for at least 24 hours to allow the blade to relax and straighten. Is this an old wives tale or is there any sort of truth to this?
Printable View
Another newbie question. I have read that a straight razor should not be stropped after being used for at least 24 hours to allow the blade to relax and straighten. Is this an old wives tale or is there any sort of truth to this?
Im no expert, but can't see how it would help (the resting that is, I can see the argument re stropping, to dry the edge etc). It's metal after all, unlike a pair of leather shoes.
There is some actual scientific basis for Metal plasticity and that "Resting" the steel would actually make sense, but then again most myths have some distant basis in fact :D
If this is in fact true, it means that you might be doing your razor an injustice to shave twice a day. I can live with that!
LOL - it was explained to me once that a razor needs to, "fin" for 24 hours.
The analogy was to a fin on a fish, that after a shave the fin wasn't straight, and needed to return to a healthy state. Who knows?
From an old thread here and a quote from the Dovo factory:
"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."
Yes, it's true, your razor needs to rest between shaves. How much rest each razor needs is the question. :hmmm:
A custom razor from Max Sprecher or Charlie Lewis needs only 4 hours of sleep. They are young & vibrant razors; so by the time your next shave comes around, they are ready to go,,, in other words you can shave everyday with them. :shrug:
If it's a factory razor like Dovo or Thiers-Issard, then they need more rest,,, they need a good 12 hours of sleep.
If it's a vintage Wade & Butcher over 100 years old, then it needs a good 2 days of rest; think about it, would you ask your grandfather to mow the grass every other day? No, of course not. :beer2:
So this would suggest that stropping after a shave is not recommended?
Of course you strop after a shave, it's like a massage before you go to sleep,,,,:beer2:
Wouldn't not stropping after use increase the risk of oxidation on the edge? I'm basing this on my belief that stropping helps prevent oxidation by "wiping" away any moisture that might be on the edge and maybe even polishing away oxidation that is in it's very early stages.(keep in mind that I don't have any scientific basis for this other than my assumptions)
How effectively does thoroughly wiping the blade down with a tissue remove moisture from the actual edge compared to a good stropping?
Does anyone at Dovo shave with a Straight Razor?
Just wondering...
You would not want to wipe the edge but using a stropping motion with TP the bevel gets done after I shave. If you can strop with leather and canvas I don't think drying that way will have any ill effects. Just to make sure the bevel is clean the blade gets 10 strokes on felt after that and then an airing out.
Bob
"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."
Sounds like a way to convince folks that 2 razors is the minimum one should own... 3 if you want one "in reserve" for when one of the others needs honing.
I suspect that RAD wasn't always so common as it is around these parts, so folks needed encouragement! :w
I don't take any chances, me... I bought an old pyramid canopy for my bed from Michael Jackson's estate (did him the world of good, he never looked a day over 60) and sleep under it oriented east-west gripping my razor so its edge grows back over night and I remain chaste and pure.
Definitely works for me - just ask my mummy...
Regards,
Neil
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:gaah:
Rest! They don't need no stinkin rest. There is plenty of rest after they are used up and dead.
Bob
Ok! So, as I have taken the time to partake upon the wisdom of this forum and the experience that is obviously present......... I'm gonna strop the $%*! out of this thing at every given moment. I feel better now. Thanks guys.
Thank you Neil.... Attachment 178679
I asked and got no response ....... :thinking:
Attachment 178680
That's old hat. If you want you razor rested and energized for the next days shave here is what you do.
You attach your razor to a kite and when an electrical storm comes you run it up with a heavy copper wire and run like the dickens with it. The lightning strike will impart magical properties and you will get the best shave of your life. (just make sure you're wearing rubber gloves and rubber boots)
This is one of those twice a year threads isn't it? I think 5 he consensus previously was possibly but maybe not. For what it's worth, I generally use the same razor for weeks or months on end and strop on leather only after the shave only. The only time I strop first is if have refreshed my razor with a hone.
hehe! This was basically my first question on this forum 8 years ago! :D
The answer today seems to be the same as it was then. And the jokes haven't improved over time either! :p
James.
I heard over-stropping can lead to blindness......:o
Who knows what happens with an edge that is microns thick?
Back in the 60s I worked in a German machine shop as a shop boy.
Our sharpening guy would not touch a bit (all HSS) until they rested overnight,when I asked him why,he had no answere.
Still wonder to this day if there is anything to letting metal rest.
All my lathe tools, both wood and metal are Carbide,the hotter carbide gets, the better it cuts (carbide loves heat) to a point.
After awhile the will bog down (has nothing to do with sharpness)let them set for a day, they are fine,I know not why.
Such a noob Jimbo. :p ;)
Just for cf. 5 other makers diagree with Dovo.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ng-basics.html
Lucky razors aren't HSS. ;)
Actually most metals used in making razors are very close to HSS with an HRC of around 62
And although the modern trend is for stupidly hard steels in this range, in the past the Puma was very well regarded and came in at around 61 HRC, while most Solingen and Sheffield razors came in at around 60 HRC.
FWIW the minimum HRC laid down in the Solingen Statutes was (might still be, for all I know) 59 HRC, which seems a bit on the 'soft' side, but there were very many early razors of equivalent 'softness' including some Wade & Butchers, though to be absolutely fair there were vintage razors of higher HRC too.
Regards,
Neil
Any thoughts on whether or not to tape the blade while it is resting??