Razor blades life hack

[Archie_tect]

A #lifehack for everyone who buys multi-bladed replacement #razorblades...

Instead of throwing them away as soon as they're blunt, run the blades upwards on a towel or, even better an old leather belt, away from the cutting edge, four or five few times - this 'strops' the blades and sharpens the blunt blade edges again. Saves you a fortune- just like my grandad sharpening his cut throat razor for his daily shave.

I've been using the same razorblade head for months- all it needs is a 'strop' every few days, even on stubble.... try it!

 

[Salty seadog]

A #lifehack for everyone who buys multi-bladed replacement #razorblades...

Instead of throwing them away as soon as they're blunt, run the blades upwards on a towel or, even better an old leather belt, away from the cutting edge, four or five few times - this 'strops' the blades and sharpens the blunt blade edges again. Saves you a fortune- just like my grandad sharpening his cut throat razor for his daily shave.

I've been using the same razorblade head for months- all it needs is a 'strop' every few days, even on stubble.... try it!

I've wasted money on spare razor blades too, had the same spares in the cupboard for all the years I've had this beard.

 

[Blue Hills]

A #lifehack for everyone who buys multi-bladed replacement #razorblades...

Instead of throwing them away as soon as they're blunt, run the blades upwards on a towel or, even better an old leather belt, away from the cutting edge, four or five few times - this 'strops' the blades and sharpens the blunt blade edges again. Saves you a fortune- just like my grandad sharpening his cut throat razor for his daily shave.

I've been using the same razorblade head for months- all it needs is a 'strop' every few days, even on stubble.... try it!

sorry, can be thick - you run the blade "with its flow", or against?
a vid for the terminally thick ? (me)

 

[tyred]

Use a DE razor and blades cost pennies and are surely more environmentally friendly than all the plastic cartridge things.

 

[accountantpete]

Sort of related - my Wahl hair clippers were getting a bit worn so I looked at some Amazon reviews for a new one and someone took umbrage at the latest cheap model and suggested looking at youtube to service the old pair. After one video on sharpening the blades with fine emery paper and another on zero-gaping the blades and they are better than new.

 

[Blue Hills]

Use a DE razor and blades cost pennies and are surely more environmentally friendly than all the plastic cartridge things.

DE?

 

[tyred]

DE?

A traditional double edged safety razor

 

[Blue Hills]

ta
Fair to assume you use/brave such a thing?
Do you have any recommendations for the body/holder?
Supply of blades?
I usually use Aldi's 5 blade disposables and find them very good.
The price of some "name" things whenever I stray into Sainsburys shock me.

 

[tyred]

ta
Fair to assume you use/brave such a thing?
Do you have any recommendations for the body/holder?
Supply of blades?
I usually use Aldi's 5 blade disposables and find them very good.
The price of some "name" things whenever I stray into Sainsburys shock me.

I do use one and have for at least fifteen years now. I use an old Gillette Tech but they are only available second hand now. Edwin Jagger and Merkur get good reviews nowadays but there are lots of others out there much cheaper. The plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic is still available cheaply in many chemist shops and is a perfectly acceptable razor. I have one but just find a heavier, metal razor nicer to use.

I buy Wilkinson Sword blades in my local chemist (packet of 10 for €3) and Boots stock their own brand. You could buy the blades really cheaply if you buy a bulk order from somewhere online.

There is a learning curve to use one of these but with practice you can get a really close shave just almost as quickly as you can with the latest Gillette multiblade. The important thing is the angle of the blade.

 

[Archie_tect]

sorry, can be thick - you run the blade "with its flow", or against?
a vid for the terminally thick ? (me)

Away from the cutting edges!!! ... can't do videos... or perhaps I could try...

 

[Archie_tect]

I do use one and have for at least fifteen years now. I use an old Gillette Tech but they are only available second hand now. Edwin Jagger and Merkur get good reviews nowadays but there are lots of others out there much cheaper. The plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic is still available cheaply in many chemist shops and is a perfectly acceptable razor. I have one but just find a heavier, metal razor nicer to use.

I buy Wilkinson Sword blades in my local chemist (packet of 10 for €3) and Boots stock their own brand. You could buy the blades really cheaply if you buy a bulk order from somewhere online.

There is a learning curve to use one of these but with practice you can get a really close shave just almost as quickly as you can with the latest Gillette multiblade. The important thing is the angle of the blade.

Difficult to strop the edges sharp on the traditional DE blades though... that's the beauty of multi-bladed ones the edges are already set at the cutting angle and are easy to strop sharp again because they are so thin -more like foil blades really.

 

[Alien8]

Or you can just place them in a pyramid ... alledgedly.

 

[AndyRM]

Alternatively, grow a beard.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I don't think running it over a towel will actually 'strop' the blades - partly they are too thin to strop

I have found that the main problem with them is them getting bunged up with hair fragments - running it backward over some fabric will clean the thing up this freeing the blades to work as designed again

I generally buy a new set of blades less than once a year - often a sharp blast of water backwards through the blades from the shower on the narrowest jet and full power - will revive the blades for a few more months

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I do similar, but I run the razor backwards up my forearm after each shave. It works because when razors, sharp knives etc go blunt it's not because the edge has blunted but has rolled over and stropping it rolls the edge back. You don't need to remove metal when sharpening (unless the edge is really bad) just roll the edge back.