Today I will test the old saying, “there are no stupid questions...”

[Ted Danson]

Hello all. In my search to better understand my shaves, I spend a lot of time reading what the members here post about. And I found myself not understanding some the lingo, phrases, etc. So today I will test the old saying, “there are no stupid questions.”

• When people say blade feel, what does that mean exactly?
• Why does blade gap matter?
• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?

EXAMPLE: I recently got a Rex Ambassador. When I shave with it, I feel like I am cutting my face with the razor – more of a scraping of the face. While I have tried a couple of different blades, it is not gotten any better. Using the same blade, same lather, I tried mid-shave my Fatboy and it was a 1000x smoother – i.e. no scraping. I would like to be able to articulate that and also understand WHY this is happening.


My goal in this post if to get my questions answered but also allow others to ask questions that they feel they should know, but don’t.

Thanks for your time - Erik

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I can answer the third part of your question. I use one blade at a time and between uses I dry it and keep it on my window sill beneath a brass dice I made in school metalwork class 45 years ago. The number on the dice shown how many shaves are on the blade. When I get to six the blade is disposed of.

 

[MrSpeedy]

• When people say blade feel, what does that mean exactly?
  Usually this refers to how smooth the blade feels. Some are smoother than others. Often this has to do with how sharp the blade is, but not always.
• Why does blade gap matter?
  More blade gap = more aggressive; less blade gap = less aggressive
• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?
  I leave it in the razor. Usually I dry it and the razor off with a towel. I've heard of people dunking it in rubbing alcohol. The idea being that the alcohol repels the water.
  
  If your razor feels like it is scraping your face your angle is wrong; likely too steep.

 

[Ridpath]

I can answer the third part of your question. I use one blade at a time and between uses I dry it and keep it on my window sill beneath a brass dice I made in school metalwork class 45 years ago. The number on the dice shown how many shaves are on the blade. When I get to six the blade is disposed of.

View attachment 1093160

That is...incredibly creative and organised. I’m currently working towards 3 sets of razors/brushes to work into a rotation!

Paul

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

I have not used many razors, so please accept this as merely my experience, nothing more.

YQ: When people say blade feel, what does that mean exactly?
MA: It's just like you said, more blade feel is exactly that, you can really feel that blade on your face. For me, I need to feel the blade for it to work efficiently for me....from my limited experience experience with razors. If I can't feel it, that means I have to keep going over the same spot over and over and over and that's when I get serious irritation. I would love to find a razor that has minimal blade feel, yet that doesn't require me to go over the same tough spots several times. Since I am budget oriented and fear change, I just stay with what is working although has lots of blade feel: my RR GC 84 JAWS

YQ: Why does blade gap matter?
MA: I have no idea, except to speculate it requires a less precise angle and lets the blade get closer.

YQ: When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?
MA: I leave it in the razor, just rinse the razor well, pat it dry, and leave it on the shelf for the next use.

 

[Tallships]

Hello all. In my search to better understand my shaves, I spend a lot of time reading what the members here post about. And I found myself not understanding some the lingo, phrases, etc. So today I will test the old saying, “there are no stupid questions.”

• When people say blade feel, what does that mean exactly?
• Why does blade gap matter?
• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?

EXAMPLE: I recently got a Rex Ambassador. When I shave with it, I feel like I am cutting my face with the razor – more of a scraping of the face. While I have tried a couple of different blades, it is not gotten any better. Using the same blade, same lather, I tried mid-shave my Fatboy and it was a 1000x smoother – i.e. no scraping. I would like to be able to articulate that and also understand WHY this is happening.


My goal in this post if to get my questions answered but also allow others to ask questions that they feel they should know, but don’t.

Thanks for your time - Erik

1-You say it feels like blade is scraping.
check the difference in head trajectory between Rex and Fatboy , they may be different, you may need more or less angle when shaving- ride the cap.
2-Blade gap- part of the equation of how mild or aggressive a razor is.
3-What I do with blade.
I rinse blade and pat dry, wash razor and dry put blade back in razor and hang on its hook till next use

Also if I feel the blade while I'm shaving, The blade is too dull or improper angle while shaving, most of the time I don't feel the blade while shaving. The perfect blade combination for me is either a Wilkinson Sword or an Astra SP in any of my Gillette adjustables

 

[jmudrick]

Blade feel I believe is a function of the combined effect of exposure and rigidity/flex.

