Is there any benefit to "flipping" the blade over in your DE razor?
- Thread starter grampi
- Start date
grampi said:
No.
-- John Gehman
A razor blade isn't like a skate blade. There is only one edge on each side, not two. So, no matter what it's orientation is, that same edge still gets dull. There would be no advantage whatsoever to flipping a blade.
Short and sweet ah John....
the question mixed w/ johns answer should be made into a sticky.
- Thread starter
- #6
Makes sense.
Well here I go again, not agreeing with other people. Yes, there is an advantage, but you may or may not notice it.
When a blade gets dull as you shave with it, at least two or three things happen, first, it gets dull, that is, the edge simply gets rounder.
But secondly and maybe even more important, is that the edge of the blade "rolls" away from the direction that you're using it. People who hone knives call this a "burr". You know you've got the knife sharp when you can feel or see the burr.
The third thing that happens is that the edge gets damaged microscopically. You start to get tiny notches, and the blade edge gets wavy, ie. no longer straight. This is why some blades get "rough" after a few shaves. Other blades tend not to get rough, they just get dull. This happens with straight razors as well as DE or SE blades. And that's why straight shavers strop their blades, it's to correct the damage done to the edge of the blade by shaving by straightening out the damage.
If you flip the blade over after say two shaves, you even out the wear, and you may well find that you notice a difference. I do. I also take the blade out of the razor and "strop" it on the palm of my hand. This makes a very noticeable difference with some blades.
And so to answer your question: yes, it makes a difference, it can make a huge difference if you add in hand stropping, but if you toss a blade after say two or three shaves, you may not notice the difference.
When a blade gets dull as you shave with it, at least two or three things happen, first, it gets dull, that is, the edge simply gets rounder.
But secondly and maybe even more important, is that the edge of the blade "rolls" away from the direction that you're using it. People who hone knives call this a "burr". You know you've got the knife sharp when you can feel or see the burr.
The third thing that happens is that the edge gets damaged microscopically. You start to get tiny notches, and the blade edge gets wavy, ie. no longer straight. This is why some blades get "rough" after a few shaves. Other blades tend not to get rough, they just get dull. This happens with straight razors as well as DE or SE blades. And that's why straight shavers strop their blades, it's to correct the damage done to the edge of the blade by shaving by straightening out the damage.
If you flip the blade over after say two shaves, you even out the wear, and you may well find that you notice a difference. I do. I also take the blade out of the razor and "strop" it on the palm of my hand. This makes a very noticeable difference with some blades.
And so to answer your question: yes, it makes a difference, it can make a huge difference if you add in hand stropping, but if you toss a blade after say two or three shaves, you may not notice the difference.
- Thread starter
- #8
same here, going for a 3rd sometimes works, sometimes dosnt, i did get a 4th one time with a glass hone, but when i tried to use the glass hone again, mixed results,
Man,This forum is great! I had wondered about blade flipping myself.
No.
-- John Gehman
change that to Yes
why not? both sides are sharp. get use out of all of it. you dont just eat the fries on top do ya?
Interesting, I am in the process of doing the flipping/non-flipping for a few blades and was going to make an average. I though like Mr. Ontario that when one edge becomes dull it burr and if you flip before you get an high angle, it would start the other way around. However, like it was already discussed, maybe it's giving ourselves too much troubles if you look how much a DE blade costs...
It does mot help in my opinion... Then agsin I am a newb, so what do I know....... I have tried flipping them and I do not see the difference. I have tried stroping them in a piece of cardboard (trick I found on the Emerson Knives website. And yes,I do own a CQC 7 straight edge and LOVE IT (for those who are going to ask) If you don't know, they are the BEST knives in the world period... (I am biased a little in case you have not noticed)
