Corking Blade

[LA Shaver]

I have heard several members talk about corking their blades to get any rough edges out of them. I have hand stropped my blades, but am not sure about how to cork a blade and benefits of corking. Thanks!

 

[fizgiggsr]

I've been wondering the same thing. Though, I have noticed that hand stropping appears to give me a smoother shave.

 

[dalew]

Corking a knife blade is supposed to remove the wire edge. I strop my blades to remove the wire edge. I have never heard of corking a straight razor..........but someone has done it. I think corking a razor blade would dull it. Look at Mastro Livi hand strop his fine razors on you tube.

 

[RJKflyer]

(This repeats a post I've just made elsewhere in the forum, but on the same subject)

This is an interesting subject:

1. Firstly, stropping does not really 'sharpen' anything - it is a very final piece of bladework designed to align imperfections created along the edge by grinding and honing - but there is no material removal with stropping.

2. Secondly, I can see how stropping may remove the 'useful' coatings which aid smoothness, although the very cutting edge must lose those on pretty much it's first use. Remember beard hair has the tensile strength, and abrasive properties when cut, of similarly sized copper wire.

3. Thirdly, the blades are so thin, I find it hard to believe that they could be usefully stropped without a decent jig to ensure that the blade does not bend - which will result in something other than the very cutting edge being worked on.

4. Fourthly, I've tried all this with Allegro strops and seem to have proved my point. No noticeable improvement.

I would and could concede that if you're lucky with technique you might just make the very first use slightly different. But better...? Hmmm...

 

[americanarmsdealer]

To each his own, and I'm sure everyone's mileage may vary(this is in the razor blades forum, after all!), but if a blade needs help to be shave ready on its first use, it's not a blade that will be loaded into another of my razors. Blades are so cheap, and there is such a huge variety to choose from that I don't really see the point in using a blade that needs help before I can shave with it comfortably. Just my 2 cents, of course. I guess everyone's entitled to an opinion, even me!

 

[Pbalkan]

To each his own, and I'm sure everyone's mileage may vary(this is in the razor blades forum, after all!), but if a blade needs help to be shave ready on its first use, it's not a blade that will be loaded into another of my razors. Blades are so cheap, and there is such a huge variety to choose from that I don't really see the point in using a blade that needs help before I can shave with it comfortably. Just my 2 cents, of course. I guess everyone's entitled to an opinion, even me!

I'm much newer, but I have to agree. A razor blade has a relatively short life and it's the job of the manufacturer to prepare it for that short-life use. Any necessary stropping should be done by the manufacturer.

The manufacturer should know that if your blade feels dull or rough, upon first use, you are unlikely to buy it again. It is, therefore, to his advantage to make his blades as good as he can, for that first use. I've never seen a manufacturer recommend any kind of corking or stopping of a disposable DE blade.

As a retired lawyer.... I can well understand why.

 

[man00ver]

If you like a particular blade, but find it a little rough on the first shave, I highly recommend hand-stropping. It takes only 10-20 extra seconds when loading the blade, and it can make a real difference for the first outing.

I suspect some blades have 1st-shave roughness due to the way coatings are applied during manufacture, and a quick hand-stropping smoothes them out. I had a fantastic result with an Astra SP in my HD.

Never tried corking, though; it seems like that would wear on the edge.

 

[luvmysuper]

I am speaking for myself.

Not for anyone else, so take this as such.

I find that the first shave I get with a Feather is very harsh. I always find that the second, third, and fourth shave is better than the first.

I cork a feather blade before use so that it dulls it very slightly, and makes the first shave like the second.

This is a personal preference thing, and I certainly wouldn't expect everyone to agree with my perspective on it.

When corking, I just lightly run both edges of the blade across the cork, cutting only as deep as the bevel of the blade.

The object being to run the bevel of the blade through the cork, which does cut the cork, but the object isn't to cut the cork if you catch my drift.

I hold the cork lengthwise between my thumb and first finger, and run the blade across the curved side.

View attachment 154776

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Using a 'real' wine cork vs. a 'artificial' one is just the ticket.

I cork my Shark SC's by holding/securing the cork between my 1st forfinger and thumb and very carefully, lightly and gently, run the blade through the cork (around about 1/16th inch deep), 4 times on each side which I feel 'removes' any burs and aids in smoothness.

Also, check-out these eight (8), Threads and Posted Replies in regard to blade 'corking'.

"Corking Blade" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=200060

"What is your corking technique?" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=179021

"corking?" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=153925&highlight=corking

"Corking blades?" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=151103&highlight=corking

"Can someone explain what "corking" a blade means?" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=147131&highlight=corking

"Corking blades" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20396&highlight=corking

"Besides Corking" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=136257&highlight=corking

"Blade corking" Thread

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127973&highlight=corking

Christopher

"A razor [blade] can't be sharpened on a piece of velvet." Anonymous

 

[Osborn Cox]

I find that the first shave I get with a Feather is very harsh. I always find that the second, third, and fourth shave is better than the first.

I cork a feather blade before use so that it dulls it very slightly, and makes the first shave like the second.

+1- Feather is the only blade I do this with, and I find it makes the first shave more enjoyable. It probably reduces the life of the blade, but as they say blades are cheap.

 

[LA Shaver]

Thanks, guys, for the great feedback! Thanks, Count of Merkur Cristo and Luvmysuper for the useful explanation of and links to corking! Think I might try it.

 

[drews50]

Thanks for clearing that up. I wondered about corking too. I didn't know if it was stropping or cutting.

 

[inspiringK]

When I first started shaving with a DE, I used the same corking method that LoveMySuper uses. I only ever used it with Derbys though, but found that it improved them. Since then I have moved both the Derbys and the cork to my tool closet. I can see the allure of gently corking a Feather.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Thanks, guys, for the great feedback! Thanks, Count of Merkur Cristo and Luvmysuper for the useful explanation of and links to corking! Think I might try it.

LA Shaver:
Glad to be of service.

Christopher

"Life is [like] a razor, you are always in hot water or a scrape" Anonymous