Frugalarians, United, Will Never Be Defeated!

[ChinaCoolStuff]

The frugality thing and the negative engineering industry conspiracy thing drove me to spend a bit of time online looking into this idea of extending blade life. Some of you are happy to use a blade once and then whizz it, but I also know that some of you are into trying to get as much out of a blade as possible without detriment to the shave or the environment. Zirconia-ceramic seems promising for a straight maybe, although some engineers at Kyocera discovered the hard way that it's not suitable for a razor-blade which needs a rounded edge. I must confess that this is a challenge which I would like to crack; the ultimate revenge against negative industry engineering. To date, some of the most practical suggestions have been to use a hair dryer on the blade after use and pop it in the freezer in an air-tight plastic bag or store it in 100% alcohol, although there's a caveat: 'The razor manufacturers know this and purposefully include this “lubrastrip” that is compromised by the presence of oil. When stored in oil, the strip expands to the point of disrupting the proper angle between the blade and your face.' How conspiratorial is that? The idea that the lubastrip is somehow responsible for degradation of the sharpness. From two different sites there seems to be agreement that if you put a new strip on an old blade it shaves perfectly fine. Anyone checked it out? I intend to just to see if I can dismiss it as bunkum. But how about this idea: 'If using a double edge safety razor, use two blades alternately. Resting each blade for 48 or more hours actually allows the blade to "self-reset" somewhat. The 'inside the glass' method will help a lot too, once a blade starts to loose it's keenness.' Do any of you do this already and if so what have been your results? And what about the chap with 200+ shaves due to his magicsoap or whatever on Youtube? Anyone been tempted to forego the luxury lather for this chemical cleaner? (Talking of chemicals, is there any info on which classic shave soaps and creams contain parabens?)

This looks of interest on Youtube: StonefishSays Reviews the Xtenda-Blade Razor Blade Sharpener http://eCa.sh/XBRegarding. Here's the ebay link: http://cgi.ebay.ca/2-XTENDA-BLADE-RAZOR-BLADE-SHARPENERS-/220555907773?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0. Or how about this from the same thread (www.kashum.com/blog/1084456598):

'I do get a lot of shaves from a blade. After about 10 shaves, I strop the blade on an old pair of jeans, and continue to strop about 30 strokes per side/edge after each shave after the first time I strop. After a month or so, I find the blade needs the waterglass treatment. Hold the blade, end down, against the inner surface of a water glass, and rub it around in the glass. This has a honing effect and gives me a couple more weeks. At any rate, there are options, if you don't want to foul the environment with your shaving trash.'

Regarding "Save a Blade" someone posted this on yahoo answers: 'The idea behind the Save-A-Blade is sound, and has been practiced by barbers for centuries, as drawing a blade down a leather strop heats it up and pulls the atoms back to the edge, and we call this honing. But getting to the meat of your question; Does it work on disposable blades? It probably will at first, but you will quickly see diminishing returns as the stropping device in the unit will not ever be able to contact enough of the blades to efficiently pull these atoms down indefinitely. Then taking into consideration the cost of batteries for the honing unit it quickly becomes more cost-effective just to pick a brand of cheap one piece disposables, that are comfortable to use, and change them out weekly.' Not to mention the earlier promise of Razorsharp. 'It works on the same principles as the old barber strap....but in a ergonomically designed form suited for all modern blades.' Did it ever get made?

Anyhow, there's a new kid on the block 'Everblade" (www.greeneverblade.com). Anyone got one? It's received one 5-star review on Amazon but the reviewer fails to give any actual numbers: a bit suspicious. A an electro-magnet resetting atoms? Who knows? Or what about this idea: diamond-coated blades. Did they ever go into production: http://www.ecouterre.com/21740/synt...ey-to-razor-blades-that-last-years-not-weeks/. And while we're about it let's not forget the peerless Personna 74.

Apparently when the disposable blade was first introduced people went to great lengths to avoid disposing of them at a time when arguably they didn't even have much of a waste and pollution problem. How times change eh? But then again, it's also true that history is cyclical. Will we ever see a renaissance in innovation in this area? Or a change in consciousness? Maybe only post-apocalypse. Pain seems to be the only behaviour modifier some people heed. If you know of any breakthroughs, I for one would love to hear about them or any method you use for blade longevity for that matter.

 

[kingfisher]

None of this crap actually works for prolonging the life of a multi-blade cartridge razor. Drying the blade off after use is the single most useful thing that can be done.

For DE blades, palm stropping, IME, makes the first shave a little more comfortable. I don't think it really prolongs the usable life of the blade, though.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Apparently when the disposable blade was first introduced people went to great lengths to avoid disposing of them at a time when arguably they didn't even have much of a waste and pollution problem.

