'Resting' a blade?

**jamesbeat** · 01-24-2009, 03:59 PM

Someone mentioned this in another thread and it reminded me to ask.
What's the deal with 'resting' a blade for a day, or two days or whatever?

I have read that this allows the blade's edge to realign itself or some such nonsense.

To me, this sounds like a load of absolute baloney, along the same lines as lining the blade up with magnetic north, or putting it under a pyramid shaped object to keep it sharp.

The weird thing is, I still see this advice repeated on websites selling shaving equipment and suchlike. Is there any scientific basis whatsoever for this?

**TstebinsB** · 01-24-2009, 04:03 PM

There are many threads on the subject already. There is no need to rest the razor.

**jamesbeat** · 01-24-2009, 04:19 PM

Yes, I did try to search, but 'rest' is such a common word i didn't come up with much.

Strange that this myth perpetuates even nowadays

**TstebinsB** · 01-24-2009, 04:35 PM

I've looked through many old magazines on stropping and maintaining an edge. They all point to proper stropping. If an edge is to be maintained, especially if you're using one razor over and over, your stropping has to be on point. That's what makes the difference.

Since this topic is still coming up, I may post pages from those magazines.

**ndw76** · 01-24-2009, 04:58 PM

I don't think it is necessary, but it is a good excuse to buy more razors.

**northpaw** · 01-24-2009, 05:08 PM

When a blade rests, very slight corrosion occurs along the cutting edge, since it's impossible to completely dry this finely serrated area. Research has shown that the corrosion gently encourages the microscopic teeth to...to....ah, heck with it. Yeah, it's baloney.

**TstebinsB** · 01-24-2009, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by northpaw

When a blade rests, very slight corrosion occurs along the cutting edge, since it's impossible to completely dry this finely serrated area. Research has shown that the corrosion gently encourages the microscopic teeth to...to....ah, heck with it. Yeah, it's baloney.

**BarbeForte** · 01-25-2009, 11:02 AM

Well don't you guys know that wearing magnetic shoes while shaving will increase your efficiency by [the position of the sun * .05% ] + month of year/5 ???

**mmack66** · 01-25-2009, 11:10 AM

Wait. Putting a razor blade in a pyramid is baloney?

**BarbeForte** · 01-25-2009, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by mmack66

Wait. Putting a razor blade in a pyramid is baloney?

It depends. A blade has two sides. A pyramid four. So if you shave everyday with two razors, it is 2 x 2 = 4 = pyramid.

Else, no pyramid.

**jamesbeat** · 01-25-2009, 02:38 PM

I read about the pyramid thing years ago in a fantastic book that I had called 'The Rudiments of Wisdom'.
It was a sort of light hearted cartoon encyclopedia and had all sorts of useless facts and experiments.

The good news is that it is now online, so here, for your viewing pleasure, is the chapter on shaving:

http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/pages/shaving.htm

If you click on the link at the top of the page, you can access the whole book. Kept me amused for hours

**ndw76** · 01-25-2009, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by jamesbeat

I read about the pyramid thing years ago in a fantastic book that I had called 'The Rudiments of Wisdom'.
It was a sort of light hearted cartoon encyclopedia and had all sorts of useless facts and experiments.

The good news is that it is now online, so here, for your viewing pleasure, is the chapter on shaving:

http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/pages/shaving.htm

If you click on the link at the top of the page, you can access the whole book. Kept me amused for hours

That bit in your link about commercial disposable razors being coated with PFTE is just another example of why it is better to shave with a straight.

**dpm802** · 01-25-2009, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by TstebinsB

I've looked through many old magazines on stropping and maintaining an edge. They all point to proper stropping. If an edge is to be maintained, especially if you're using one razor over and over, your stropping has to be on point. That's what makes the difference.

I think the "resting" is more for the shaver's benefit than for that of the razor.

Since maintaining a straight-edge can be a time and labor intensive task, it is often easier to do several blades at one time rather than going through the ritual every single day for one razor.

Many old razors were sold in sets of seven, with labels for each day of the week. This was so that the user could set aside one hour or so, one day a week, to maintain his razors, instead of 20 minutes per day. The savings in time are obvious, and was much more convenient.

**NFlames** · 01-25-2009, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by BarbeForte

Well don't you guys know that wearing magnetic shoes while shaving will increase your efficiency by [the position of the sun * .05% ] + month of year/5 ???

Dammit now I gotta tell SWMBO that I need magnetic shoes to shave too!

**cybrok** · 01-25-2009, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by jamesbeat

To me, this sounds like a load of absolute baloney, along the same lines as lining the blade up with magnetic north, or putting it under a pyramid shaped object to keep it sharp.

Got it.

Of course if you don't shave everyday with the razor it won't get dull as fast, but it's only because you use it less.

Nothing else there.

**sergio** · 01-26-2009, 09:44 AM

It is indeed baloney, a barber will strop and shave with the same blade 30 customers a day....i am sure he didnt have 60 razors in rotation....a barber would have needed 3 assistants to keep things moving smoothly.
For sure the rumor was some early marketing scheme to get people to buy more razors.I have no doubt.