Well, I'm going for "odd man out," here. Most blades are coated. I assume that they are coated on both sides. The companies often tell us not to "wipe" the blade as it may damage the coating. So is it not reasonable to assume that while flipping the blade does not give you a new cutting edge, it may give you a new "coated" edge?
This may be true, but I change my blade once a week on Saturdays, 7 days, 7 great shaves. For the price of these blades, who could ask for more?
There's a forum here where guys are getting 30, 40, 50 and more shaves per blade. You should ask them if they flip.
There's a forum here where guys are getting 30, 40, 50 and more shaves per blade. You should ask them if they flip.
I flip after every shave. Not sure it makes a difference because blades, as a rule, dont last me long anyway, but it makes me feel better. I've been sharpening knives for over 40 years and the idea does have merit. On a knife blade, or axe, or ect, its called a "wire edge" that builds up on the off side edge from to many honing passes on one side. It will get to a point where after so many honing passes, that wire edge will break or roll right off the blade, leaving the edge blunt and jagged.
It gives a new coated bevel which in theory would glide easier across the skin. Also on an extended use the bevels get polished so should help the blade glide.
I don't see any benefit of flipping the blade.
Nope. No need. 
I don't see a benefit. It's not like a knife edge because a DE blade is very thin. Nothing to gain from it.
As I said, not sure it helps my shaves at this stage, but it does have merit.
Wire Edge
"Alternating sides - straight razors
In order to make this explanation clear, I am switching for a moment from sharpening a plane iron (or a chisel), tools that are often regarded as being sharpened only from one side, to tools that are sharpened from both sides: knives or straight razors.
Most knives and all straight razors are sharpened from both sides. Some knife sharpening systems sharpen both sides of a knife at once, drawing the knife between two possibly rotating abrasive surfaces. During manufacture, the concave sides of a straight razor are produced by drawing the straight razor between two spinning abrasive wheels. Most straight razor honing systems use flat abrasives and alternate sides, applying exactly the same process to one side as the other.
Thinking of a razor then, working from one side has produced a wire edge. Flipping the razor over and honing with the same abrasive at the same angle will bend the existing wire edge but will also continue creating the wire edge, from the other side. Some of the existing wire edge may break off, but wire edge formation continues.
If the wire edge was created while you were using, for example, a 15 micron abrasive, then honing one side then the other may remove some or most of the wire edge. However, the scratches right up to the edge are the same. That means that the damage to the steel and the loss of crystal structure is the same, even after the wire edge breaks off.
With straight razors, leaving any wire edge has much worse consequences than for plane irons - the wire edge will scratch."
Wire Edge
"Alternating sides - straight razors
In order to make this explanation clear, I am switching for a moment from sharpening a plane iron (or a chisel), tools that are often regarded as being sharpened only from one side, to tools that are sharpened from both sides: knives or straight razors.
Most knives and all straight razors are sharpened from both sides. Some knife sharpening systems sharpen both sides of a knife at once, drawing the knife between two possibly rotating abrasive surfaces. During manufacture, the concave sides of a straight razor are produced by drawing the straight razor between two spinning abrasive wheels. Most straight razor honing systems use flat abrasives and alternate sides, applying exactly the same process to one side as the other.
Thinking of a razor then, working from one side has produced a wire edge. Flipping the razor over and honing with the same abrasive at the same angle will bend the existing wire edge but will also continue creating the wire edge, from the other side. Some of the existing wire edge may break off, but wire edge formation continues.
If the wire edge was created while you were using, for example, a 15 micron abrasive, then honing one side then the other may remove some or most of the wire edge. However, the scratches right up to the edge are the same. That means that the damage to the steel and the loss of crystal structure is the same, even after the wire edge breaks off.
With straight razors, leaving any wire edge has much worse consequences than for plane irons - the wire edge will scratch."
I flip every shave. I have had more consistent blade performance and more good shaves per blade since I started doing so. The most plausible explanation I have is extended coating life. When we shave, it stands to reason that we wear down the PTFE coating on one side faster than the other. So, flipping balances that coating wear and extends blade life.
I have an additional hypothesis. I suspect that as a blade cuts, the hairs apply lateral force to the edge, causing minute deformations. Those deformations would always, or nearly always, be towards the face. By flipping, those deformations will be more balanced and the edge will stay straighter, longer.
I have an additional hypothesis. I suspect that as a blade cuts, the hairs apply lateral force to the edge, causing minute deformations. Those deformations would always, or nearly always, be towards the face. By flipping, those deformations will be more balanced and the edge will stay straighter, longer.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
If I'm going to do all that work I'll just toss and install new
Interesting info. I am not sure it helps either, but when the blade has numbering, i also tend to flip. Cause, it can't hurt, can it...
It can't hurt but I'm not sure if it helps. The DE blade is very thin. Most of this theory may not be true.
I realize that, but if it doesn't hurt, then it's fine for me, since i remove the blade after each shave anyway. So it's not some extra pass i have to do.
The more steps, the more fun for our hobby. Ha! Ha!
A straight razors edge is just as fine, if not even finer, and proper honing and stropping is a must for a close comfortable shave with one. A DE blade is no different in that regard.
I can see it being an advantage to someone thats capable of using that advantage, but it certainly isnt me with a DE blade yet.
I see what you mean, but i am not hardcore about shaving. For example, i bought Weishis and EJDE89s, because i wanted to have a razor from each "type", but fact is, the 3 piece annoys the hell out of me, because of all the extra time to load, unload and clean the razor. I don't see me buying 3-piece ever again.