Some people like it some don't. I prefer to feel and hear what the blade is doing rather than not.

Gap enlarges the range of possible shaving angles and in some razors may allow for more consistent blade to skin contact for a given exposure.

When done i put used blades on a magnetic stand where I track number of shaves.

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk

 

[mumB_L_E]

I think you're great in Curb Your Enthusiasm, so I'll take a stab...

• When people say blade feel, what does that mean exactly? How a given brand of blade feels gliding across your face OR how much blade you feel when using a given razor.
• Why does blade gap matter? I am sure one of the engineers can provide a meatier answer, but I'm pretty sure the blade gap helps determine the appropriate shaving angle for a given razor.
• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again? I simply leave the blade in my razor, loosen the head a little bit to rinse, spritze a little isopropyl alcohol on the head, and hang the razor up to dry.

Regarding your example, it seems like your shaving angle is way off. I have no experience with the Rex Ambassador, and am not sure whether it is safer to start from a steep or shallow angle.

 

[Atlantic59]

Blade feel:

Perhaps best explained by analogy to driving a car. A razor with blade feel is like a sports car. A razor without much blade feel is like a big, old Chrysler Imperial land barge. With a sports car, you can feel through the steering wheel and the seat of your pants what the car is doing. This helps you drive better. With the Chrysler, you just sort of guide the car along, but feel totally isolated from the road like you are riding a flying carpet. You just try to keep the car between the lines on the road as you float along.

If you can feel the edge of the blade on your skin, this helps you to know how well it is cutting, if the angle is good, how much pressure you need to apply, etc.

Blade gap:

What matters in terms of efficiency is really blade exposure. That is, how far the blade's edge extends past an imaginary line drawn between the cap and the guard. The more exposure, the more aggressive the razor feels. A larger exposure also normally leads to a wider effective range of shaving angle. If all other things are equal, more gap leads to more blade exposure and therefore more aggressiveness and a wider range of effective shaving angle.

After the shave:

I think everyone has a litte different routine. I remove the blade, rinse the razor and blade clean, then hang the blade on a magnet on the back of the medicine cabinet door.

 

[Ridpath]

*snip*

After the shave:

I think everyone has a litte different routine. I remove the blade, rinse the razor and blade clean, then hang the blade on a magnet on the back of the medicine cabinet door.

Bit of warning though if you’re gonna leave the blade in the razor - don’t forget about it! My old plated zinc Merkur has a few spots below the cap where it looks like the blade had eaten through the coating (maybe?) and left some brown rust-like residue. I had forgotten to take it out before going on a 4- month trip. Razor still works fine, just doesn’t look as nice.

Not a problem though if you’re vigilant about it, as I’m sure most you are.

 

[jmudrick]

Bit of warning though if you’re gonna leave the blade in the razor - don’t forget about it! My old plated zinc Merkur has a few spots below the cap where it looks like the blade had eaten through the coating (maybe?) and left some brown rust-like residue. I had forgotten to take it out before going on a 4- month trip. Razor still works fine, just doesn’t look as nice.

Not a problem though if you’re vigilant about it, as I’m sure most you are.

My 80s Futur plate is badly eaten away, presume from that misbehavior by a previous owner..

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Whiterook]

I agree that you need to work on the angle with the Rex. I can't say exactly what I do, it just has become second nature. I find the razor to be smooth and efficient. My sweet spot is with the razor set on 2.5. Yours may be 1.2. I adjust up or down depending on the blade. Slow down and take the time to learn the tool.

 

[Atlantic59]

Good blade feel:



No blade feel whatsoever:

 

[Egmont]

Can’t resist a comment.

