Your flatware doesn’t corrode and bend at a scale which you can readily observe. It may corrode and bend at a scale where it isn’t easily observable and doesn’t make any significant difference when you’re trying to get flatware to do a flatware’s job.
On the other hand, if you want your razor blade to be as sharp as a…hmm…well..something really really sharp, I think the blade has to be just right at a microscopic level. Which means it may get messed up at a level you cannot readily observe with the naked eye.
I rinse my blades and razor and then dip them in 80% alcohol. I then store them outside the bathroom or any other humid environment. They’re in my bedroom. I only shave twice a week (face twice, head once) and I only need to change blades every month or two.
I switched to an electric razor at about 21 because of exactly this problem. My hair is really, really thick and gets caught between the blades. Short of removing the individual hairs with tweezers, there’s nothing I could do.
Pyramid power, a pseudoscience/woo fad that gained a bit of attention in the US in the 1970s, though people were peddling the idea before then. One of the purported powers of a pyramid (a small one, often made of paperboard or plastic, supposedly with the same ratio as Egyptian pyramids) was that a razor blade properly aligned under one would be magnetically sharpened. The article linked has a little on an attempt to commercialize razor-sharpening pyramids.
I never could get much use out of the multi-blade razors either. After two shaves they were more ripping out the hair than cutting it. Stumbled upon wet shaving, tried it and had the best shave of my life on my very first shave (never understood why people say there is a learning curve). Haven’t gone back and currently spend around 8 cents per blade. When it gets dull I change it out without the heart wrenching feeling of throwing a 3 dollar blade in the trash. (Since they’re solid metal they’re also recyclable if that matters to you)
There are only a few things to master really- probably the most important two are the angle of the razor to your face, and learning to use a really light touch and not press down while you shave.
The first one is because it’s not self-guiding like most modern-day pivoting razors are- you can’t really get a Mach 3 at the wrong angle, but you can get a double-edged razor at the wrong angle and have an uncomfortable or ineffective shave.
The second is because up to a point, the lighter the better, with a double-edge razor. This is counterintuitive because most cartridge razors tend to respond to pressure positively.
Once you get those things down, it’ll be pretty easy. I’d say that your first week will be kind of rough- make sure you have a styptic pencil and an alum block. After your first month, you’ll be in business and be decent at it. This is assuming you shave daily, of course.
DE razors do work better with more traditional soaps and creams that use a brush, but you can use the regular stuff just fine, trust me. I do just as well with Barbasol original and my DE razor, as I do using Santa Maria Novella cream, even if lathering up the brush is more fun and smells nicer.
So from your cite I learn that Pyramid Power is a subset of general pyramid loonieness, Pyramidology. Interesting word for me, because I have suffered briefly from effects of the extrapyramidal kind.
I’m going to give this some thought. A couple of years ago I bought the same giant pack of twin blades at Costco, but even with a very coarse, heavy beard I figure it to be a lifetime supply as I only change it out every four or five months and I’m already old.
I find that if used daily, these cheap razors reach a pretty stable degree of dullness/sharpness and can be used more or less indefinitely once you adjust to the experience of a less-than-optimal level of efficiency and comfort. I shave in a hot shower, which is what accounts for most of the comfort in my shave anyway.
It’s not the economy, it’s the convenience. I can’t be twigged to reach under the sink for a new one when my current one is fine and it’s right there in the shower.
Now, I may have to consider dribbling a bit of mineral oil in the cup I keep it in (if my girlfriend doesn’t object, her’s is there too). If that makes a difference, it certainly meets my minimal effort requirements.
Yaaa!!- same here, i have the big double-head cannot even try to say # of shaves for each giant blade, one of my 7 bulldogs chewed off half the plastic handle i still use it. The blades are sold everywhere but i have not seen an actual razor for sale in years-if any ideas thanx
I went from using disposal razors to old school double edged blades several years ago and I will never go back. I use a Gillette razor made in 1963 and I mostly use Astra Superior Stainless Double Edge Safety Razor Blades. At about 15¢ a blade and a better shave than one get get from disposal razors, it’s a no-brainer for me.
I’ll also never go back to canned foams or gels. A quality shave soap and a badger brush gives a much slicker layer of foam on the face and it feels really nice going on.
Anyone willing to try it out should watch the series of YouTube videos below. Start by watching the oldest videos first. Great info for beginners.
I find the best razors are the old Gillette 's that are no longer made. They’re pretty inexpensive on eBay. The most popular brand that’s still being made is Merkur and the most popular model is the 34C.
Wow, they were much less expensive when I bought mine about five years ago. But like I said, I still prefer my Gillettes. Go to eBay and put “Gillette slim” into the search box. You can find some that have been cleaned up quite nicely for about half the price.
Yes, but to avoid looking like Tennessee Backwoods Man, I still need to trim around the edges at least every couple of days.
I find that for that purpose, a single cartridge from one of the newer multi-blade razors lasts many months, probably as long as a cheap double-bladed substitute.
The best one I’ve found is the 1960-ish Gillette Fatboy adjustable, called that because it’s got a fat handle vs. the much thinner one of the Slim Adjustable or Superspeeds.
I’m actually really lucky in this regard; my grandfather apparently hung on to every single razor he used as an adult, so I inherited a collection of about 8 razors from GEM single-edge ones from the 1940s up through that Fatboy, and then my dad gave me his 1970 or thereabouts Gillette Superspeed.
Before my mom realized I wanted them, I’d already bought a Merkur 33C, which is much like the 34C mentioned above, but with a thinner handle.
I have some Fatboys also. At some point some years back I decided I prefer the Slim a bit more and have been using it exclusively, but it’s been so long I can’t remember what I like more about it. They’re both similar though and you can’t go wrong with either choice.
Sweet! I got into collecting razors a few years back and have some Gems also. I have some miniature razors, a Schick injector and other rarities. They made some really cool razors back in the day.
Word is that Dorco is the supplier for the Dollar Shave Club, and you can get exactly what DSC promises directly from Dorco for less money. As luck would have it, I’m trying out some Dorco double-edged blades right now and liking them quite a bit.
Like many folks above, I’m a convert to DE razors, and I’m not going back. The process is more labor-intensive (a shave, from prep to finish, takes 15-20 minutes), but my skin says it’s worth it. I use this Parker long-handle razor, a badger brush, and a mug, and alternate between Proraso and glycerin shaving soaps.
Contrary to what’s been said above, you can go against the grain with a DE razor, but you don’t want to do it for your first pass. Generally, when I shave, I do four passes: first, with the grain, which takes off most of the hair. Second pass, across the grain, removing most of what’s left. Third pass, against the grain, which takes off the very last bits and leaves you baby-butt smooth. The fourth pass is an extra clean-up just for my jawline and under my ears. Every pass requires a rinse and re-lathering. Takes some time, but feels very nice.
^ Max Torque, have you ever tried skipping the mug and face lathering? I started by creating a lather in a mug but once I tried creating a lather on the face, I stopped. It’s much quicker and I find it makes a less “airy” lather that feels more well lubricated to me. Below is a link for a video tutorial for anyone that’s interested.
