There seem to be "bar" style magnets in two different arrangements, one with N and S on opposite ends of the bar, so it wants to stand up on its end, and then bars that have a magnetism of N/S on the bottom/top (largest area). Am I right in assuming I should get one that is the same across the entire top surface on which I'll place the razor's head?
Keep your DE blades sharp !
- Thread starter Icebear
- Start date
These guys do great magnets, but won't export to the US, Canada, or Japan.
Maybe "death magnets" are classed as weapons of magnetic destruction? Even before teaming them with razor blades.
Maybe "death magnets" are classed as weapons of magnetic destruction? Even before teaming them with razor blades.
Stop by a motorcycle shop and look for the "green light changer"
It's designed to stick on the bottom of the bike to help actuate the inductive loops.
- Thread starter
- #124
For everyone in need of magnets:
Here an option at pretty reasonable prices :
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=11
BX884 1 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/4" thick $5.67
or
BY084 2" x 1/2" x 1/4" thick $7.43
These are magnetized through thickness which is explained with a picture here:
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/magdir.asp
Have fun trying and report your findings.
Here an option at pretty reasonable prices :
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=11
BX884 1 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/4" thick $5.67
or
BY084 2" x 1/2" x 1/4" thick $7.43
These are magnetized through thickness which is explained with a picture here:
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/magdir.asp
Have fun trying and report your findings.
Update:
I cleaned up two Gillette Red Tip SuperSpeeds (a model I've never used before) and chose Feather blades, as they are more expensive (more money saved if this works).
I bought some cheap bar-shaped magnets from Ace Hardware (two-pack for less than $4). These magnets strike me as being poor quality, but the razor, if a blade is loaded, does want to stick to it. I've gone ahead and ordered the BY084 magnet as suggested by Icebear, but it hasn't been received yet.
I am using a brushless shaving cream so that I can't screw up the water/soap ratios (something I struggle with even after a year of practice
). The cream I'm currently using is Burt's Bees Shave Cream which has given me excellent shaves and I had it on-hand. I usually use a rotation of: Mama Bears soaps (Aged Spice, Star Anise, Hazelnut & Vanilla), Tabac, RazoRock (XXX, Classic).
Razor 1: No magnet treatment
Razor 2: Set on magnet directly after shaving
My routine: Shower first. In shower, apply conditioner to face and let soak into stubble for at least two minutes. Keep face wet while drying off, and apply cream. One pass downward (WTG: cheeks, under nose, chin, and XTG: neck), and second pass upward (ATG: cheeks, under nose, chin... XTG: neck)
February 27: 1st shave with Razor1. WOW, a Red Tip with brand new Feather is really nice! I now understand why Red Tips are so popular on BST!
February 28: 1st shave with Razor2. Same experience as yesterday, as was expected. After this first shave, I rinsed and shook off excess water, then set Razor2 on the magnet for the 1st time.
I cleaned up two Gillette Red Tip SuperSpeeds (a model I've never used before) and chose Feather blades, as they are more expensive (more money saved if this works).
I bought some cheap bar-shaped magnets from Ace Hardware (two-pack for less than $4). These magnets strike me as being poor quality, but the razor, if a blade is loaded, does want to stick to it. I've gone ahead and ordered the BY084 magnet as suggested by Icebear, but it hasn't been received yet.
I am using a brushless shaving cream so that I can't screw up the water/soap ratios (something I struggle with even after a year of practice
). The cream I'm currently using is Burt's Bees Shave Cream which has given me excellent shaves and I had it on-hand. I usually use a rotation of: Mama Bears soaps (Aged Spice, Star Anise, Hazelnut & Vanilla), Tabac, RazoRock (XXX, Classic).Razor 1: No magnet treatment
Razor 2: Set on magnet directly after shaving
My routine: Shower first. In shower, apply conditioner to face and let soak into stubble for at least two minutes. Keep face wet while drying off, and apply cream. One pass downward (WTG: cheeks, under nose, chin, and XTG: neck), and second pass upward (ATG: cheeks, under nose, chin... XTG: neck)
February 27: 1st shave with Razor1. WOW, a Red Tip with brand new Feather is really nice! I now understand why Red Tips are so popular on BST!
February 28: 1st shave with Razor2. Same experience as yesterday, as was expected. After this first shave, I rinsed and shook off excess water, then set Razor2 on the magnet for the 1st time.
- Thread starter
- #126
Hi there, you are going in full throttle.
I'm curious on your results of the test.
Would be great, if another member also finds a positive effect of this simple treatment.
I'm curious on your results of the test.
Would be great, if another member also finds a positive effect of this simple treatment.
Well, today is shave #2 with Razor 1, and all went as expected.
I typically go 4 shaves with a Feather before blade-banking it due to the last shave being noticeably rougher. That said, I usually do 3-pass shaves, and I'm limiting myself to 2-pass shaves lately (including this test)... and THAT said, I'm not doing well defined "passes", as my technique lately has been to use small raking motions, which I find helps me not miss areas since I'm covering them essentially twice per "pass". Anyway, I'm being careful to remain consistent since I'm experimenting.