DE blades back then were made to last longer, you could strop or resharpen then several times. Modern DE blades are much thinner and once the edge is gone it's gone. Also, we benefit from modern coatings on our blades that make the shaves much more pleasant than bare stainless steel - and once that coating is worn off the blade is unusable.

 

[ChinaCoolStuff]

That's interesting. Does it apply to all blades, even those stainless steel ones made in India, Pakistan or China? Or do you think it would be worth trying to strop them? I see the logic of your argument, the problem is that what you said presumably also applies to cartridge blades and even stropping on a pane of glass shows considerable improvement in the number of shaves from single digits to multiple scores of use with those, not to mention the Magiclife Youtube guy's 200 shave from one cart using his magic soap or Razorpit (www.razorpit.com/index.php?language=en) which can extend use to 150 shaves. These are all well-attested to and so I don't quite buy your position.

The most interesting discovery seems to be that if you replace a used lubastrip the blades work as good as new. One poster explained this as being due to the distance from the strip to the blade having an effect on the shave. I for one intend to check that out.

Must read: Coating technology itself is in flux. Having the coating 'go' after 1000 uses rather than 3, is even now technologically speaking feasible with nanocrystalline diamond coatings. You can read a fascinating August 2010 article about its development here: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25988/page1/. We're talking several years' use from one blade. This is real. This is now. In Ulm, Einstein's birthplace. Exciting times. As ever, the real challenge will be in the commercialisation. Company Press Release (no affiliation): http://en.blades.diamaze-gfd.com/uploads/media/20100628_GFD_press_release_razor_blade.pdf

 

[michiganlover]

None of this crap actually works for prolonging the life of a multi-blade cartridge razor. Drying the blade off after use is the single most useful thing that can be done.

+1

To sharpen/ strop a blade you need access to both sides of the blade edge, since a cartridge by design only gives you access to one side of the blade, all attempts at sharpening it are meaningless.

Regarding "SaveABlade" it has actually been shown (under the microscope, which doesn't lie) to destroy blades, making them duller than before they were treated with SaveABlade. Total 100% waste of money.

Apparently when the disposable blade was first introduced people went to great lengths to avoid disposing of them at a time when arguably they didn't even have much of a waste and pollution problem.

When the DE blade was first introduced, they were quite expensive. People went to great lengths to sharpen/ strop them as a way of trying to save money. Being "Green" was a concept unheard of back then, and totally foreign to the average American.

 

[ChinaCoolStuff]

We're talking several years' use from one blade, 1000 shaves. This is real. This is now. In Ulm, Einstein's birthplace. Exciting times: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25988/page1/ As ever, the real challenge will be in the commercialisation. Company Press Release (no affiliation): http://en.blades.diamaze-gfd.com/upl...azor_blade.pdf. I've written to them and will post if they bother to reply.

"The closed mind is like a closed book: just a useless piece of wood" - Chinese Proverb

 

[Aberneth]

We're talking several years' use from one blade, 1000 shaves. This is real. This is now. In Ulm, Einstein's birthplace. Exciting times: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25988/page1/ As ever, the real challenge will be in the commercialisation. Company Press Release (no affiliation): http://en.blades.diamaze-gfd.com/upl...azor_blade.pdf. I've written to them and will post if they bother to reply.

"The closed mind is like a closed book: just a useless piece of wood" - Chinese Proverb

They forgot to mention "brittle". When they say carbide, they mean tungsten carbide. Well, it doesn't really matter what the metal is, because anything "carbide" is an ionic compound, and is therefore, inherently brittle. But especially tungsten carbide. I have a tungsten carbide ring on my middle finger. It's the third one I've had. They shatter like nobody's business. Diamond blades are old news. This might be sharp and durable, but the slightest flex and your edge is toast.

Also, I call shenanigans. This is kind of like that article about the american brothers who developed a 6 blade razor using "aerospace technology" and "semiconductors". They throw in big words to impress the unscientific masses. Example, they claim to sharpen the blade with ions. An ion is just an element that has a surplus or deficit of ions, such as the sodium in table salt (or the chloride ion, for that matter). Shooting excited gas at the blade is a pretty unsophisticated way of sharpening the blades. If you think about it, the flame from a torch is the exact same thing. A cloud of excited hydrocarbons. Plasma. High tech blades would be sharpened with a CO2. These blades, I assure you, will be no better than any current blades. They're just another consumerist adventure, playing up to the western world's fascination with anything that sounds technologically advanced. That's where the Gillette Fusion gets its name, you know.

 

[K.T.]

Cool. That means some of us will have enough blades for 3 millennia. The shavepocalypse, you know.

Can't wait to see if these come to market.

