How often do you refresh an edge?

[i_dont_bite]

I have a few vintage straight razors and have found that after about 12 2-pass shaves I need to refresh the edge with CrOx and FeOx or with 1u and 0.3u lapping film. The razors came shave ready from reputable BnB members. After every shave I strop on leather for 30 passes. Is this typical? Any tips on maintaining edge longevity?


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[Proinsias]

My experience is similar but with 0.5u CrOx.

My preference for longevity is a stone.

Being awesome at stropping doesn't hurt.

 

[Earcutter]

That's better than anything I get. I have to hit the pastes way sooner. Every two three shaves maybe?

EDIT: Ok maybe I wouldn't have to. I'm just obsessed with the edge.

 

[GearNoir]

I must be comfortable with a duller edge or I just got lucky with my shave ready vintage. I’m at 22 shaves and counting with my original edge, as received, with stropping of course (minimum of 40 strokes on leather between shaves).

 

[i_dont_bite]

I must be comfortable with a duller edge or I just got lucky with my shave ready vintage. I’m at 22 shaves and counting with my original edge, as received, with stropping of course (minimum of 40 strokes on leather between shaves).

You may not want to push your luck much further. I recently paid with blood for an edge that was overdue for a refresh. After the refresh it was back to glorious shaves. I pushed it and went 2 more shaves then I should have and both were terrible. Irritation and blood. Live and learn. I'm at about 50 shaves, apparently by 100 I will know when to refresh and avoid these circumstances. I'll definitely err on the side of refreshing a bit earlier in the future.

I had a similar experience with the shave ready edge. This demonstrates that a shave ready edge, created by setting the bevel and going through stone progressions will last longer than an edge that's being refreshed over and over again with only finer CrOx/stones/films.


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[lslick23]

Doing 3 pass shaves I’m getting about 6-7 shaves on a razor before it starts tugging on me. I’ve been refreshing on a coticule which is easy and fast.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I go 50 very light laps on LAPPED balsa that has been treated with a very small amount of .1u diamond paste, rubbed in well, after each shave. I never have to rehone a razor unless I ding it on something. An application of about 2 BB's worth of paste on a 12x3 balsa lasts a month or two, then I refresh the balsa, lapping first, if I think it needs it. The secret of course is using an amount that seems not nearly enough, and rubbing it in well.

A properly executed refresh with a good finishing stone or lapping film lasts just as long as an edge began from a fresh bevel set. There is absolutely no need, unless the edge is damaged, to go back to the bevel, ever, if it was done right and if the refresh is performed correctly. Not in theory, nor in practice. Set the bevel on a new razor, a new to you razor, a damaged razor or one you are restoring, and that's it. If you find you need to go back to the coarse stones or films, something is wrong. Even sloppy stropping can be overcome with a good finisher refresh, if you catch it soon enough that it doesn't take a cryptozillion laps.

 

[stone and strop]

You should be able to get at least 25- 30 shaves using a strop (with linen and leather) no pastes.
I would suggest about 60-80 on leather as a minimum and linen used only when leather alone doesn't cut it.

 

[skimonster]

I get about 6-8 shaves, before I do a half dozen laps on my coticule with water, then another dozen with water and a drop or two of soap added. Works like a champ. The touch up takes less time than my normal stropping.

 

[musicman980]

I've been getting around 5-6 shaves using a coticule and leather, but since recently adding linen I'm optimistic about stretching that number much further.

 

[kingfisher]

I go 50 very light laps on LAPPED balsa that has been treated with a very small amount of .1u diamond paste, rubbed in well, after each shave. I never have to rehone a razor unless I ding it on something. An application of about 2 BB's worth of paste on a 12x3 balsa lasts a month or two, then I refresh the balsa, lapping first, if I think it needs it. The secret of course is using an amount that seems not nearly enough, and rubbing it in well.

