Possible ways to extend your razor cartridge's life

• Possible ways to extend your razor cartridge's life by -Doug- on 26 Mar, 2010 13:09
• I'm not sure if these have been posted before, but since they were all related, I thought I added them all to this one post.
  
  Also, I don't know if these really work, but the ideas make sense.
  
  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ADaRIqy0Dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/5ADaRIqy0Dc</a>
  
  
  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/UuUHOARVf5c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/UuUHOARVf5c</a>
  
  
  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hpDoughm9_o" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hpDoughm9_o</a>
  
  
  
• #1 by omegapd on 27 Mar, 2010 02:08
• Thanks for hunting up those videos. I personally don't strop my cartridge blades because you can only get to one side- but do occasionally strop my Double Edge or Single Edge blades since both sides are accessible. I think it can prolong it's life for a couple of extra shaves that way- but nowhere near 2 years like that one guy was saying. His beard must be extremely light and he doesn't shave ATG ( Against the Grain-which seems to dull the blades faster than anything else).
  
   I have been using the olive oil trick (storing the razor head in a small cup of olive oil between shaves) since I started shaving my head with a Mach 3 and it seems to help, also. I then tried it with a DE razor and it didn't help at all. Go figure...
  
   Again, thanks!
• #2 by -Doug- on 27 Mar, 2010 06:40
• Yeah, I too question the 22+ months that the one guy is getting. I've read about the olive oil trick. I'll have to try it out.
• #3 by D.A.L.U.I. on 27 Mar, 2010 09:13
• I think they're interesting ideas, and I'll probably try them.  I saw a bit on Headline News Network on the eliptical this morning that pointed out that it is also important to clean and DRY the blade cartridge too--prevents "rust". 
  It's not so painful now that I've moved from Fusion to M5, but savings are always welcome--as long as it keeps the dome smooth and slick. 
• #4 by Rusty Shackleford on 27 Mar, 2010 22:05
• I can see it being possible that rubbing the razor in the reverse direction could smooth out the bottom edge of the blades and maybe realign the blades, but it wouldn't fix any defects to the top surface of the blade since they'd never be in contact with what you're rubbing it on.
  
  I think one of the best ways to extend the life is to make sure your hairs are saturated with water.  That makes them softer and therefore less likely to damage the blades.  Shaving in the shower or immediately afterwards is probably the best way to ensure this is the case.
• #5 by SlyBaldDude on 04 May, 2010 11:17
• Yeah,  its true about the leather thing.  I do leather tooling for a living and I never have to sharpen my tools.  The leather sharpens them.  Never thought to use a strap for my razor though,  I'll give this a try.
• #6 by Gambrinus on 04 May, 2010 15:02
• I hand strop my cartridges and I store them in olive oil.  I can get about three weeks out of a cartridge at the most.  Remember I only use cartridges on my head.  I use a Safety Razor on my face.  22 months, I call BS.  The best way to extend the life of your blades are to keep them dry, in my opinion.    I like the mirror trick most of all.  Thanks for posting
• #7 by SLYinKC on 06 May, 2010 20:17
• I dry my razors after each shave and run them across a pair of jeans.  Seems to help a lot.  I can get 2 to 3 weeks before the blade starts to feel like it is showing wear.
• #8 by fcb2001 on 06 May, 2010 20:38
• thats what i do as well, i also get about 2 weeks
  
  

  Quote from: SLYinKC on 06 May, 2010 20:17

  I dry my razors after each shave and run them across a pair of jeans.  Seems to help a lot.  I can get 2 to 3 weeks before the blade starts to feel like it is showing wear.
  
• #9 by warhawk on 06 May, 2010 23:01
• hey doug:   i might have 2 try those out.  thanks 4 sharing.
  
  WARHAWK
• #10 by MikeInPdx on 15 May, 2010 14:54
• Quote from: fcb2001 on 06 May, 2010 20:38

  thats what i do as well, i also get about 2 weeks
  
  

  Quote from: SLYinKC on 06 May, 2010 20:17

  I dry my razors after each shave and run them across a pair of jeans.  Seems to help a lot.  I can get 2 to 3 weeks before the blade starts to feel like it is showing wear.
  

  
  I too dry them after I'm sure they're really clean and they last longer.
• #11 by Braco on 15 May, 2010 17:34
• Did anybody try RazorPit? Ive heard good things about it but I still need to test it for myself. Here is the link. http://www.razorpit.com/index.php?language=us.
  If it works its money well spent.
• #12 by Morthen on 15 May, 2010 19:30
• its not re sharpening the blades. I believe its to dry the razor out, excess water on razors corrodes the blades and dulls them. Its the same thing as I posted before, just drying off your razors gently can dramatically increase the blades life. Ive been using a mach 3 razor for my face for months on the same cartridge and its still sharp