Anyone keep a cork in their arsenal for "blade corking"

[Toothpick]

i read a post in an unrelated thread where it mentioned lightly running your DE blade across the cork before a shave to smooth it out more. So i snagged a cork from a wine bottle and gave it a try before a shave, can't say i could tell a difference.

I'm wondering if there is any proof that it actually has a benefit? or the opposite effect?

also i read some folks strop their DE blades 1-2 times each side before a shave. same question here...any actual benefit

or are these just YMMV

do you do something similar?

 

[man00ver]

I have a cork (and a styrofoam peanut) under the sink, but I've never actually used them. Instead, I've used the heel of my dry palm to lightly stop some blades that would otherwise be a little rough on the first use. In particular, this seems to help with Astra SP and Walmart Wilkinsons, which smooth out nicely. Just a few light strokes per bevel does the trick for me. It probably has something to do with the coating.

 

[Seadooer]

Does one cork work better than two?

 

[Alejandro1969]

I try to handle blades as little as possible! Why cork? Just find a smooth blade and use that?

 

[americanarmsdealer]

I try to handle blades as little as possible! Why cork? Just find a smooth blade and use that?

+1. If a blade needs help before the first use so it performs well, I find another blade. Blades are too cheap and plentiful to put up with sub par products.

 

[Ron991]

A bit of an interesting story. My Grandfather whom raised a family during the depression used to do this with his blades. Now while growing up with my Grandparents living upstairs from us in our house, I have seen him take a double edge blade, and hold it along the inside of a glass rub it back, and forth for a period of time. Reverse blade, and comtinue to do the same. Upon finishing this process he would use that same blade for x more amount of shaves. At this point in his life he certainly had no reason to do so, as he was an engineer for the AT&SF Railroad up till his retirement, but I guess he just continued lessons he learned during the great depression. I have never tried this myself, but sure enough remember him doing so.

 

[Toothpick]

well i tried it twice and could not tell a difference at all. i doubt i'll do it again.

the point was to find out who else does this and for what reason. I was hoping for actual proof that it makes the blade smoother, sharper, or last longer.

Ron991's story makes me think that it was done back in the day to make the blade last longer. perhaps DE blades costed more back then and warranted corking or stroping of DE blades. maybe now they are a lot cheaper and many different brands, some sharper than others, so there is no need for the practice any longer.

 

[Ron991]

well i tried it twice and could not tell a difference at all. i doubt i'll do it again.

the point was to find out who else does this and for what reason. I was hoping for actual proof that it makes the blade smoother, sharper, or last longer.

Ron991's story makes me think that it was done back in the day to make the blade last longer. perhaps DE blades costed more back then and warranted corking or stroping of DE blades. maybe now they are a lot cheaper and many different brands, some sharper than others, so there is no need for the practice any longer.

That is exactly why he did that. I guess what they learned during the depression they just practiced the rest of their lives. It was always kinda like, no it was always like eat all you want, but eat all you take. They were so used to having to make things last, and stretch they hated to waste, or not to maximize the things they had in their lives.

Ron

 

[Ron991]

View attachment 282114View attachment 282114

These blades belonged to my Grandfather, and are like a treasure to me. I am not trying to hi-jack this thread, so if a mod. feels it doesn't belong here feel free to move, and or delete. It's just that this thread got me thinking about my Grandfather.

Best Regards Ron

 

[britewhiteram]

I wonder if they're still sharp....

 

[man00ver]

I wonder if they're still sharp....

Not that he would open those up, but Ron's grandfather's blades are surely good to go. Just a few minutes ago, I put the 2nd shave on a '55 Blue Blade and it worked just fine!

 

[Toothpick]

40 blades for 2 bucks seems like a great deal

 

[Gordy2]

Yes those blades are a treasure I would case them and mount them i your shave den.

Back to blade buffing, I tried palm buffing and don't think it did anything more to help the blade. I find really no reason to do it with today's well made blades.

 

[NeverOne99]

What abut soaking the cork?

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Yep...I enjoy shaving various Russian (Rapria Super Stainless, Rapria Swedish Supersteel, Rapria Platinum Lux, Voskhod Teflon Coated, Ladas Super Stainless, Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus or Schick Premium), and happen to lightly cork these blades 3 times on each side which I feel 'removes' any burs and/or rough spots and gives me a '2nd shave' smoothness on the
first shave.

Hey, you might like these other Threads;

a) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/151103-Corking-blades?highlight=corking

b) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/20396-Corking-blades?highlight=corking

c) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/179021-What-is-your-corking-technique

d) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/153925-corking?highlight=corking

e) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-corking-quot-a-blade-means?highlight=corking

f) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/136257-Besides-Corking?highlight=corking

g) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/127973-Blade-corking?highlight=corking

"Dа...бритва [лезвие] не может быть обострена на части бархата". Автор неизвестен (translation...“Yes...a razor [blade] can’t be sharpened on a piece of velvet”. Author Unknown)​

 

[Toothpick]

Yep...I enjoy shaving various Russian (Rapria Super Stainless, Rapria Swedish Supersteel, Rapria Platinum Lux, Voskhod Teflon Coated, Ladas Super Stainless, Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus or Schick Premium), and happen to lightly cork these blades 3 times on each side which I feel 'removes' any burs and/or rough spots and gives me a '2nd shave' smoothness on the
first shave.

Hey, you might like these other Threads;

a) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/151103-Corking-blades?highlight=corking

b) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/20396-Corking-blades?highlight=corking

c) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/179021-What-is-your-corking-technique

d) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/153925-corking?highlight=corking

e) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-corking-quot-a-blade-means?highlight=corking

f) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/136257-Besides-Corking?highlight=corking

g) http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/127973-Blade-corking?highlight=corking

"Dа...бритва [лезвие] не может быть обострена на части бархата". Автор неизвестен (translation...“Yes...a razor [blade] can’t be sharpened on a piece of velvet”. Author Unknown)​

now it gets interesting.....

from skimming through those threads it removes the burrs, and smooths out the blade.

what i also found interesting was that people sometimes use it to "dull" a super sharp blade, such as Feathers, 1st shave being a bit to harsh but 2nd shave being just right so corking the feather before the first shave will make it feel like a second shave. when i guess you could argue why not just buy a less sharp blade in the first place.

i'd also like to see a microscope pic of a blade before and after the cork, to really see how much of the burr is removed and if its actually any more smooth.

B&B needs a Mythbusters section!

 

[Mong.]

I was reading about this exact topic on a blog last night, so it's interesting that it pops up again here today. I have a bunch of Russian blades on the way, so I might test them out with a cork to see how it changes their characteristics when they arrive.

 

[sir-nix-alot]

I cork when I use a shavette

 

[HoosierTrooper]

In today's dollars those 40 blades would cost $17.20, which is actually not a very good deal.

40 blades for 2 bucks seems like a great deal

 

[sir-nix-alot]

In today's dollars those 40 blades would cost $17.20, which is actually not a very good deal.

As my Grandma put it. "Everything was cheap, but you could afford anything."