Save a Blade Razor sharpener

Ivan Seeking

Responding to Moonbear: Actually, each blade of a scissor is an effective knife.

Ivan Seeking

Quote by turbo-1

Ah, you need to look for the eclectic razors.

The reason that scissors are only sharpened from one side is that the hollow-cut surfaces (in good scissors, usually) needs to be maintained as-is and not tinkered with, and the friction of one edge rubbing against the other re-aligns the edges, so that if you create a turned edge during sharpening, they are straightened during use.

I'm not sure that is correct, Turbo. Many eons ago I had a job that included sharpening scissors, and after sharpening, the blade was true and clean without any actuation... One difference that comes to mind is that the stone moved into the edge, and not away from it. I guess another big difference is that the scissor are very stiff, whereas the razor blades will likely flex.

The angle was hypercritical as well.

Ivan Seeking

One of the reasons that I mentioned scissors is that I was always a bit perplexed by the fact that the scissor sharpener didn't leave a curled edge.

Moonbear

Well, I've never even had surgical scissors that cut with razor precision as just a single blade.

Quote by Ivan Seeking

The angle was hypercritical as well.

When you have a single blade razor vs 2, 3, 4 blade razors, does the angle of the razor edge change to account for the spacing of the blades or size of the head?

Anyway, I don't know. It might get you a few more uses out of a blade, but when folks are talking about nicks in blades and such, it's not going to help with those. And in a blade as thin and soft as a disposable razor blade, I would think it's the nicks that are more of a problem in limiting the life of the blade (I could be wrong).

turbo

You may be right, Ivan. My wife cut lots of shoe materials for years (mostly supplanted by die-cutting these days) and she used to bring her scissors home for me to sharpen instead of letting the machinists do it. I would clamp each blade in a small vise and use a thin diamond impregnated hone to sharpen them (stroking from the outside of the blade to the inside, where the edges meet). After sharpening, there was a bit more friction between the blades (when cutting nothing), but that eased up quickly and her shears cut well and the sharpening job lasted longer than if the machinists had done it. They had to pay for their own tools, and she was pretty ticked off when her shears and snips came back from the machinists cutting no better than they had when she turned them in.

WarPhalange

I must be doing something wrong. Whenever I shave, I wash my face afterwards and towel it dry, then go do whatever. At no point does a woman start touching my face while I look at the camera like I'm gonna get some tonight.

Sue_Danym

I think the SNL spot you're referring to was from 1975 and it was for a 3 blade razor (The Triple Trac) The slogan was: The Triple-Trac. Because you'll believe anything.

Quote by Ivan Seeking

Well, to be fair, I don't think a safety razor is made that isn't disposable.

I wonder most about how well it works. With the price of blades, which is ridiculous, this may be worth the money.

I saw that they are now making razors with 5 blades. SNL once did a skit that predicted this. The pseudocommercial ended by asking why they would make a five-blade razor. Answer: Because you will believe anything!

...the first blade pulls and stretches the hair, the next one stretches it even farther, the next blade, even farther...

Evo

Quote by WarPhalange

I must be doing something wrong. Whenever I shave, I wash my face afterwards and towel it dry, then go do whatever. At no point does a woman start touching my face while I look at the camera like I'm gonna get some tonight.

All right, you owe me a new keyboard!!

vanesch

Quote by Ivan Seeking

I saw that they are now making razors with 5 blades. SNL once did a skit that predicted this. The pseudocommercial ended by asking why they would make a five-blade razor. Answer: Because you will believe anything!

...the first blade pulls and stretches the hair, the next one stretches it even farther, the next blade, even farther...

I used a 3-blade razor for years (Gilette Mach 3) until I lost mine on a trip, so I went to a local store and bought the latest version, the Gilette Fusion with 5 blades. I don't know if it *shaves* better, but it *feels* much better. It slides very smoothly over the skin, much more so than the 3 blade razor. It was so much nicer, that I decided to keep with this one. Is it because the blade holder is bigger or better designed, I don't know. But there is an objective difference in the smoothness by which you can shave yourself.

Ivan Seeking

Quote by vanesch

I used a 3-blade razor for years (Gilette Mach 3) until I lost mine on a trip, so I went to a local store and bought the latest version, the Gilette Fusion with 5 blades. I don't know if it *shaves* better, but it *feels* much better. It slides very smoothly over the skin, much more so than the 3 blade razor. It was so much nicer, that I decided to keep with this one. Is it because the blade holder is bigger or better designed, I don't know. But there is an objective difference in the smoothness by which you can shave yourself.

Ah, well this explains it, but it sounds like things get a little rough after five blades.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7TMlrDXtw

sketch

Quote by turbo

For those of us who want to be "green", I prefer a rechargeable Norelco shaver - they last a really long time. Next step down would be buying the humongous bag of disposable BIC shavers. They are very thin and light-weight and work just as well as the expensive ones where you get a metal handle and end up buying lots of heads.

As Moonie pointed out, when you hone only one side of an edge, you end up with an edge that is curled away from the stone, and that blade is not going to cut as designed. I used to own a hand-cranked stropper that would sharpen razor blades, and that rig was designed to hit both sides of the edge alternately. It really did work.

I take it you have never actually used a Bic, certainly not in living memory...

FlexGunship

Quote by WarPhalange

I must be doing something wrong. Whenever I shave, I wash my face afterwards and towel it dry, then go do whatever. At no point does a woman start touching my face while I look at the camera like I'm gonna get some tonight.

You're holding it backwards.

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Ivan Seeking Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	Save a Blade Razor sharpener Responding to Moonbear: Actually, each blade of a scissor is an effective knife.

WarPhalange	I must be doing something wrong. Whenever I shave, I wash my face afterwards and towel it dry, then go do whatever. At no point does a woman start touching my face while I look at the camera like I'm gonna get some tonight.