GROOMING

How To Sharpen A Razor

By Philip Yiga | May 22, 2015

Purchasing razor-blades or shavers that contain razors can be expensive and monotonous. The fact is that a razor-blade lasts for a few weeks to a month depending on its quality and how it’s maintained. In fact, when a razor becomes dull you will easily notice that it get you a very good shave whereby some stubble will be left and the razor-blade will also begin to pull the skin rather than cutting the hairs on it. On the other hand, razor-blades are made of normal steel with a carbon content of about 0.6-percent or more and some blades are made from rust-resistant. However, razors made of carbon steel are much easier to sharpen although they are a little brittle, liable to chipping and can even get stained or rusty. Blades made for rust-resistant chromium steel longer to sharpen but they tend to retain their sharpness for longer and even their cutting-edges are less vulnerable to chipping and other forms of damage. All in all, there are several ways you use to sharpen your razor but below is the simplest method you can use to sharpen and extend the life of your razor-blade.

Get a pair of old-jeans: begin by looking for a pair of old jeans that you are no longer using and then place the jean on a flat surface. However, make sure that the pair of jeans is clean enough so that it does not clog your razor with dirt.

Ensure that the razor-blade is dry: clean your razor and then thoroughly dry it using a dry-cloth. After, run the razor-blade down the pair of jeans for about 10-15 times but at a quick pace for best results.

Switch the directions and continue running the blade up the jean leg quickly for 10-15 times. This will ensure that both edges of the razor-blade are well-sharpened for best results.

Don’t press too hard while sharpening: try not to press too hard when sharpening your razor because this may end-up tearing the jeans. Simply apply little pressure when sharpening your razor but you should try to be quick in order to create more friction which is required to sharpen the razor edges.

Position the top of your razor in the direction you are rubbing the shaver on the pair of jeans: this actually means that you should point the razor other way so that the blades can glide gently over your jeans but avoid cutting them.

Repeat the sharpening process: in case the razor-blade is still dull, perform more sharpening strokes either way on the jeans until you achieve the desired sharpness. Afterwards, wash your razor and the dry it thoroughly and also keep your old pair of jeans because you will need to use it after sometime when razor becomes blunt again.

OTHER METHODS THAT CAN BE USED TO SHARPEN A RAZOR:

HONING: this type of sharpening a razor involves using a stone to sharpen a razor or straight-razor and if you actually use the right sharpening technique, you will achieve very good results. The major importance of honing is to create a nice cutting edge angle blade section directly adjacent to it. Additionally, relief can be achieved by honing while using a secondary angle on the stone until a burr appears and afterwards create a primary sharpening-angle which is a bit greater than the secondary in order to remove burr but also ensure that both angles are under 25-degress for perfect results.

GRINDING: grinding is usually done using machines such as grinding machines. Grinding involves moving the straight razor-blade between two wheels. After grinding, the blade will be machine-honed on the side of a moving wheel in the direction of the edge but not towards it until a burr appears. This is simply done with a cutting-angle without the back touching the wheel. On the second honing-wheel, the burr will be removed with the cutting-angle determined by the back. Additionally, water is used on both wheels while sharpening the blade. In conclusion, you should know that the principle of grinding any razor or knife is meant to restore the shape of the blade depending on its grind-type which can be hollow, flat or transitional.

TIPS TO CONSIDER WHILE SHARPENING A RAZOR:

You should know that sharpening a razor will only keep your blade for sharp for some limited time but will not keep it in that condition for years. This implies that you have to replace razor-blade for at least 3-times a year and this is not that expensive.

There are several ways of sharpening a razor according to the type of shaver you are using. for example, a safety-razor or disposable-razor can be sharpened using a pair of old jeans, a straight-razor can be sharpened by honing and grinding but with an electric-shaver, there is no way you can sharpen the blades and this means that you only have to replace the shaving-head after a given period of time. However, some electric-shavers have self-sharpening blades and this good feature since you never have to worry about the blade sharpness.

Always keep your razor dry in order to prevent it from becoming rusty because this practically reduces on its sharpness and longevity. So it’s recommended to use a dry cloth to remove any water on your razor after washing it and you should even avoid storing your razor in places that can build-up moisture in order to eliminate rusting.

WARNINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SHARPENING A RAZOR:

Try as much as you can not to cut yourself while sharpening a razor. This is only possible by taking extra care and attention as you sharpen your razor-blade. Additionally, try to be patient during the sharpening process because rushing is the major cause of injuries or accidents.

In case the razor becomes rusty and completely blunt, then just purchase a new one for best results. If you insist on using a rusty and blunt razor, then just expect to experience skin-irritations while shaving like cuts, bumps and nicks.

Lastly, try to dispose-off old razors properly because if you just throw them anywhere on the floor, then you or someone else may accidentally step on this razor get cut which is not good. In fact, rusty razors can lead to serious complication hence you should dispose them properly like wrapping them in a piece on paper and after throw them in a rubbish-bin.