Corking blades

[zbench]

Couldn't resist the urge to try it myself this morning on a new Derby. It was a great shave, and no irritation. As a woodworker, I suspect that any wiriness left on the edge of the blade is removed, or at least straighten it.

Has anyone tried to hone a DE blade? I don't mean with a stone, but perhaps on a flat leather strop with some of that green micro paste applied? May give it a go and see if that improves things, or if cork is as good as it gets.

BTW, I used a real wine cork, no composite, and not Styrofoam.

Pete

 

[Haiku]

Couldn't resist the urge to try it myself this morning on a new Derby. It was a great shave, and no irritation. As a woodworker, I suspect that any wiriness left on the edge of the blade is removed, or at least straighten it.

Has anyone tried to hone a DE blade? I don't mean with a stone, but perhaps on a flat leather strop with some of that green micro paste applied? May give it a go and see if that improves things, or if cork is as good as it gets.

BTW, I used a real wine cork, no composite, and not Styrofoam.

Pete

Well I am glad to learn of another convert to corking (or as I think of it, stropping) safety blades and in particular Derbys. I always used to cut myself up with Derbys but not since I started corking them. I can shave irritation free with a feather in a slant, but I can't shave with a Derby in a Tech unless I cork the Derby.

I think you're right about the idea that corking actually works like a strop.

Once upon a time there were hundreds of gizmos on the market that stropped blades. See here for just a few:

http://www.geocities.com/igorravbar/str.html

If you scroll down, you'll see a collection of stone or glass sharpeners and how they work. So, yes, these are actually hones for safety blades.

I once came across some pictures of gizmos that look sort of like straight razors but with an insert to place a safety blade. These were handles to permit stropping on a leather strop. One of the makers of this type of gizmo was Smith and Wesson if you could believe it.

Here's the link to the Smith and Wesson blade stropper:

http://www.stropper.com/stropper_we...select2=&select3=&select4=&select5=&select6=0

Many folks around here seem to be of the view that stropping a blade just isn't worthwhile given how inexpensive they are. Personally, from time to time I will strop a safety blade using a Twinplex stropper just for the fun and the nostalgia of it.

 

[Haiku]

Here's the other link I was thinking of. There's a whole world of safety blade stroppers out there.


http://www.stropper.com/stropper_website/stropper_index.php

 

[shavEddie]

I'm a little late to this thread, but I thought I'd share my experience. I corked my 2nd feather,( with styrofoam) Same prep, just a tremendous decrease in razor burn!, Still got a nick and a weeper, so I'm pretty sure I didn't dull the blade!

 

[netsurfr]

Would stropping the blade on your thumb have the same effect?

You have to be kidding???!!!

 

[cleancut]

I'm a newbie and have been using the only blades available locally, Wal-Mart Personnas. I felt that they dragged a little bit so I ordered some Derby Extras. The Derby's are definately sharper and it took until about the 6th shave for me to not have a few nicks with them. So I tried running a new Derby blade lightly through a synthetic wine bottle cork and to my surprise no nicks, no weepers, no irritation. Got a BBS shave to boot! I guess my problems are solved thanks to this thread.

 

[jfever311]

What an interesting and entertaining thread. I am expecting a pack of Crystals to be delivered in the next few days. So far I have collected a 1952 Gillette SS, a tub of Mama Bear shave soap, and an AOS brush from the $100 kit. I am patiently waiting on the blades to arrive so that I can finally experience the shaving rapture of the DE razor. The corking phenomenon is something that I will have to experiment with. Upon reaching my own conclusion on this topic, I will post my results and opinions in this thread. Maybe it will actually reach 300!!

 

[OldSaw]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JonEdangerousli View Post
Would stropping the blade on your thumb have the same effect?

You have to be kidding???!!!

I actually started doing this a few months ago. Being in a super hurry one day, I simply pinched the edge of the razor with my thumb and fore finger and wiped from the middle to the side along the edge a few times and repeated for the other side and other edge. I think it works just as well and there is no question as to whether it is dulling the blade.

 

[MotoMike]

I guess it must do something or else you all would not be doing it.... right?

has anyone submitted them for microscopy? I have my doubts. the action described must certainly dull the blade.

My thought was if the feather is too harsh or sharp and you must do this to get it to a 3rd day of use equivilant, why not get a different blade. a sweed is sharp and smooth.

 

[OldSaw]

I guess it must do something or else you all would not be doing it.... right?

has anyone submitted them for microscopy? I have my doubts. the action described must certainly dull the blade.

My thought was if the feather is too harsh or sharp and you must do this to get it to a 3rd day of use equivilant, why not get a different blade. a sweed is sharp and smooth.

This is one of the great debates of the technique. I think if over done it will certainly dull the blade. However, as has been pointed out several times, it is believed to be more of a pinching/buffing action that is taking place, which smooths out the blade and removes any rolled over edge that may be present.

One blade that I have found which works great right out of the pack is the Nacet. However, I have a few hundred other blades currently on hand and have not found a good source for the Nacet yet, mostly because I have not looked.

 

[sol92258]

I will be trying this soon, I just nabbed a chunk of poly packaging from a printer cartridge package, I'll report my findings, probably here, definitely in my wiki

 

[jfever311]

It has been a few weeks now and I have tried various blades, with and w/out corking. My conclusion: Some need it, some do not. I am sticking to Feathers for my everyday blade and they are simply smoother after one pass through a chunk of cork. There is no doubt that they do not get dulled at all with ine light pass through a soft cork, It is only de-burring the edge.

 

[lordhamster]

Do y'all load the blade into the razor first, then do the corking, or do you do it with the naked blade before loading?

 

[OldSaw]

Do y'all load the blade into the razor first, then do the corking, or do you do it with the naked blade before loading?

Uh, look for the picture in this thread.

 

[jfever311]

Something else I have learned while doing this; use the softest part of the cork. Feel all around it until you find a spot that is squishy. That is where you want to LIGHTLY pass the edge through.

 

[OldSaw]

I remember when this was the largest thread on B&B. Now it is not even close until it passes 1000 posts.

 

[jfever311]

I am trying to push it to 300!!

 

[OldSaw]

I am trying to push it to 300!!

That shouldn't be too hard to do. Just talk to Lynchmeister about this thread.

 

[jfever311]

That shouldn't be too hard to do. Just talk to Lynchmeister about this thread.

Now THAT is extreme!! Of course, I now have to take an hour or so and read the entire thread. Still, corking is a neat way to make your daily shave more enjoyable.

 

[THECHEBB]

once my Sample Pack gets in!