I know this sounds a little strange, but I'm using a weber with Astra super platinum blades, and the first shave with these blades seems to pull or drag a bit. Then the second shave is better and the third is the best. Has anyone else experienced this or am I imagining it? This doesn't happen with feather blades, they are sharp right away.
Can blades get sharper with use?
- Thread starter rokeo
- Start date
I also use Astras and find that the second shave is better than the first. Don't know why. Maybe a more experienced shaver will know.
They seem to mellow out and get smoother for shaves 2, 3, and 4. At least for me they do
+2, that's how it works for me too. No idea why, though.
First few passes are always a bit rough but after that it's usually smooth shaving...
If the blade hasn't been deburred, dust and droplets of metal remain attached to the edge after it has been honed too fast and aggressively.
You can wipe the blade's edge clean by cutting a small piece of Styrofoam before using it the first time.
You can wipe the blade's edge clean by cutting a small piece of Styrofoam before using it the first time.
Also some blades perform better after the coatings applied to the blades has worn off, but again this makes the blade smoother, not sharper.
With Rapiras and Astras I have found that on closed comb razors (e.g. DE89L) this is true, but on slant and open comb razors like 39C/Fatip the first shave is better than the others.
My barber uses to palm strop the blade before the first use to make it smoother. From my experience I haven't found improvements in doing so. Someone uses to strop the blade before each shave to prolong the blade life.
My barber uses to palm strop the blade before the first use to make it smoother. From my experience I haven't found improvements in doing so. Someone uses to strop the blade before each shave to prolong the blade life.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I think it is the coating.
You might get the same result from corking the blade, 2 or 3 passes.
You might get the same result from corking the blade, 2 or 3 passes.
- Thread starter
- #13
Thank you all for your responses, it makes a lot more sense that the blade gets smoother not sharper. It just seemed weird that the shaves got better, the more I used the blade.
Try stropping the NEW blades on your forearm, I usually Strop them 5x's on each side. and they become smooth as butter.
I hand strop my blades before the first use and subsequent uses, and now, find no difference between first and second shave like I used to.
Interesting. It's like stropping a straight before using. Neat, I'll have to try this. Thanks.
I think Astras are a little rough to begin with. I always palm/forearm strop them before the first use after a certain incident...
If only it were true.
Then, we'd be asking, "How many shaves do you get from a blade before it becomes too sharp to use?"
Then, we'd be asking, "How many shaves do you get from a blade before it becomes too sharp to use?"
I have found that the Rapiras & Voskhods are good out of the gates...
+1 as far as the Astras are concerned.
I think the first shave with any blade requires extra attention. It makes sense to put a new blade in a mild razor first.
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