Razor blade tip from a barber

While at the antique mall today I bought a razor from a local barber who was running one of the booths. He told me that you can take an old DE blade and rub it along the inside of a glass jar it will resharpen the blade.

Has anyone heard of this or done it?

I told him that my Astra blades were only a dime apiece and I can afford to throw mine away in a sharps box when done.

But it was an interesting tip.

Personally IMHO it doesn't work but the idea is as old as the hills. Even these is you need something else on the counter.

http://www.ecrater.com/p/15282530/1940-mckee-glass-co-safety-razor?gps=1&id=18283950120

I'd imagine it is easier and works better with carbon blades than most stainless ones.

My barber told me that if I read sheep entrails by the light of a full moon under an oak tree I could divine the future.

Boge, that's only on the southern hemisphere.

They're are actually DE razor homes that are little blocks of glass with a curves side for just this purpose.
I've seen them, but never tried

Boge said:

My barber told me that if I read sheep entrails by the light of a full moon under an oak tree I could divine the future.

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Well my barber is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says..


-s

frstplce said:

I'd imagine it is easier and works better with carbon blades than most stainless ones.

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This. I would think most SS blades are too hard for this to do any good. All of the old-timey razor blade sharpeners were all from when carbon-steel blades dominated the market.

I do know that you can touch up a carbon steel knife on the bottom of a ceramic bowl that has an unfinished base. Most European bowls are like that.

I wonder why the ol' barber told you to rub it on the "inside" of the glass jar? Would rubbing it on the outside be any less effective? You'd really need to clean the hell out of that jar, lest your blade (and your face) smell like pickles. Or mayonnaise....

I'm not a barber but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Linedog59 said:

I'm not a barber but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

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Didn't you play one on TV?

When you use the inside of the glass, you can sharpen both edges at the same time. As for carbon steel vs. SS, both can be hardened very hard. With that said, I don't think I would risk a razor cut to save a dime.

Why yes, yes I did.

In a pince, some tradesmen resharpen ( i would not say 'hone') utility blades on any available pane of glass, done it myself and it dresses it up a bit. Sounds like something you 'could' do with shaving razors.. but why?

I can remember my father sharpening 'Gillette' blue blades on the inside of a vegemite jar......Oh yes and there was no vegemite left in the jar just in case you are wondering!

It does work, but I can't do it. I tried, but failed miserably.

However, I had a buddy in the service, back in the 1960s, who used to do this; and his blades lasted him weeks. He used the inside of drinking glass he lifted from the mess hall--no, I haven't seen his photo on the FBI's most-wanted list... yet. He showed me how to use a glass to sharpen a blade, but I never picked up the feel for it. There is a technique or feel for doing this. You should have your barber show you; it'd make a great video for B&B, really.

bluefire said:

I can remember my father sharpening 'Gillette' blue blades on the inside of a vegemite jar......Oh yes and there was no vegemite left in the jar just in case you are wondering!

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Mmm vegemite.
Still prefer marmite though.

Giant Kiwi said:

Mmm vegemite.
Still prefer marmite though.

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Even though I'm surprised at your preference, given the geography involved, I'd have to agree (that said, I'd never kick Vegemite out of bed for eating animal crackers... ).



Great - now I'm hungry



-s

i agree with several other posters here. Using glass to hone DE blades is doable, but not justified by how inexpensive the blades are.

Sure, now I wouldn't. But back in depression times, with carbon blades that didn't last too long and money not going as far I can see why people would do it. In fact, look up jean stropping for Fusion blades. At $4/ea., people are still trying to make expensive blades go further than they were intended even today.