What is important to know about self-sharpening machine blades
Shaving with a blunt edge is not at all uncomfortable, but it can lead to inflammation or irritation on the skin. Blunt edges can be easily sharpened; it is important to correctly calculate your strength and take into account some nuances.
Main subtleties:
- Only disposable razors, as well as replaceable shaving cassettes or cartridges, can be sharpened. With conventional blades, the result will not justify itself, and there is a high risk of accidental cuts in the process.
- It is better to throw away cheap disposable razors or shaving accessories of poor quality (damaged, rusted) immediately, without exposing yourself to the risk of accidental injury.
- Good quality products from trusted manufacturers can be sharpened in specialized workshops. Such a procedure will cost less than a new purchase; the main thing is to choose a good specialist.
The advent of safety razors seemed to have solved the problem of dealing with stubble forever. At the same time, disposable machines and cartridges quickly break down, so you have to constantly spend money on purchasing new accessories. You can solve this problem by sharpening it yourself; the best methods are given below.
Useful tips for caring for your machine
To extend the service life of knives, you need to consider the following recommendations:
- constantly maintain cleanliness, remove remaining hair and stubble;
- perform lubrication in a timely manner;
- Perform turning with materials and tools recommended by the manufacturer.
Intensive use of a razor leads to dull knives, as a result of which cutting becomes worse and hair begins to be pulled out. Irritation appears on the skin due to the increased amount of time in contact with the surface of the instrument. Finding replacements for electric razors is quite difficult.
Sharpening electric razor knives Watch this video on YouTube
Methods for sharpening a razor
The best option would be to purchase a special sharpening device. Externally, it is a small plate coated with fine diamond chips.
How sharpening occurs:
- Apply a small amount of shaving gel to the plate.
- Guide the machine in the direction of shaving movement.
- Repeat movements 25-30 times.
High-quality sharpeners can be purchased from the Razor Pit brand (Denmark), as well as its budget analogue - Zattoch (Ukraine). Chinese fakes, despite the minimum price, do not justify their purpose at all.
We use denim
An original method, for which you will need a small piece of fabric, you can use the finished product - it will not be damaged when sharpening. Place the fabric on a hard, flat surface with the wrong side turned out. The movements are carried out in the opposite direction than when shaving (30-50 times). This method is convenient to use on the road or in hiking conditions.
Leather belt
You can use a trouser belt in a similar way. It should be made of thick, high-quality leather, wide enough to accommodate the entire blade. Sharpening occurs on the back side of the belt; the procedure requires 25-30 passes.
Special pyramid
An original way with a minimum of costs is to use a cardboard pyramid. It must be made to size, and a pedestal with blades fixed on it must be placed inside. A small hole is cut into the body of the pyramid on one side and placed on the south side. The structure should remain in this position for a week, but it is forbidden to move it or touch it with your hands.
Sharpening stone
This method requires some skill, so not everyone succeeds the first time. A stone of uniform structure is used, without inclusions or large particles on the surface. You must first moisten it with water, and then perform 20-30 passes in the direction opposite to the shaving movements.
Sandpaper
Having fine grit sandpaper (over 2000) on hand can also quickly restore sharpness. It needs to be slightly wetted, the movements are similar to the method of using a sharpening stone.
Food foil
Sharpening a razor on a roll of food foil is an effective, quick method. To do this, it is better to use the end of a new roll; there should be no dents or deformations on the foil. Repeat the movements at least 30 times, the direction is away from you.
How to do it manually?
Regardless of whether you decide to master manual sharpening or use small-scale mechanization means, the right thing to do is start with a block of the coarsest grain size and move on to finer ones. It is advisable to hold the knife perpendicular to the block
The most important thing is to maintain the same angle of inclination of the blade to the surface at all times. Movements when sharpening should be uniform, monotonous
The sharpening stone and the surface on which it rests should not move. To do this, you can put a piece of sheet rubber on the table, or, failing that, a moistened sheet of paper.
Grinding the first third of the knife tip G. SakaiFoldingHunter" on a water stone 600 grit (before starting work, a block of natural stone is soaked in water for 15 minutes, and then its surface is lubricated with soapy water)
Don’t forget to periodically check how much metal is being removed from the handle, and don’t press the knife too hard - the pressing force against the block should be small but constant. Moving the knife away from you or towards you is a matter of taste; to save time, I do it in both directions. To begin with, you should practice using a regular board instead of a sharpening stone, and, say, a short ruler instead of a knife. Hands will remember.
Many consider the sharpening process to be a kind of movement meditation; in principle, that’s how it is. The need for constant control and concentration on the task at hand forces you to disconnect from external factors. It turns out to be a kind of zen.
How to sharpen a disposable razor at home with your own hands
Typically, disposable razors are not intended for long-term use, but throwing them away after the first shave is an unaffordable luxury . If you carefully care for the blade and avoid damaging it, the product will last for months without any problems and will help you out in an unforeseen situation.
