Anyone who uses a standard razor for shaving spends a good bit of money to continually replace the blades or, if you use disposables, the entire razor. Most people will replace their razors once or twice a month (some more some less). The truth that all the manufacturers do not want you to know is that the act of shaving has very little effect on the sharpness of the razor. In fact, the largest contributor to a razor going dull is corrosion. So now the question becomes, “How do I prevent corrosion?”
Corrosion is usually caused by exposure to moisture (aka water) and air simultaneously. Since when we shave we expose our razor to a lot of water and air it is essential to not let the razor sit in this environment for long periods of time. So far I have found three methods that work:
- Dry you razor off with a blow dryer and then remove all debris with a tooth brush (preferably one you do not use on your teeth).
- I am too lazy for the first one so I rinse my razor as clean as I can and then dry it off with a towel and place it in a dry place.
- Do either one or two and then submerge the head of the razor in baby oil. This will keep any air from reaching the razor and works to remove moisture
Any of the above should keep your razor sharp for a minimum of six months. Most people I talk to can keep a razor sharp for a year or more. So far the best I have done is ten months, but I refuse to spend the time on the first method and do not like the smell of baby oil so I will live with my ten month razor. One thing I do know is my wallet no long feels any razor burn.
You, my friend, are a saving freak!
Paul,
What kind of razor do you use??? Bic?, Mac 3?, the new razor phone from Verizon??? Let me know, because I am sick of using this crummy old ladies razor that I keep stealing from my wife.
I use a Mach3 but only because I got it as a free sample. I will post the next time you can get a free razor.
Stop shaving, you’ll save even more. I just use an electric to trim up once in a while, my face and my wallet are both better off.
That would be my fault. I would rather we spend a little on razors than have a hairy husband
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[...] maintained for a lot longer than you think, even disposable ones. Saving Freak has an excellent article about how to make them last up to 10 [...]
thats pretty impressive.
just read an article that the worldwide razor market is $11B a year!
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