How long do your edges last?

[SiR-ed8]

I'm curious if any of you go back to the hone 6 months or so after initially honing your razor(s). Have you stuck with razor to see how long it would take before it needed the hone?

BTW I don't use pastes or chrome oxide much less barber hone ( used SWATY couple times but that's it ).

Iwasaki
15.5 shaves and 2 head shaves ( foolhardy I know that's what Size 2 is for but don't have it ).

Tsugeru Kanetaka S2
8 shaves 4 head shave

I was comparing the Iwasaki to others hence the fraction.

Rogers Special
7 head shaves first run
8 head shaves second run

I don't know how this would translate to regular shaving since I haven't had any straight that needed to be honed as I've been rotating them but also predominantly using Japanese razors.

 

[RB73]

Hi Ivan,

Please excuse my ignorance with this but, once a straight has been honed professionally, is the subsequent honing by the user whilst in day to day use able to keep the edge as keen as when new/restored. Or is this user honing just slowing down the decay of the edge until it has to be sent back to be professionally honed.

 

[Mikael]

Hi Ivan,
... Or is this user honing just slowing down the decay of the edge until it has to be sent back to be professionally honed.

Yep. And how fast/slow depends on how the user strop (what kind of strop), the beard (thick/thin), quality of steel (carbon or silver steel, which holds an edge longer), wedge or hollow (wedge holds longer) or how you store your razors (oil vs no oil, dry, moist etc). I´m sure I forgot something, Neil better dip in

As for the question - I´m sorry, I don´t know. Six months sounds short in my ears (maybe not for a carbon full hollow blade or if you use the same razor very often?), but of course it also depends on what standard you want/have for your edges.

 

[Neil Miller]

RB73 - ike Mikael says, there are a lot variables to be taken into consideration. Leaving stropping materials, steel formulation and grind out of it, it depends to a large extent on how you have been treating the razor. When a razor has the bevel set and goes through all the stages to final polishing, in cross section the bevel will look like a "V" with straight sides. Each time you strop the razor, you are slightly rounding the bevel - the straight sides become curved. If you use a pasted strop the process happens even faster. Then, when you go to retouch the razor the very tip - the cutting edge that we are concerned about - is not touching the hone but standing slightly off it because of the rounded profile. Simple touching up, especailly on a polishing hone like the C12k, will not achieve much here - the sides have to be set straight again by honing on a lower grit hone. If you regularly touch up the razor - say every week - you are going a long way to stopping the rounding of the edge and the edge will last a lot longer.

If you use a strop with just a leather component, you should get at least a dozen - preferably a lot more - shaves out of the razor before the edge noticeably degrades. If you have a linen component the edge will last very much longer - the linen is more abrasive than leather, and it will get right to the edge of the bevel as it deforms to the same degree as the leather side.

The other main factor affecting the edge is oxidation - even after a few hours a degree of oxidation will have taken place at the very edge - over time this will take the edge off the razor. Completely drying and oiling the blade will help stop it - I have an oily strop and after drying the razor I always strop it with this strop because it leaves a very thin film of oil on the bevel which does not have to be removed before shaving.

Regards,
Neil

 

[Mikael]

The other main factor affecting the edge is oxidation - even after a few hours a degree of oxidation will have taken place at the very edge - over time this will take the edge off the razor. Completely drying and oiling the blade will help stop it - I have an oily strop and after drying the razor I always strop it with this strop because it leaves a very thin film of oil on the bevel which does not have to be removed before shaving.

Regards,
Neil

That sounds very interesting. I think I´ll use that. Do you use plain mineral oil or Camomile oil (or something completly else, lol).

 

[RB73]

Cheers fella's, as usual, very informative. Still hasn't persuaded me to buy one yet though :lol:

 

[SiR-ed8]

Richard,

Rather than repeat what's said they pretty much nailed it. Also incorrect stropping or lack of strop use will dull edge sooner than you think. While shaving you microscopically "bend" the edge. Some people strop before, during or after shave. I only do before and after. With Japanese razors ( kamisori ) I palm strop.

The other main factor affecting the edge is oxidation - even after a few hours a degree of oxidation will have taken place at the very edge - over time this will take the edge off the razor. Completely drying and oiling the blade will help stop it - I have an oily strop and after drying the razor I always strop it with this strop because it leaves a very thin film of oil on the bevel which does not have to be removed before shaving.

Regards,
Neil

That sounds very interesting. I think I´ll use that. Do you use plain mineral oil or Camomile oil (or something completly else, lol).

You can use mineral oil not sure about chamomile. I use Camellia oil however. This oil is also used by the Japanese to prevent drying of skin. You can also use Clove oil or Tuf-Glide, Tuf-Cloth by Sentry Solutions.

 

[Neil Miller]

Mikael - I use an english bridle leather strop that has had a different treatment to most bridal leathers - the waxy part of the treatment has not been used, and the oil treatment is foremost - it makes for quite an oily strop: if you left it in contact with your wall or another leather or absorbent surface, you would see oily patches where the oil has leached out of it. When I return your last batch of raors I will include a strip of leather that has been treated this way. It makes a good everyday strop too. The oil used is a mineral oil - the tannery would not tell me what goes into it, but are happy to supply it to me. Suprisingly it is cloudy - I thought that it would be clear.

When you say 'chamomille oil' did you mean camellia oil? Camelia oil is a very good choice, very close to the oil secreted by human skin (how many people would buy human skin oil, though?) and is used for skin hair and nail enrichment - but only when sold as 'tea seed oil.' Other brands, unless state as pure, are usually a blend. The cheaper camellia-based oils used for tools are always blended. Camellia lasts a long time, but can go rancid. To prevent this it is often blended with cove oil (clove oil has good antiseptic properties) and as already mentioned clove oil is a good choice to put on metal and was much favoured in bygone times. Talking of which, the dentist used to put it on teeth to soothe toothache.

I would give the bridle leather strap a go - pn me if you don't get on with it and I can send you some of the oil instead.

Regards,
Neil

 

[Arrowhead]

I have one of the bridle leather strops - I assume it's the same as you describe, Neil? - and a dozen strokes on that after cleaning up and drying certainly seems to inhibit oxidisation; at any rate it doesn't seem to be a problem.

 

[Mikael]

When you say 'chamomille oil' did you mean camellia oil? Camelia oil is a very good choice, very close to the oil secreted by human skin (how many people would buy human skin oil, though?) and is used for skin hair and nail enrichment - but only when sold as 'tea seed oil.' Other brands, unless state as pure, are usually a blend. The cheaper camellia-based oils used for tools are always blended. Camellia lasts a long time, but can go rancid. To prevent this it is often blended with cove oil (clove oil has good antiseptic properties) and as already mentioned clove oil is a good choice to put on metal and was much favoured in bygone times. Talking of which, the dentist used to put it on teeth to soothe toothache.

I would give the bridle leather strap a go - pn me if you don't get on with it and I can send you some of the oil instead.

Regards,
Neil

Yes, I do mean camelia oil and it´s not blended (I got it from you some time ago, a looong time ago :lol: ). Should I store it in the refrigerator, now I store it in my big Ikea bag, together with other goodtohave razor stuff)? Thank you!!