I must say that this is really fun for me! The only hard part is knowing I might be shaving with the same razor for a long time when I just received a new Merkur 37c slant bar a week or two ago and I'm still enamored with it. But I'll stick to the great little Red Tips until this experiment has played itself out.
Also, a quick question: I've wondered whether I should take turns resting the magneted razor on different sides? How have you been doing it, Icebear? You've had success, so I'll try emulating you in this.
I typically go 4 shaves with a Feather before blade-banking it due to the last shave being noticeably rougher. That said, I usually do 3-pass shaves, and I'm limiting myself to 2-pass shaves lately (including this test)... and THAT said, I'm not doing well defined "passes", as my technique lately has been to use small raking motions, which I find helps me not miss areas since I'm covering them essentially twice per "pass". Anyway, I'm being careful to remain consistent since I'm experimenting.
I must say that this is really fun for me! The only hard part is knowing I might be shaving with the same razor for a long time when I just received a new Merkur 37c slant bar a week or two ago and I'm still enamored with it. But I'll stick to the great little Red Tips until this experiment has played itself out.
Also, a quick question: I've wondered whether I should take turns resting the magneted razor on different sides? How have you been doing it, Icebear? You've had success, so I'll try emulating you in this.
- Thread starter
- #128
Hello Anaki Mana,
yes, of course you turn the razor after each use to expose the other edge of the blade that was opposite of the magnet. This way each edge get a fair share of exposure. I'm really keen on your findings. Keep it up and post your results
. With my Mergress and the marking point it's fairly easy,
I put the dot down on the even dates and dot up on the uneven dates. Damn it, I got it totally confused today after Feb.29 to Mar.1st
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Alright, that's what I figured and that's what I did today after shave #2 with Razor2 (magneted).
I expect to start feeling some discomfort at least from the non-magneted blade after 1 or 2 more shaves, if my previous experience holds true.
Today was another terrific shave, as the 2nd shave with a Feather ought to be!
I expect to start feeling some discomfort at least from the non-magneted blade after 1 or 2 more shaves, if my previous experience holds true.
Today was another terrific shave, as the 2nd shave with a Feather ought to be!
I'm glad to see someone giving this a somewhat scientific go. I am skeptical, but I always try to keep an openmind. Plus, I know most blades are cheap, Derby, Shark SS, etc. But I love Feather blades, which I consider a little expensive, and I would love to find a way to extend the life of one.
Ummm, not that I believe in any of this Mesmerism, but wouldn't a true scientific test require:
1. A blind test, wherein the shaver doesn't know exactly which blade he's using (to prevent potential user bias) and;
2. Shouldn't the blade that's not being stored on a magnet also be removed from the razor and placed on a flat, non-wet surface, since it's possible that the 'magnetized' blade lasts longer not because it's sitting on a magnet but because it's not sitting within the razor, where residual water or soap scum might dull it?
1. A blind test, wherein the shaver doesn't know exactly which blade he's using (to prevent potential user bias) and;
2. Shouldn't the blade that's not being stored on a magnet also be removed from the razor and placed on a flat, non-wet surface, since it's possible that the 'magnetized' blade lasts longer not because it's sitting on a magnet but because it's not sitting within the razor, where residual water or soap scum might dull it?
- Thread starter
- #133
Hi raisindot,
of course you are right, to make it highly scientific and totally fool proof, so that a thesis on this subject will withstand absolute toughest scrutiny, indeed then the test set up of the only person so far on this forum willing to give it a try, is flawed. You got a point there.
The question remains, is an empiric result that shows a positive effect in extending the life of the blade significantly worth something despite there is no exact explanation how it works?
Not worth a whole lot if the person goes into the comparison well disposed to believe a certain (highly subjective) result will occur.
- Thread starter
- #135
OK folks, I see it doesn't make any sense to argue if you don't want to believe it might be working. If someone tries it and buys a magnet that makes him already positively biased, point taken. But when you feel the blade starts tugging that is usually a pretty obvious effect, if you do blind testing or not. In case the usable period of the blade before tugging occurs is extended from the standard 3-5 shave to more then ten, then I assume we can eliminate the "just biased" factor
, ahh no I guess not, that would be too tolerant 
.Advice to AnakiMana ... as you might have seen, taking sides for something that is not already well accepted and sounds strange at first, stirrs a lot of sceptical comments. So whatever your experience from the test will be, keep posting.
Maybe this is what the numbers on razor blades are for! To facilitate blind trials.
- When placing the razor on the magnet, make sure the "test" edge (marked 1) is facing the magnet, and the "control" edge is facing away.
- Before shaving, reload the blade in the razor with a random orientation but with the 1 facing upwards for consistency.
- Randomly mark one shaving side of the razor with a marker or sticker. Best get someone else to do this, or do it yourself after putting the razor down for a few minutes. Or spin the razor in your hand without looking. You get the idea.
- Shave, noting any perceived differences between the marked and unmarked side.
- Open razor to see if the marked side is the "test" or "control" edge. Record this fact with the above notes.
- Remove the mark/sticker.
- Repeat daily until the test is over.
