Can anyone explain how time helps with edge maintenance?

[Badger_Killer]

I get it from at least one source (during my random web browsing) that a straight razor's sharp edge is best maintained when stropped before shaving, and then not touched again until it is stropped again ~48 hours after a shave. Having more than one such blade is an obvious necessity for this plan if you want to shave daily, and more are needed if you want to shave more often. At least one such source observed that the wealthy (who didn't visit barber shops every morning?) often owned blades sold in sets to get them through the week.

Anyway, my question is what actually happens when you leave the blade sitting (other than rust)? What's implicit in the advice to let your blade sit for some time before you strop it is that it begins to repair that edge somehow, in a way that is ruined if it is stropped again too soon after a shave. It sounds almost mystical, but the curiosity for a logical explanation of what happens to an edge with time is just killing me. If you know, can you explain?

Thanks.

 

[Artimid]

The only time that I have ever seen that was from a Chingrish translation that said the steel needed to regenerate. While I laughed at that, we will see answers from more experienced people. I am pretty sure, however, that lots of people shave every day with the same straight. There are several shave journals here, and several challenges (Like the one Paco with several people doing it in the same thread... 100 shaves without honing, sort of thing) where people shave many days in a row for quite a while.

 

[temjeito]

I have heard this as well. The way it was explained to me is that the steel has a "memory", and if left alone the atoms at the for will rearrange themselves or some such thing. I have no idea whether there is any scientific explanation, but would also love to hear from some who do.

 

[Doc226]

I call BS on this, I shaved with my TI many days in a row and 130+ shaves later it is still going on

 

[jkh]

*cough* bull *cough* sh## *cough*

EDIT: Oh I see Doc beat me to blowing the BS whistle. When I first started straight shaving, I only had one shave ready straight razor. It worked great for several months until I dinged the edge on the bathroom faucet.

 

[Chaloney]

I get it from at least one source (during my random web browsing) that a straight razor's sharp edge is best maintained when stropped before shaving, and then not touched again until it is stropped again ~48 hours after a shave. Having more than one such blade is an obvious necessity for this plan if you want to shave daily, and more are needed if you want to shave more often. At least one such source observed that the wealthy (who didn't visit barber shops every morning?) often owned blades sold in sets to get them through the week.

Anyway, my question is what actually happens when you leave the blade sitting (other than rust)? What's implicit in the advice to let your blade sit for some time before you strop it is that it begins to repair that edge somehow, in a way that is ruined if it is stropped again too soon after a shave. It sounds almost mystical, but the curiosity for a logical explanation of what happens to an edge with time is just killing me. If you know, can you explain?

Thanks.

We're these sources perhaps trying to sell you a razor or two? I shaved with the same razor for more than 30 days in a row. I now have a fee razors and I switch it up now and then. It makes no difference if the razor is used the next day rested for 48 hours. The edge will last more total time, but the same amount of shaving.

 

[Gamma]

Dovo has something similar on the website or possibly in their info pamphlets.

 

[Lmarkow]

There should be a list of these great mystical shaving questions.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Urban legend. Only the faintest trace of fact involved. Yes, steel is elastic and will have a slight amount of snap back. Enough to be concerned about? No. Enough to even notice? I think not.

I, too, have shaved with the same blade for weeks on end. When/if it gets dull, then it gets dull and a touchup puts it to rights. For the last couple of years I have stropped on diamond pasted balsa (.1u) after every shave and the edge stays sharp basically forever. If/when it seems to be losing it, then I hit the .5u diamond on balsa until I got it back, then the normal 4 dozen on the .1u. I have not repeat not had to re-hone any razor. Of course I also strop on hanging leather before each shave, too.

Don't worry about "resting" the steel. Vested interests will tell you otherwise. That is, those folks who sell new Dovo Bests or other new razors. Of course, you can use that as an excuse to SWMBO when you want to buy yet another razor... after all, that's what the experts say!

 

[noahpictures]

Heh?

 

[Mike H]

No, I can not explain it...makes no sense to me.

Read # 5

http://www.dovo.com/_english/interessantes.html

Maybe it lost something in translation.

 

[Oscroft]

I think "Never believe anything that would lead me to buy more stuff when it comes from someone doing the selling" is a reasonable rule of thumb.

 

[Tierdaen]

What they claim is that a "fin" or what some of us might call a foil edge or false edge or whatever is bent and needs time to straighten out. Explanations ranging from magnetic fields to material elasticity have been given, and none very convincingly.

 

[rajagra]

Until they demonstrate a difference in a double-blind trial (and they won't!), I'll continue stropping as often as I like.
I like to strop before and after every shave (on canvas, to dry the edge thoroughly.)

In the old days they knew a lot about sharpening, but pseudo-science was as bad then as it is now. These old theories have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[tomjr]

BS.....i strop before and after. skip no time if i want to use the razor again. never caused me any trouble.

 

[Doc226]

It a great way to have you purchase another razor.
I remember many years back reading a story about shampoo makers doubling their sales when they added repeat to their instructions "lather, rinse, REPEAT"
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/alka-seltzer.asp

 

[professorchaos]

I call BS on this, I shaved with my TI many days in a row and 130+ shaves later it is still going on

+1.

 

[Badger_Killer]

Thanks all for confirming what I suspected. I'm no chump for sales-motivated baloney, but since I already have a handful of serviceable razors I was willing to go with an idea that may help save needless honing, if it had some logical backbone behind it. Without this, I may as well be dancing around my razors, while performing chants to the god of blades!

 

[Herr Graf von Carrabas]

What Dovo actually argues is that the thin edge, I guess that's the fin, needs time to get back to it's original state. And if you don't wait a few days you strop. That's how I understand it. Don't see any conspiracy theory here.

 

[Tierdaen]

What Dovo actually argues is that the thin edge, I guess that's the fin, needs time to get back to it's original state. And if you don't wait a few days you strop. That's how I understand it. Don't see any conspiracy theory here.

No conspiracy but a convenient echo of a questionable and very old claim.