Razor sharpening devices

[ChinaCoolStuff]

Stumbled on this just now: 'I remember a device advertised about 20 years ago that claimed to sharpen disposable razors with a diamond impregnated cloth strip that you would use as a strop for disposables. It vanished from sight rather quickly and the rumor has it that the disposable companies bought it and buried it. I wonder if there is any truth to the story? I know the product existed, but did it work, and did they bury it? posted by ModmanQ6 at 0:59am on Saturday, 4th December 2004' (http://www.kashum.com/blog/1084456598)

Anyone know about this? Or anything similar? I have one of these: http://www.sustainablevillage.com/products/wholesale.html I use it sometimes if I decide to use a cartridge for whatever reason. It works too, but is really just a piece of glass that you drag your blade against about ten times. I suppose you could use any piece of glass and get the same result. Still, nice to win even a tiny bit of ground from the big boys, right?

Does anyone have some kind of device for sharpening their blades, DE or cartridge?

 

[posan]

well u have http://www.barbershop.no/diverse/annet/razorpit.html for cartridge..
but the site is in norwegian..
the name for the gadget is Razorpit.

 

[ChinaCoolStuff]

Razorpit.

Hey, thanks for the heads-up. I found it in English: http://www.razorpit.com/index.php?language=en. Background here: http://www.razorpit.com/how-does-razorpit-work.html Review here: http://www.shavereview.com/Content/3065

Do you use it yourself or know of someone who's had success with it? Bottom-line: does it work as claimed? 150 shaves is quite a claim.

Anyone used this?

 

[posan]

150shaves is overkill..
but i know one who uses it, and he thinks it works well..

 

[taffy]

I have seen these for sale here in the uk and advertised in magazines, my honest thoughts are if they were that good we should all have one and gillette etc would be panicking, but they dont seem to be

 

[BBrad]

I have seen these for sale here in the uk and advertised in magazines, my honest thoughts are if they were that good we should all have one and gillette etc would be panicking, but they dont seem to be

I don't think Gillette is panicking because this is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. IMHO, 150 shaves is probably a stretch. In the real world, a blade is bound to get nicked, damaged, or pitted long before that. I don't believe a light stropping or honing will help at that point. Of course, I have to wonder why one would prolong the agony of bad shaves from the M3 cartridge just to save money.

Gillette is not worried because there is a one-to-one relationship between razor owners and cartridge buyers. There will never be a one-to-one razor to stropping device ratio.

DE, SE, and Straight users already have the problem solved - better shaves at a lower cost!

The OP started the post quoting a piece that probably falls into the same vein as other Big-Industry-Conspiracy-Theory tales. You know, the 100 MPG Carburetor that Detroit buried back in the '50s, along with the fuel additive that makes your engine run on water that the oil companies buried!

There have been stropping devices manufactured for about as long as there have been razor blades. Gillette knew that their long-term profit potential came from the repeat sales of blades. If blade sharpeners were a threat to those blade sales, Gillette wouldn't hesitate to manufacture and market one themselves!

 

[braveshave]

I'm not sur eif that's true re: them burying a device - but I've actually heard the same story recently so perhaps it is true. They certainly make a lot of money off of blades. I actually got one of the RazorPits and it does work. My blade lasts wayyyyyy longer so therefore I have been saving so much money. I ordered mine from shopmasc.com and have been recommending it to my friends ever since. ~ Peace.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Go on eBay and do a search for...

Razor Blade Sharpener Pad

 

[mmack66]

Cartridge razor strops/sharpeners don't work because you can only access one side of the blade(s).

 

[Gustav]

There is also a device called the "blade master" which is essentially a magnet which is supposed to sharpen you blade between shaves. I tried it while I was using Mach3 but I was not convinced by it.