You know, it's probably psychological, but it seems my blades perform better and longer if I take em out of the razor everytime and wash off the schmutz that accumulates after a shave.
Anybody else do this?
Anybody else do this?
Taking the blade out every time.
- Thread starter shumanfoo
- Start date
I do it every time as well.
I've got a cheap toothbrush, and use that to brush down the razor and blade in hot water before reassmbling and putting in its stand to dry ready for the following morning.
I've always done this, so I've got nothing to compare it to, but it seems like the correct thing to do to keep the gear in top condition.
I've got a cheap toothbrush, and use that to brush down the razor and blade in hot water before reassmbling and putting in its stand to dry ready for the following morning.
I've always done this, so I've got nothing to compare it to, but it seems like the correct thing to do to keep the gear in top condition.
I do the same. After each shave I pat dry the blade and put it aside, wipe dry the razor head and handle and store them separately. I use one or two handles for different heads and also do not like to keep tension on the middle post of the heads (especially on the modern Zamac razors).
I have always done this so cannot tell if performance is better or not.
Once in a while I oil my razors (I know it's crazy but cannot help it).
I have always done this so cannot tell if performance is better or not.
Once in a while I oil my razors (I know it's crazy but cannot help it).
I agree..the "schmuts"..just like on my straight razors..when wiped...the blade gets "improved"
Negative. I value my fingers infinitely more than a cheap 10¢ blade. Not worth chancing a mishap. Not at all. No sirree.
After rinsing under hot water, my razors get a dip and swish in a jar of 91% isopropyl alcohol that I keep specially for that purpose. Alcohol displaces water and keeps it from leaving dried mineral deposits.
After rinsing under hot water, my razors get a dip and swish in a jar of 91% isopropyl alcohol that I keep specially for that purpose. Alcohol displaces water and keeps it from leaving dried mineral deposits.
Every blade comes out after I finish shaving, gets dried and stored in a small plastic container until the next use. I do this even with injectors blades.
Keep em clean, and keep em dry.
Keep em clean, and keep em dry.
I take each blade out, dip it in barrel aged 180 proof alcohol, have five (three, sir) Three servants of Taranis fan dry it, have it carried by a priest of the order of Horus to an oil bath blessed by Jupiter himself, then carried to the peak of Olympus by Loki, and placed in a Venus figurine made By Hephaestus from laminate of Yggdrasil and the horn of Baal and sealed with a cord made from a lock of Vishnu's hair and then moved to the Gobekli Tepe until I shave next time.
The only blades I take out after shaving are the vintage carbon steel ones. Everything else gets swished well in my shave water and left in my drying tray.
The only blades I take out after shaving are the vintage carbon steel ones. Everything else gets swished well in my shave water and left in my drying tray.
Maybe the combo of water hardness and choice of soap makes a difference?
Anyway, I nearly always get buildup of soap that won't wash off - frequently under a good stream of water, with the blade out of the razor. I wipe that off with my fingers. I'm used to handling sharp things and never have cut myself that way. I flick water off with a DE, blow it off with a SE blade. Put it back in the dried razor.
I figure it may make a difference. I store this stuff in a medicine cabinet and want to keep things dry. Soap scum can hold moisture. And stainless isn't rustproof, just resistant. And the far edge of the blade is so tiny...but heck, I don't know! You'd have to do an experiment with controls.
Oh rats. Now I'm actually thinking about doing that. And I know that's just OCD wrong.
Anyway, I nearly always get buildup of soap that won't wash off - frequently under a good stream of water, with the blade out of the razor. I wipe that off with my fingers. I'm used to handling sharp things and never have cut myself that way. I flick water off with a DE, blow it off with a SE blade. Put it back in the dried razor.
I figure it may make a difference. I store this stuff in a medicine cabinet and want to keep things dry. Soap scum can hold moisture. And stainless isn't rustproof, just resistant. And the far edge of the blade is so tiny...but heck, I don't know! You'd have to do an experiment with controls.
Oh rats. Now I'm actually thinking about doing that. And I know that's just OCD wrong.
The only time I touch a blade it to change it. I've never taken one out and cleaned it or dried it or flipped it or anything else. That is not to say that I do it right but that's the way I've been doing it for over 50 years and it seems fine. BTW when I do open the razor to change blades there is never any 'gunk' in there. I simple wash the razor and dry it, give it a little polish with a dry towel/cloth and reload it if it is going to be used again the next day. There are others that do an elaborate post shave blade routine and good for them, I say whatever works for the individual is correct way.
After running under very hot water, I dip the whole head of the razor into alcohol, take the blade out and place it on some bathroom paper and pat it. I then clean the inside of the razor with additional paper. All the kids have grown and left so I can keep the blade on the counter on the paper ready for it's next use. Some of my blades are one use blades so that makes it easy.
The reason I do it is because I use a different razor every day so the blade's coming out anyway, and I don't consider drying it on a hand towel and placing it in a container all that elaborate since it takes all of about 20 seconds to do.
Rinse, shake, set aside.
and sometimes I don't bother shaking it (the razor, that is).
and sometimes I don't bother shaking it (the razor, that is).
I thought I was the only one who did that.
But seriously................ Oh, why bother. This is shaving, not surgery (unless you are doing it wrong).
Magnets, m'boy, magnets.
Blade out rinse in the sink. Clean and dry the razor everytime.......just a routine I have got into, never cut myself yet and no plans to start now..........
I know it's not really necessary with a stainless blade, but I take the blade out and rinse/dry it every time anyways. I've been glad of that routine twice already in my 7 months of DE shaving; both times were when a cousin had her kids over to visit and the littler munchkin managed to get on the bathroom counter and start playing with my shaving stuff.
Keeping sharp things in a drawer: 2
5 year-olds getting stitches: 0
Keeping sharp things in a drawer: 2
5 year-olds getting stitches: 0
NO, dip/spray the razor with alcohol and I move on with life. Even if it helped longevity (which I'm doubtful it does) it's not worth it to me to go through a bunch of extra fooey to get an additional shave out of a 20 cent blade.
I tend to change razors often as well, but I leave the blade in most of them. I looked, and it seems I take the blade out of my early Single Rings and my EJ, all the rest have nice, sharp blades in them. I suppose that's why I have a difficult time determining how many shaves I get from a single blade. My biggest problem comes from the fact that I usually have a few blades laying about. I tend to pop open my blade bank to grab a dull blade or five to do utility cutting jobs around the house, and then I have a few ultra dull blades, and when I see a blade sitting out, I don't want to chance that it's a well used blade, so it goes in the bank. I'm also a bit paranoid about the edge of the blades. I am exceedingly careful when I pull a new blade from it's wrapper to make sure that the edge of the blade doesn't touch the wrapper. When they do, I don't trust the edge anymore.
With my straights it's a different story entirely as far as what I do after, but this is about disposables.
