A resting blade

**Huxley** · 04-03-2010, 09:34 AM

Is it natural for an edge to settle down and become sharper/smoother after say 24 hours, im finding this after i've given them either a good honing or stropping.

My razor currently feels sharper than ever.

**Sputnik** · 04-03-2010, 10:11 AM

This is normal because the edge "grows". That is exactly why it is not recommended to use the same razor within 24 hours.

Originally Posted by Huxley

Is it natural for an edge to settle down and become sharper/smoother after say 24 hours, im finding this after i've given them either a good honing or stropping.

My razor currently feels sharper than ever.

**82R100** · 04-03-2010, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Sputnik

This is normal because the edge "grows". That is exactly why it is not recommended to use the same razor within 24 hours.

I'd like pictures of this phenomenon.

- Chris

**Huxley** · 04-03-2010, 10:28 AM

Ok so what about stropping after shaving, one might argue that the blade needs drying but yet a lot of advise says otherwise, is this a big can of worms i've just opened?

**mainaman** · 04-03-2010, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Huxley

Is it natural for an edge to settle down and become sharper/smoother after say 24 hours, im finding this after i've given them either a good honing or stropping.

My razor currently feels sharper than ever.

you are refining the edge more with further stropping, there is difference between sharp and smooth. You are improving on the smooth imo.

**Antique Hoosier** · 04-03-2010, 10:33 AM

I use the same straight razor daily with no growth issues or ill effects. I strop 20 laps on cloth side after each shave post a wipe of blade, tang, and scales with a towel. Next day stropped 30 times on cloth/50 on Latigo. I intend on using the same razor for the remainder of 2010 daily use. (hopefully)

**Huxley** · 04-03-2010, 10:34 AM

Well it was very sharp prior to my shaving so perhaps it just needed a rest.

**mainaman** · 04-03-2010, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Huxley

Well it was very sharp prior to my shaving so perhaps it just needed a rest.

this just does not make sense, rest from what?
the blade was not heated to high temperatures to cause any structural change in the crystal lattice of the metal that requires rest to get in the initial state.
I am not sure but it sounds lie you are saying that just by sitting the blade gets smoother or sharper?

**Sputnik** · 04-03-2010, 12:03 PM

Please contact/PM Seraphim to get the pictures: I think he has access to the electronic microscope.

Originally Posted by 82R100

I'd like pictures of this phenomenon.

- Chris

**JPM** · 04-03-2010, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by 82R100

I'd like pictures of this phenomenon.

- Chris

I'm with you, I want to see the pictures.

**Luc** · 04-03-2010, 01:30 PM

I also thing that your blade will become smoother with time...

**Magruder** · 04-03-2010, 03:02 PM

Is there any evidence for this?

I'll recant if I see that I'm wrong, but this sounds like bunk to me. Did old time barbers let their blades rest for a day between shaves?

**Seraphim** · 04-03-2010, 03:07 PM

Did your face also rest longer than 24 hours between shaves?

**jzono1** · 04-03-2010, 09:35 PM

What's the psychoacoustics equivalent for straight razor honing?

Perceived sharpness is affected by your mind.

We could study it scientifically, but where would one find a statistically significant number of straight razor users willing to suffer 0-48 hours of voluntary coma just to check if straight razor edge resting is a real phenomena, or just a trick of the mind?

**Huxley** · 04-04-2010, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Did your face also rest longer than 24 hours between shaves?

Tends to vary, i just did a regular sharpness test, but i will be shaving late tomorrow as i want the skin to heal from all the shaving i've been doing of late.

**CraigJ** · 04-04-2010, 09:32 AM

Growing metal. Let me get this right. If I buy say a Honda civic how long will it take to turn into a humvee?

**luvmysuper** · 04-04-2010, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by CraigJ

Growing metal. Let me get this right. If I buy say a Honda civic how long will it take to turn into a humvee?

Oh, it works all right, but you must sprinkle some of this on the blade first, and say the proper incantations.

**TyJayden** · 04-04-2010, 03:09 PM

Sounds a little off to me, but this isn't the first time I've heard of such things. I'd be interested to see empirical evidence.

**huntmol** · 04-04-2010, 04:13 PM

I'm pretty sure that the "let your blade rest" myth came from manufacturers wanting you to buy more than one blade, similar to today's "when the blue strip turns white, buy another $2.99 5-blade cartridge!"