Basic rules for maintaining and sharpening a razor:
- After shaving, you must thoroughly clean the body of hair and detergent residues. It is best to use warm (not hot) water.
- The machine must be stored in an upright position, avoiding direct sunlight and high humidity. If you need to take the razor with you on the road, the razor must be absolutely clean and dry.
It is most convenient to sharpen a disposable machine using denim or the back of a belt. As a rule, workshops do not sharpen such products, and sandpaper or a stone can damage the metal, which is usually not of the highest quality in such products.
Sandpaper method
One of the most affordable ways to solve the problem involves using regular sandpaper. To do this you will need:
- a sheet of sandpaper 1200 microns;
- a sheet of sandpaper 2500 microns.
In both cases, a square fragment measuring 100 by 100 mm is suitable. It is advisable that the base of the sheet is not soft.
The algorithm of actions is simple. To begin with, you need to remove the shaving head housing with the safety blades from the device and remove the rotating knives. After this, they should be laid out on a piece of sandpaper with a coarser grain. Next, having aligned the knives with the shafts of the electric razor, you need to turn on the device for about 20 seconds. This will ensure a rough sharpening of the blades. In this case, there is no need to press the razor to make the knives fit more tightly to the sandpaper. The force created by the weight of the device itself will be sufficient.
After this, you can proceed to the fine sharpening procedure by performing similar steps for 15 seconds using 1200 micron sandpaper. At the end of the procedure, the knives must be cleaned with a soft cloth and the razor must be reassembled.
Features of sharpening a straight razor
Razor accessories with an open long blade are not often used when there is a wide range of safety razors. Previously, such an item, in addition to its direct purpose, often served as a weapon for self-defense. To successfully shave with this tool, it is important to choose the right product and learn the rules for its use.
Tips for choosing and sharpening straight razors:
- Beginners should pay attention to products with a wide, rounded blade. This makes it easier to adjust the angle of inclination and makes it more difficult to cut yourself.
- The handle of the razor should be durable, fit comfortably in your hand, and not slip off when moving.
- The opening angle of a good razor is 270 degrees. Closing must be without jamming or distortion.
- It is better to store it in a special case, thoroughly washing and drying it after use.
- The blade must be sharpened before each use using a whetstone or ceramic whetstone. Movements should be smooth, direction away from you, then towards yourself. After a couple of passes, the blade is turned over to the other side and the procedure is repeated.
- After sharpening, you need to straighten the blade with a leather belt. This is necessary to remove possible chips and irregularities on the edge of the blade, which can seriously cut you.
- Before editing, a thin layer of polishing paste must be applied to the surface of the belt. Straighten and tighten the belt, repeat the movements as when sharpening for each side of the blade.
- After shaving, the blade is thoroughly washed to remove product residue under hot water. The razor is thoroughly wiped with a towel and put into its case until next time.
- The undoubted advantage of a straight razor is the almost eternal service life of a high-quality blade.
In our age of accessibility of goods and even their abundance, useful advice on sharpening a disposable razor is as relevant as ever. “Working” tips on how to sharpen a razor with improvised means, as well as rules for caring for razor accessories will help extend the service life and keep the blade longer.
Step by step guide
Today, the most pressing request from men in forums and communities is as follows - how to sharpen the blades of a Vest razor. This manufacturer offers high-quality machines with replaceable cassettes, which you can easily extend the shelf life yourself, without the help of a specialist. Most often, two devices are used for this action - a pyramid razor blade sharpener or ordinary denim.
You can make a pyramid yourself from a material that is incapable of magnetization, for example, plexiglass or cardboard. It is secured with glue or tape; it is prohibited to use metal fasteners. Further sharpening is carried out as follows:
- mark the pyramid on a hard, straight surface;
- then the pyramid is oriented to the cardinal points;
- the razor blades should be placed along the pyramid in the north-south direction;
- the blades should lie in this state under the pyramid for 6-8 hours.
The same method can be used to sharpen blades for cassette razors such as Gillette and other brands.
Results
- Careful care of your razor will help extend its service life, and sharpening it yourself will save you money on future purchases.
- In hiking conditions, the method with denim or a belt is suitable. For home sharpening, it would be best to buy a special device, a stone or fine-grained sandpaper.
- Straight razors are more difficult to use and sharpen yourself. At the same time, with proper care, such a blade is practically eternal, which will more than pay for all expenses. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with facial hair removal for women in this material.
Handy tools to help
If a device such as a razor sharpener is not suitable for a man, you can use improvised means, for example, denim. This is one of the first methods that was invented by men many years ago. It is enough to simply turn the fabric inside out, and then run the loom with the blades inside against the direction of the fabric threads 30-40 times, but without pressing.
Another handy method is a leather belt, and sharpening the blades follows the same scenario as with denim. You need to choose a belt that does not have frayed areas or creases, otherwise the surface of the blades will be damaged. You need to move the blades along the belt from its wrong side. This will maintain the integrity of the painted side of the belt while improving the functionality of the machine.
