Flipping the blade

I thought I saw a thread about this, but I just can't find it.
So... should you turn the blade to the other side after a couple of shaves, or is it all the same?

Makes no difference, it's all the same.

In my personal opinion, removing the blade from the razor increases the chance that you ding up and dull your blade, and also increases the chances of a cut.

When a lumberjack is chopping down trees and the ax starts to get dull, do they swap over to the other side?
How about a chef preparing meals - he doesn't reverse his knife to get more life out of an edge.

An edge is an edge - it's the apex of two sides. The cutting is done at the intersection of the two sides, not one side or the other.

But there will those who will disagree and suggest that anectdotal evidence supports their theory.

the only reason i could think of this doing ANYTHING would be for smoothness

Gamad said:

I thought I saw a thread about this, but I just can't find it.
So... should you turn the blade to the other side after a couple of shaves, or is it all the same?

Click to expand...

LOL! I really was kidding when I commented last night about this being "topic of the day" and the same thing being tomorrow's topic

luvmysuper said:

But there will those who will disagree and suggest that anectdotal evidence supports their theory.

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They also store their razors on magnets

As I believe to be true..flipping the blade CAN make a difference...so can palm stropping..vid on youtube

Gamad said:

I thought I saw a thread about this, but I just can't find it.
So... should you turn the blade to the other side after a couple of shaves, or is it all the same?

Click to expand...

Was it one of these?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/294720-Do-you-flip-the-DE-blade
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/266412-Flipping-the-blade
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/281290-Do-you-flip-the-blade-after-use
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/272357-Flip-the-blade-over
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/82953-Flipping-the-Blade
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/148700-Flip-the-blade-over
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/110145-Do-you-flip-the-blade-in-a-DE-razor
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...flipping-quot-the-blade-over-in-your-DE-razor
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/91949-Flip-The-Blade-Over
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/263291-Should-I-flip-my-blades
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/105666-Do-you-ever-flip-your-blade-over
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/159225-flip-blade

Just hold your razor upside down.

I tried that but catching it then slamming it on the back of my hand and calling "HEADS" just seemed kinda foolish.

How I just wave my hand across it and command BE SHARP

Works for me but YMMV

For all intents and purposes, an edge is 2d... Flipping it can't do a thing.

Blades are cheap and are only used a few times anyway. When in doubt, toss and use a new one. Your face will appreciate it.

Blades are cheap and are only used a few times anyway. When in doubt, toss and use a new one. Your face will appreciate it.

Click to expand...

+1

BTW: Tom, I thought your old tagline "Enjoy every sandwich" was just about brilliant. Not sure why, it just struck me as profound.

smalltank said:

As I believe to be true..flipping the blade CAN make a difference...so can palm stropping..vid on youtube

Click to expand...

No....it can't, for all of the reasons Phil mentioned. Palm stropping is a different topic, but again, I won't risk cutting my palm.

Flipping only works if you religiously follow the numbering convention on the blade, flipping from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 etc.

Kramerica said:

+1

BTW: Tom, I thought your old tagline "Enjoy every sandwich" was just about brilliant. Not sure why, it just struck me as profound.

Click to expand...

That was my tribute to my mother in law who died of cancer last year, credit for it goes to the late, great Warren Zevon who also died of cancer.

rwdflynavy said:

Flipping only works if you religiously follow the numbering convention on the blade, flipping from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 etc.

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it has to be done in the same manner as rotating tires.

There is a suggestion as to why flipping a blade might work, and it is due to the shallow angle at which the blade meets the face. The suggestion is that the shallow shaving angle is likely to deform the blade edge predominantly in one direction (as opposed to, say, a kitchen knife that cuts perpendicular), and so flipping it will re-align it similar to the way stropping re-aligns a blade edge.

In theory I guess that might be plausible, but in reality I've noticed no difference when I've tried it - though admittedly I haven't properly tested it.

I've flipped lots of blades -- with my middle finger, that is -- and it didn't make any of them shave better.

cb91710 said:

They also store their razors on magnets

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Or in pyramids for that matter . I was sure you wouldn't forget the magnet storage...

Someone should compile a book of all the things that make perfect sense but turn out to not be of value.

Rick Blaine said:

Someone should compile a book of all the things that make perfect sense but turn out to not be of value.

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Like the Kardashians?