What is your corking technique?

[Methuselah]

Short scenario is.....

I didn't shave for a couple of days and now I feel like having a good comfortable shave and I have the time for it. I'm in no hurry whatsoever and looking forward to it. Everything is prepared, I decide to install a new blade one I haven't tried before.
My face is lathered, razor in hand I begin to shave, first few Strokes are so irritating, blade is pulling along my skin it nearly hurts. I feel sad that my blade isn't doing what I hoped it would, experience tells me that I know the blade must have the tiniest small amount of a leftover wire Edge on the blade that is causing the irritation.
I set the razor down and rinse off my face. I remove the razor blade from my Razor and take out my wine bottle cork and ever so lightly drag the razor blade Edge maybe only 1/64 of an inch of the tip of the razor across the cork the full length of the blade and turn it over and do the same to the other side. I returned the razor blade into my Razor. I lather my face up again and begin to shave. Now I recognize how smoothly the razor Glides through my whiskers with no agitation or irritation.
End of scenario.....

So that's my corking technique and I use it these days on every blade previous to installing it in my Razor no matter who the maker.
I used to wonder if it was dulling the blade at all but anymore I don't think it does as I only move the blade through the cork with enough pressure to remove any possible frays or wire edges and certainly I don't push the blade in very deep at all as I said, barely 1/64 of an inch.
So these days I pretty much always get an irritation free shave from that first shave on a new blade rather than waiting for that blade to break in for 2 days or two shaves.

So do you cork your blades ever?
Or do you have some other technique?

Thank you.

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[Ricksplace]

Corking generates almost as much controversy as Williams soap!
After reading a ridiculously long thread regarding corking blades, I tried it. Using the same method as you do, I dragged the blade across the cork only deep enough to cover the edge ( not nearly as deep as your pic shows). I used real cork (I make wine). I found that it worked well on one of the blades in my rotation. I don't bother to cork any of my other blades. Try it. If you like the results, keep doing it.

 

[TheVez2]

Personally, I feel that actual corks, be it rubber or cork, are too harsh on a blade. And will do more harm than good. You are just looking to knock down any stray microscopic defects on the blade. Corking through Styrofoam, is much better for that.

That said, I tried it, never saw any noticeable improvement, and abandoned the practice.

 

[musicman1951]

I like this style. I know there are fancier openers, but this one never fails. I put the corkscrew in pretty deep, but not deep enough to break through the bottom of the cork. Then I use the first level to pry the cork out partially, followed by moving to the second level to remove it completely.

My re-corking technique formerly was to just shove the cork back in the bottle about half way, but now I use smaller bottles for any left over wine (so there is little to no air in the bottle).

Works for me.

I did enjoy the long bad blade story with the re-lather and successful corking without drawing blood, but I just throw away bad blades. I get one about every 50 blades.

 

[BigJ]

Interesting concept! I just use my blades straight from the wrappers (but then I shave most every day).

 

[bberg100]

I pull the cork, drink the wine, toss the cork.

 

[Cino]

I just twist the cap off the box.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

Any bad blades I encounter go in the bin, and so do old wine bottle corks.

 

[James Collins]

Personally, I feel that actual corks, be it rubber or cork, are too harsh on a blade. And will do more harm than good. You are just looking to knock down any stray microscopic defects on the blade. Corking through Styrofoam, is much better for that.

That said, I tried it, never saw any noticeable improvement, and abandoned the practice.

+1
While I do cork, I only use the softest ones I can find. The goal is to remove grit or dust acquired on the blade, not mess up the coatings.

 

[Dan-O]

Would hand stropping be as effective?

 

[Methuselah]

I use smaller bottles for any left over wine (so there is little to no air in the bottle).

Here's a technique for keeping the air out of your wine bottle.
Wash and sterilize a bunch of marbles that are small, fill your bottle with enough marbles to increase the volume of the fluid to the top of the neck of the wine bottle.

 

[Methuselah]

You are just looking to knock down any stray microscopic defects on the blade. Corking through Styrofoam, is much better for that.

Excellent point, I'll try it your way I'm sure the styrofoam is enough.

 

[Methuselah]

After reading a ridiculously long thread regarding corking blades, I

I've read other guys threads on occasion that are a lot longer than I anticipated. So I wanted to write one that was ridiculously long apparently. I was just having fun.

 

[Methuselah]

Would hand stropping be as effective?

I tried that one morning.
I will never try that again.
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[Bhugo]

Where do you guys get corks? Wine comes with twist off caps and in boxes here....

 

[Bhugo]

Here's a technique for keeping the air out of your wine bottle.
Wash and sterilize a bunch of marbles that are small, fill your bottle with enough marbles to increase the volume of the fluid to the top of the neck of the wine bottle.

That’s smart!

 

[Methuselah]

Where do you guys get corks? Wine comes with twist off caps and in boxes here....

I did some maintenance at a bar a couple years ago that's where I got this cork.

 

[Methuselah]

That’s smart!

Plus it's just cool.....


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[ajkel64]

I have thought about it when I had a similar experience with a new blade. The only problem was that I didn't have a cork. I have read the pros and the cons and I suppose until try it for myself I won't know if it works.

 

[Razorcan]

So do you cork your blades ever?

Νever ever, why mess with a perfectly new blade that will never be as sharp as the first time I use it?

Or do you have some other technique?

I do: I put the blade in the razor and simply shave....