7-day sets

[Doric]

I have always wondered the purpose of 7-day straight sets, is there any other purpose than the novelty having a straight for each day of the week?

 

[TheFlyingFrenchman]

I would hazard a guess and say that it elongated the life of each individual razor. Since it is in a seven day rotation each individual razor has to be honed less often.
Besides, do you need a reason more than the novelty

 

[RetroGrouch]

Yes... more time between honings.

I recently got 5/7 of a seven-day set. (Wednesday and Saturday are missing.) It's very simple (and fun) reaching for the razor of the day. And it's nice knowing that honing sessions for those razors are far, far away.

Plus, since the razors are identical, you get really good at shaving with them. It's harder to get good when you're constantly changing sizes, grinds, makers, etc.

Of course, honing can be fun. When I just feel like honing, I do it on other razors.

Mike

 

[Slash McCoy]

Yeah. It extended the life between honings. Sure, you could have a 6 pc set or an 8 pc set, but when they are engraved with the day of the week, it is easy to just grab "Monday" on Monday, etc. That way, if you are a daily shaver, you know that they are wearing at an even rate.

The 7 day sets were mostly bought by well-to-do gentlemen and they would often as not send their razors out for honing. With the set, this would only need to be done maybe twice a year.

 

[Doric]

I see the purpose now, but I still think it is more of a novelty than a necessity. And here that is all the excuse one needs to buy something.

 

[RetroGrouch]

Yep, you got it. A great thing to have, but absolutely not necessary.

In many ways, we'd be better off with just one razor. One we'd hone to perfection, master the ins and outs of, and never look back.

But this site breeds Acquisition Disorders. We're never quite pleased with what we have.

M

 

[Doric]

But this site breeds Acquisition Disorders. We're never quite pleased with what we have.

Truer words have never been said.

 

[John C]

I've also heard that multi blade sets were used by barbers.
Guys who tended to do a lot of shaves in a day.
They would have two sets, and send one set out to be honed while using the other set.
don't know if this is true or not, but it makes a good theory.

 

[TenorClef]

I think the seven day sets were just a luxury item associated with the very wealthy back in the day. Obviously if you only have one razor then its going to get more wear than a seven day set.......I own two straights, i think that's enough for me I'm a shaver not a collector, you can be both of course.

 

[thirdeye]

I've also heard that multi blade sets were used by barbers.
Guys who tended to do a lot of shaves in a day.
They would have two sets, and send one set out to be honed while using the other set.
don't know if this is true or not, but it makes a good theory.

This is also what has been explained to me some time ago from an old timer who was a barber.
Now days they are more of a luxury item.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I am told that the 4 pc sets were favored by barbers back when they did a lot of shaves, and that it was common to rotate through the day and sometimes give them all a few touchup strokes on the barber hone at the end of the day. So these weren't really 4 day sets in the sense that the 7 pc sets were 7 day sets.