 

[Mako72]

I'm a believer, put me in for 20 blades... @ $520.00 for 20 blades, each blade lasting 1 year equals $26.00 per blade(average Feather per week). I'm in. I wondered back in the early 90s when Boker and Kyocera had the ceramics why they didn't make a razor. My worry of dropping their kithcen knives turned me off... But I am a huge klutz!! I'm in!!

Jay

 

[mdunn]

Nay!!

 

[ouch]

This is real. This is now. In Ulm, Einstein's birthplace.

I usually pick up my blades in New York City, birthplace of Harry Belafonte.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpNk860pTO4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Hair apparent]

I realize it wouldn't take long to dry a blade with a hair dryer, but factoring in the cost of electricity on a 13 cent blade, how is this frugal? Sounds like false economy to me.

 

[Hair apparent]

Hmm, how to take a multibillion dollar a year, repeatable consumer product, offer an alternative that will potentially have your product replaced by average consumer every 2-1/2-3 years, thereby reducing your multi-billion dollar market to a multimillion dollar market with a slow repeat cycle. And this is good news to an investor because?

 

[michiganlover]

Hmm, how to take a multibillion dollar a year, repeatable consumer product, offer an alternative that will potentially have your product replaced by average consumer every 2-1/2-3 years, thereby reducing your multi-billion dollar market to a multimillion dollar market with a slow repeat cycle. And this is good news to an investor because?

+1

It is my firm belief than none of these long lasting blade concepts will ever make it to market.

Gillette, and Schick have no interest in these concepts; they want to sell blades more frequently, not less.

I honestly think this is someone's pipe dream; that these people are dreamers with no knowledge (or the resources for that matter) of how to actual bring such a product to market.

They also have ZERO understanding of the shaving market, and thus don't understand that the potential market for such a product is super small.

Personna tried this concept in the 1970's with their Tungsten Steel Personna 74's. They quickly decided that selling fewer blades to their customer's, thus resulting in less sales was not a sound business decision.

I tested a Personna 74 recently in a Schick Injector, and got 18 solid shaves from it. Someone with a high pain thereshold, could have probably eked another 5-7 shaves out of it. 25 shaves per blade is a mere 15 blades per year!!

 

[ouch]

What's the big deal? I used a 100 year old razor this morning.

 

[woodfluter]

What's the big deal? I used a 100 year old razor this morning.

I regularly use a 102 year old razor, but not my 99 year old blades

Back when I used cartridges, Gillette and Schick sent me razors in the mail along with a trial cartridge. Each of those lasted an amazingly long time, like the Personna 74's mentioned above, which of course was the idea. After you were hooked on the thought that you should be able to get several weeks of shaving out of one, you discovered that none of the cartridges that were for sale would last more than a few days.

Sure they can make them last a lot longer, but there's absolutely no incentive to sell those!

- Bill

 

[DE Shaver]

I agree with those that attempting to preserve DE blade using a "system" represents a false economy, as even your time is valuable. In some cases, it can degrade your blade. The easiest way to extend your blade life is to simply shake your razor dry after each use. If you want to take it a step farther, you can briefly dip the razor head (with blade) in alcohol, which displaces the water and dries after a few moments.

 

[woodfluter]

Two quick points:

Drying

Alcohol could do the job, but here's what I do. Disassemble the razor (OK, haven't used my TTO's much lately), wash the blade in running water, hold by one end and "flick" the other end, repeat on the other end. That kicks nearly all moisture off. Lay on the towel. By the time I dry the rest of the razor and re-assemble, the blade is completely dry.

Everlasting Blade

I've read some of the diamond coating articles and don't think they are actually blowing smoke. I think they are onto something here and quite sincere. But they are up against some serious marketing problems, plus a serious practical one.

1. Will have to sell for vastly inflated price to make this profitable. That's been well discussed. If sold for a lower price, it will seriously hurt conventional razor blade makers (apart from below!!!) and the sellers will saturate the market quickly. Seriously, this is why Stradivarius ended up selling cheapo fiddles late in life...everybody that wanted superior instruments and could afford them had a choice of lots of Amatis, Guarnaris and Strads and other really good violins in circulation by then. Market was flooded and prices dropped dramatically.

2. There's this damage thing. The most expensive blade will be equally subject to getting nicked or dented by careless handling. Say this happens to your current DE. You say "drat!" and put a new one in. If this happens to a $250 blade, you'll have some other vivid emotions to express. If this is to be workable, you'd need a new system that would protect the blade, allow it to dry but keep it from any possibility of getting damaged or carelessly handled. It's possible from an engineering standpoint but maybe a tough sell.

Personally, I wouldn't invest in this. I think something middle of the road, like the old Personna 74, could be best for the average consumer. You could design it for a conventional razor, you might damage it but would say "double drat!" and carry on.

My 2 bits, but not as brief as I thought!

- Bill