A properly executed refresh with a good finishing stone or lapping film lasts just as long as an edge began from a fresh bevel set. There is absolutely no need, unless the edge is damaged, to go back to the bevel, ever, if it was done right and if the refresh is performed correctly. Not in theory, nor in practice. Set the bevel on a new razor, a new to you razor, a damaged razor or one you are restoring, and that's it. If you find you need to go back to the coarse stones or films, something is wrong. Even sloppy stropping can be overcome with a good finisher refresh, if you catch it soon enough that it doesn't take a cryptozillion laps.

Could one conceivably achieve the same results by using lapping film after each shave instead of pasted balsa?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Could one conceivably achieve the same results by using lapping film after each shave instead of pasted balsa?

.
No. The .1u diamond is waaaaaay finer than 1u film. The method also increases edge quality over film. Everyday honing on 1u film would cause significant wear over the years. .3 film is infamous for leaving a harsh edge.

If film honing after every shave was near as good as pasted balsa stropping, I wouldn't be messing with pastes and balsa. Fact is, properly set up and properly used lapped and pasted balsa is truly the cats pajamas. I still find it amazing after using it for years now.

 

[Seveneighth]

.
No. The .1u diamond is waaaaaay finer than 1u film. The method also increases edge quality over film. Everyday honing on 1u film would cause significant wear over the years. .3 film is infamous for leaving a harsh edge.

If film honing after every shave was near as good as pasted balsa stropping, I wouldn't be messing with pastes and balsa. Fact is, properly set up and properly used lapped and pasted balsa is truly the cats pajamas. I still find it amazing after using it for years now.

I hope this isn't a stupid question... How do you lap your balsa - sandpaper?

 

[Andy77]

Yes.

Glue thin balsa on an inflexible base (I use polished stone tile) so the strop won’t change shape. Then lay sandpaper on a flat surface like a granite countertop and sand away.

 

[paintflinger]

I've got enough straights that it is not very often. Really, the only time I'm honing is on razors I'd like to sell or when a new stone comes in. Properly honed, I don't find the edge degrades all that quickly.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I hope this isn't a stupid question... How do you lap your balsa - sandpaper?

What Andy said. Glue balsa to base. Then lap on sandpaper glued to very flat surface. For the base, lately I use 3/4" thick acrylic. Read the thread. The thread answers all questions.

 

[Guitar10]

I have 10 straights in total, some are vintage some new there all different for edge longitivity. To me it’s simple as soon the straight start to pull or tug it’s time for a refresh usualy I use my barber hone in combination whit my 12k. That’s my routine but there’s so many ways to refresh, what it count is the results not the method I guess.

 

[steveclarkus]

I use the diamond pasted balsa method after every shave. Just take a couple of minutes then fifty or sixty laps on leather and every thing is ready to go in the morning. Just think, an incredibly sharp razor day after day after day. Boggles the mind doesn't it? And for so little effort to boot.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I have many straight razors in my collection and once properly honed I rarely, if ever, have to freshen them. Proper stropping prior to shaving consists of 20 to 30 laps on a hanging leather strop and 10 laps post shave to ensure the edge is dry. I don't use paste...and I am of the view that paste is not necessary to maintain a good edge. And I don't use linen strops. I believe leather is all you really need. If I was to refresh an edge I would use my Naniwa 12k stone.

 

[Bur_Oak]

I use the diamond pasted balsa method after every shave. Just take a couple of minutes then fifty or sixty laps on leather and every thing is ready to go in the morning. Just think, an incredibly sharp razor day after day after day. Boggles the mind doesn't it? And for so little effort to boot.

+1
I wasn't going to try the diamond pasted balsa method because I believed it couldn't possibly be significantly better than my results with lap film. But I eventually gave the balsa a try (I was just curious about it), and was surprised by how much better the shaves were with the diamond pasted balsa. I honestly did not realize razors could be that sharp. So I'm a convert now. I do exactly what you do - strop on balsa after every shave. It just takes a couple minutes. And now I never have to re-hone a razor maintained by the diamond balsa stropping. LOL, I am totally spoiled now, and could never go back to another method... not after experiencing shaving with the razors stropped on diamond balsa.