OK folks, I see it doesn't make any sense to argue if you don't want to believe it might be working. If someone tries it and buys a magnet that makes him already positively biased, point taken. But when you feel the blade starts tugging that is usually a pretty obvious effect, if you do blind testing or not. In case the usable period of the blade before tugging occurs is extended from the standard 3-5 shave to more then ten, then I assume we can eliminate the "just biased" factor
Advice to AnakiMana ... as you might have seen, taking sides for something that is not already well accepted and sounds strange at first, stirrs a lot of sceptical comments. So whatever your experience from the test will be, keep posting.
Shouldn't be too hard to find someone to help make it a "double-blind" test. That way the results won't be tainted by expectations. And, to be clear, when I say that, I'm not at all trying to be critical. It IS human nature. That's the way we, all of us, are built.
Hey guys, just to clarify, I'm not making a claim that this works. I'm doing a general observation at this point. I don't want to take the care of being absolutely precise and whatnot - not at this stage. I'm really not biased -- I have no idea if it will work, and I don't care one way or the other. Icebear has formed a hypothesis based on his personal observations. Others appear to be insulted at his suggestion. I don't enjoy seeing someone get mocked or ridiculed. So I felt moved to do what seemed fair and see if I can observe any difference in blade longevity myself. I really think the observation stage is fun and non-laborious. If someone else wants to do double-blind controlled experiments, or whatever, that's great - it's just not my cup of tea. I'll let my general observations either lead me away from this idea or towards use. I'm not learned enough to make a hypothesis on HOW or WHY magnetic fields affect blade longetivity, but if it works, I don't need to know how. I don't need to know how a battery cell works to power something, and except for curiosity's sake, I don't care to know the specifics.
Here's a reminder of the steps to forming a theory, which I knew but had to look up to remind me:
1. Observe
2. Hypothesize different possibilities based on observations
3. Experiment
4. Report results to others
5. Others also test the hypothesis through observation & experimentation
6. Over time with lots of folks doing the-above-steps it becomes a theory
Here's a reminder of the steps to forming a theory, which I knew but had to look up to remind me:
1. Observe
2. Hypothesize different possibilities based on observations
3. Experiment
4. Report results to others
5. Others also test the hypothesis through observation & experimentation
6. Over time with lots of folks doing the-above-steps it becomes a theory
By the way, the 3rd shave with non-magnetized razor hasn't proved any worse than the previous shaves.
I am measuring for blade deterioration in a few different ways.
1. General feel of face afterwards. We all know what it feels like after using a blade we should have thrown out. Scraped skin burns. My baseline is established and each shave thereafter is either the same or the discomfort has increased a notch.
2. Blood spots/nicks/weepers - it always happens to some degree when my blades deteriorate to a certain extent. I have sensitive skin (and thick facial hair).
3. I'm splashing aftershave onto shaved skin and gauging the sting-factor. I'm using 4711 because it's a light scent that I'm not stuck with all day, I won't get tired of using it, and it really STINGS if my shaves are rough. It highlights all the shortcomings in my shave!
I am measuring for blade deterioration in a few different ways.
1. General feel of face afterwards. We all know what it feels like after using a blade we should have thrown out. Scraped skin burns. My baseline is established and each shave thereafter is either the same or the discomfort has increased a notch.
2. Blood spots/nicks/weepers - it always happens to some degree when my blades deteriorate to a certain extent. I have sensitive skin (and thick facial hair).
3. I'm splashing aftershave onto shaved skin and gauging the sting-factor. I'm using 4711 because it's a light scent that I'm not stuck with all day, I won't get tired of using it, and it really STINGS if my shaves are rough. It highlights all the shortcomings in my shave!
My stronger magnet came in the mail on March 2nd and it's pull is twice as strong as the cheapy model from Ace Hardware. So I switched out the magnets.
The 3rd shave with my magneted razor was odd. Not sure if it's a fluke. I got a small blood spot on my mustache area during the first pass, with the grain. I never even felt it happen - no bite or discomfort. It was small enough to stop bleeding on its own quickly. No problems throughout the rest of my shave. In fact, it was the first shave where my 4711 aftershave didn't sting AT ALL. Every other time has given me a light stinging over the whole face. Today was just as good as all the other shaves, but somehow more comfortable in the end. The small bit of bleeding immediately concerned me, but happened only once and very early in the shave.
Face felt great afterwards. One small nick, which provided no discomfort. Aftershave test produced no sting whatsoever (I'm surprised - better than yesterday's shave, which was the previous baseline).
The 3rd shave with my magneted razor was odd. Not sure if it's a fluke. I got a small blood spot on my mustache area during the first pass, with the grain. I never even felt it happen - no bite or discomfort. It was small enough to stop bleeding on its own quickly. No problems throughout the rest of my shave. In fact, it was the first shave where my 4711 aftershave didn't sting AT ALL. Every other time has given me a light stinging over the whole face. Today was just as good as all the other shaves, but somehow more comfortable in the end. The small bit of bleeding immediately concerned me, but happened only once and very early in the shave.
Face felt great afterwards. One small nick, which provided no discomfort. Aftershave test produced no sting whatsoever (I'm surprised - better than yesterday's shave, which was the previous baseline).
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