1. Your questions are not stupid.!.!
2. There certainly are such things as stupid questions. Don’t believe me? Just think back to 8th grade, or your last staff meeting...

Ignorance is normal and can be addressed. It’s more difficult to fix stupid.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dan86]

Great responses to Sammy’s Erik’s questions - Cheers is probably one of the few shows I could bings watch but that’s another story.

I can’t add much more other than to say:

2) When I use my Gillette Wilkinson Sword Classic (new), which I think has the least blade exposure of all my DE razors, it takes far less off than the others during the first pass. It‘s not a bad thing for me, but if I’m honest I prefer the feel and results of a first pass from either my Merkur Futur on setting 5/6 or the Muhle R41.
Also that I have to play around with the angles a lot more for an across or against the growth pass with less blade exposure as it can feel like you’re just pushing away soap/cream with the razor head otherwise.

3) Glad to read others rinse the blade, put it back in the razor, and leave the razor hanging on a stand with a slightly loosened head.

 

[U better shave]

• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?

I remove the blade from the razor and rinse it off under the tap using hot water. Then flick off the excess and place it down on the counter, flip it over when the top is visually dry, then repeat a final time. Return the blade to it's wax wrapper, and mark a dot on it with a sharpie to indicate the number of shaves with it.

Note: This is done while I'm bathing my DE razor parts in warm water and a gentle dish soap, inside a plastic Rubbermaid container, which I then gently scrub down with a soft toothbrush. My brush would also be soaking in warm water with a small amount of white vinegar for 15 minutes.

 

[DocPapi]

One of my students a few years ago: "Will there be any tests in this class?"
Me: You know how they say there are no stupid questions? They were wrong."

Your's, however, was not one of them, and I too have learned some useful things reading the responses.

 

[SuperMax_fan]

The main catches have been outlined but here's what I have to say in regards to the topics :
-blade feel-this is a somewhat subjective parameter that takes into consideration how much can you feel the edge of the blade on your face : smooth gliding with minimal to no blade feel or sensing that you're moving something sharp and potentially unpleasant across your skin? I personally don't like too much blade feel. I just want the razor to glide without feeling the edge (but also cutting efficiently, of course). To me, a lot of blade feel can be the first sign of irritation. Blade feel is determined by blade gap, pressure, angle, type of guard/comb of the razor and also the degree of sensitivity the skin has. Sometimes blade feel can also be increased when using certain blades that have a harsher or more jagged edge, like Feather or Shark Super Chrome, among others.
-blade gap-the amount of space left for the blade's edge between the guard and the cap. The larger the space, the bigger the gap and also the more pronounced blade feel you get and the increase in aggressiveness for the razor. So the first and second question are linked.
-post shave routine for blades and razors-take the blade out, rinse it well on both sides under running water, shake dry and place it back in its wrapper. I never leave a blade inside of a razor after finishing a shave under any circumstances so as not to get rust, which can make a mess of things. Not worth it for a cheap consumable item in my opinion but everybody does what they like. I wouldn't advise anyone though to leave the blade inside, especially for a long period of time.
For the razor routine I rinse it well under running water, wipe it down thoroughly with a towel, assemble back together and store in a protective case with the blade or blades used previously.

 

[Ted Danson]

Thank you everyone who has responded. I have enjoyed reading each response. My big take aways are:
1. I am probably noticing more blade feel on the Rex due to a less than optimal shaving angle for what I consider smooth
2. the Rex most likely has more blade exposure than the Fatboy. Combine that with no. 1 above and I am sensing a lot more aggressiveness in the Rex
3. rinse everything and don;t leave the blade in the razor


Seriously - thanks for taking the time to post your replies.

 

[Leo501]

• When you have finished your shave, what do you do with the blade if you plan on using it again?

Your Q probably relates to users who have many razors and blades, and rotate.

My razor is the steadiest tool in my routine, followed by blade, which I try to reach my shave quota and then move on to something else.

That reflects in my answer. After my shave, I take the razor apart, pour some alcohol on the blade, towel dry the razor parts, re-assemble with the blade, and then place it in my razor stand.