Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18
Like Tree1Likes

Thread: How long does a razor stay sharp?

  1. #1
    Just one more lap... FloorPizza's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    775
    Thanked: 142

    Default How long does a razor stay sharp?

    My professionally honed blade is still giving me really comfortable shaves with nothing more than a good stropping in between. I'm still using multiple razors every day, comparing my honing efforts to it, so it's not getting a full shave every day, but pretty close.

    The blade is a red-injun #101 spike point. Any idea how long I can expect this to last before it needs a touch up on the hone? I'm tempted to stop using it all together except when I need to do direct comparisons just to prevent it from getting dull.

    I know that the time window on such things is really variable, but just a general range will do... one, two, maybe even three months of daily use?

  2. #2
    At this point in time... gssixgun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Idaho Redoubt
    Posts
    26,948
    Thanked: 13221
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Really, really, variable but the general consensus is some type of re-touch at around 3 months...
    This might only be paste or an ultra high git hone.....

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to gssixgun For This Useful Post:

    dward (11-20-2008), FloorPizza (11-19-2008)

  4. #3
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    A2 Michigan
    Posts
    2,371
    Thanked: 241

    Default

    My Red Iinjun hasn't seen a hone in about 70 shaves now and its next bad shave will be the first. Of course it seems like I hone a lot less often than the majority of guys here.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Wildtim For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-19-2008)

  6. #4
    Member Lordkappa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Surrey, BC, Canada
    Posts
    66
    Thanked: 9

    Default

    A lot of this depends on the quality and frequency of your stropping as well; improper stropping can cause the blade to dull prematurely. I would say an average 2-4 month window before a touch up; I use a fine grit pasted strop on mine when they start to tug a bit.

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Lordkappa For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-20-2008)

  8. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Chicagoland
    Posts
    844
    Thanked: 155

    Default

    With proper stropping, a very long time, I would say 90-100 shaves. I use six razors in rotation, and have not had to rehone any of them for the past 8 months.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to fccexpert For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-20-2008)

  10. #6
    Never a dull moment hoglahoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Tulsa, OK
    Posts
    8,922
    Thanked: 1501
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    In my short experience so far, 20 - 50 shaves is what I have found depending on the razor
    Find me on SRP's official chat in ##srp on Freenode. Link is at top of SRP's homepage

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to hoglahoo For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-21-2008)

  12. #7
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    32,736
    Thanked: 5016
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    I've found after about 15 shaves the comfort level starts to deteriorate though the razor will still give a bbs shave for quite a while after that. Some razors though will go much longer. My TI damascus hasn't been honed in probably 100 shaves.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to thebigspendur For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-21-2008)

  14. #8
    Senior Member GhostRida's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    119
    Thanked: 4

    Default

    your responses have been very informative.

  15. #9
    Super Shaver xman's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Lotus Land, eh
    Posts
    8,194
    Thanked: 622

    Default

    I notice if the blade is anything less than VERY keen so I typically get about a dozen shaves out of a razor before I want to touch it up again. I could get a dozen or more, but why when I've got the tools to bring it back quickly.

    X

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to xman For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-21-2008)

  17. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    1,301
    Thanked: 267

    Default

    Isn't using a fine paste on a strop touching it up? If you are talking about not having to do any sharpening at all then after about 2 weeks the performance of the blade starts to drops,for me. This is a razor with very good steel and is honed up to 16K with hones, then pasted. I use to sharpen a razor with a 4 sided strop and then I could only get about 7 days out of a razor before touching it up. Since going to mostly hones to sharpen, then I get about 2 weeks and even then it is just a slight performance drop. I would suspect that using some of the more exotic hones would lead to even a longer time between touch ups.


    Take care,
    Richard
    Last edited by riooso; 11-22-2008 at 01:11 PM.

  18. The Following User Says Thank You to riooso For This Useful Post:

    FloorPizza (11-22-2008)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •