Life hack on how to sharpen a razor yourself

Almost everyone knows that a straight razor needs to be sharpened constantly. But few people know how to sharpen a razor on jeans. With the advent of disposable and reusable (cassette) razors, people gradually began to forget about sharpening blades. But it turns out that it is also quite possible to sharpen a razor, significantly extending its life. Considering that cassettes for a good reusable razor are quite expensive, this skill will not be superfluous and will save money.

What is important to know

The main accessory for men's daily grooming that requires attention is machines. Mainly used - disposable, T-shaped or reusable with replaceable cassettes.

It happens that the blade becomes dull or the replacement cassettes run out. You have to shave with unsuitable material, which results in severe skin irritation, abrasions on the face, and the hair is shaved poorly.

Home techniques will quickly restore the original appearance of the sharp material, extend the shelf life, help save money and help out in any situation.

Is it important to use special devices?

In fact, any selected razor sharpener should be approved by experts, like a leather belt, pyramid or denim. Other unfamiliar techniques and untested means at hand can easily damage the integrity of the blades, since we are talking about a metal plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm or less. Although there are many razor sharpeners sold online, only a few actually do the job.

Expert opinion

Alexey Strizhnikov

Barber, expert on men's haircuts

“Practice has shown that the Vest razor blade can be used three times longer with the help of such special devices.”

If we are talking about an expensive machine and blades, it is better to purchase sharpening options such as a device from the RazorPit brand or its Ukrainian equivalent from the Zattoch brand. In such a device you can sharpen both blades and cassettes of a safety razor without fear for their integrity and functionality. If a man prefers the cheap option of sharpening on jeans, you need to correctly observe the direction of the blades perpendicular to the direction of the threads in the fabric.

Methods and step-by-step guide

Specialists, barbers and men who practice self-care for the machine use several methods.

Sharpener RazorPit and cheaper analogue Zattoch

The Danish company RazorPit has developed a sharpener for sharpening blades. This method is proven and has proven itself among users. There is also a budget analogue of the Ukrainian company Zattoch on the market.

An oblong leather plate on an adhesive tape, the surface of which is treated with diamond chips and is itself sharpened.

Using the RazorPit (Zattoch), the blades are sharpened as follows:

A few drops of shaving gel are applied to the surface of the device.
Then the razor moves in the opposite direction.
25–30 movements are recommended.

One procedure per month is enough to turn the machine into a reliable shaving tool. The video shows how to sharpen 3 different blades with a Zattoch sharpener.

Denim

You can sharpen a razor at home on jeans. Denim fabric on the reverse side is dense and rough, copes well with a dull blade.

The jeans are turned inside out.
You need to place a hard thing made of cardboard or wood under your jeans. A ruler, a block, or a sleeve from plastic bags will do.
The razor moves across the fabric in the opposite direction to a classic shave, without damaging the jeans.
30–50 times is enough.

As the machine is used, the procedure is carried out regularly until the material is completely thinned.

Leather belt

You can also sharpen your razor at home using a leather belt. The procedure is similar to the method with denim. A strong belt is selected from thick leather, turned inside out and 25–30 movements are made in the opposite direction. No less convenient and affordable way.

Pyramid

Some sources claim that the pyramid for sharpening a blade was invented by the Czech engineer K. Drobal. It can be bought or made from improvised materials. Cut a square from chipboard or cardboard, and the edges are parallel to each other (the size is indicated in the pictures below). Secure them with tape or glue in the shape of a pyramid. Further, according to the instructions:

place the pyramid on a hard, flat surface;
the design is oriented with its edges to the cardinal directions;
place the blade inside the pyramid on a cardboard pedestal at 1/3 of the height, in the direction from south to north (or vice versa);
keep the cassette in this condition for a week.

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The surface of the blades should not touch anything!

Sharpening with a stone

Not everyone can succeed in sharpening shaving blades with a stone the first time; it also all depends on the material. For the procedure, synthetic stones without lumps with a uniform surface are used.

The procedure goes like this:

The stone is wetted with water.
The razor carefully moves along the stone in the opposite direction.
25–30 movements are enough.
When sharpening a straight razor, carefully hold the blade with your thumb and forefinger. You should sharpen first on one side, then turn it over and sharpen on the other side.

Sharpening with sandpaper

Sharpening with sandpaper is a simple and straightforward method. Sandpaper with a grit of more than 2000, water and a flat surface are suitable for this.

Sharpening the blade using denim

Instead of a blade sharpener, you can use denim or any ribbed fabric. The effect of this procedure is practically no different from using special devices, but it is cheaper and simpler. The procedure is as follows:

Jeans need to be turned inside out.
Under a small piece of fabric you need to place some kind of dense thing - a cardboard cylinder, a wooden block or a ruler.
Jeans are usually made from bias-cut fabric, so the thick lining needs to be laid flat. If the jeans are sewn straight, then the base must be fixed diagonally.
The razor is drawn across the fabric in the opposite direction to a normal shave. This sharpens the blades and keeps the fabric intact.

You can repeat the blade sharpening procedures several times until the steel becomes so thin that it can no longer be restored. But before this happens, you can use the machine much longer without spending much money.

If you need to sharpen the blades of an electric razor, it is better to contact a specialist. Its peculiarity is that for any action the razor will have to be partially disassembled, which means that then it will need to be assembled. For a beginner, this is not always a simple and easy procedure. But sharpening the blades of a conventional machine is a very real process that is worth trying at least once.

A razor for a man is an item for personal use and daily use for shaving. Regardless of which machine is used, disposable or reusable cassette, the blades in them become unusable after some time. Even those made of high quality steel become dull after a while. It is impossible to shave with them - irritation and small cuts on the skin are guaranteed with such shaving.

Features of sharpening a straight razor

Sharpening a straight razor at home is not easy. It takes care, practice, and proper technique.

Use belt or stone sharpening methods.
Observe safety precautions with sharp objects.
Maintain the correct sharpening angle.
During processing, there is no need to press the device hard.
Sharpen first on one side, then on the other.

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Advantages of a razor

At the end of the 19th century, the American inventor King Camp Gillette first proposed placing a sharp blade in a handle holder. Due to the undeniable advantages of disposable machines, they have become firmly established in everyday human life.

Advantages of the Gillette razor

High shaving quality. When removing unwanted vegetation, the device comes into direct contact with the skin of the face. The first razor blade lifts the hair, and the second blade cuts the stubble at the root.
Low cost.
Availability. You can buy a disposable razor or replace the razor cassette either at a newsstand or in a supermarket.
No need for electricity.
Hygiene. Due to the fact that a disposable razor is used for a short time (2 – 3 weeks), the risk of harmful bacteria appearing on the blades is minimal.
Easy to maintain. Cleaning a Gillette razor involves rinsing the device under running hot water.

To increase the service life of the machine, it is important to know how to properly sharpen a straight razor.

How to sharpen a razor with improvised means

The razor has been a personal hygiene item for several centuries. The first special hair removal device, the straight razor, had to be sharpened before each use. Moreover, its blade was aimed at the belt directly during shaving.

Modern technologies have made it possible to create safe shaving machines. Many of them, such as "Vest" or "Chic", can be used repeatedly. But even branded cassettes gradually become unusable and require replacement. Each blade of the cassette is made of high-strength steel, but it still becomes dull over time and develops burrs, which leads to a painful shave and skin irritation.

Good cassettes for reusable machines (for example, “Vest - 3”) are quite expensive, and sometimes (for example, on a business trip or on vacation) there is simply no time or nowhere to buy them. It turns out that you can easily extend the “life” of a cassette. All you need is jeans and a little patience. If the denim item will serve further, then sharpening should be done on the wrong side. For these purposes, thick ribbed denim is best suited.

The sharpening procedure is as follows:

Turn your jeans inside out to avoid ruining the item.
Spread them on a flat surface.
Place a foil roll, a flat narrow block, a narrow ruler or another flat object under the fabric, the width of which is less than the length of the cutting part in the cassette. This is a necessary condition, since there are protrusions along the edges of the cassette that will not allow you to sharpen the blade on a flat surface. The spacer must be placed under the fabric so that the fabric ribs run diagonally.
Place the cassette blade on the block and move it along the fabric in the direction opposite to that in which the machine moves during shaving. And so we grind the blade 50 times, moving it only in one direction.
We unfold the razor and similarly grind the cassette on the jeans, now moving it in the other direction.

After this procedure, you will be able to shave comfortably again. By periodically sharpening cassettes, you can significantly extend their service life. In this way, you can sharpen both disposable razors and branded razors, such as “Vest”.

Instead of denim, you can use a strip of leather of the required width, cut from an old belt or an unnecessary leather item. You should sharpen on the reverse – unpainted side of the leather. Sharpening occurs somewhat faster than on fabric. 20-30 passes in one direction will be enough. There is no need to sharpen in the opposite direction, as with jeans.

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Why sharpen your blades yourself?

The question of the appropriateness of sharpening procedures for razor blades is relevant, and there are several answers to it. Firstly, it allows you to extend the life of the machine. That is, instead of throwing away the razor, you can renew it and use it for the same amount of time.

Secondly, it saves money. After all, purchasing replacement cassettes regularly requires significant financial investments. And sharpening and updating them will help put off going to the store for at least a few months.

Thirdly, it is not always possible to buy replacement cassettes, but shaving is safe and sometimes simply necessary urgently. In order not to put off shaving until you buy a new blade, you can sharpen it and enjoy the result.

Sharpening a razor is a useful and convenient skill that can save money. Having tried to use any of the blade sharpening methods once, each user will be able to learn and perform the procedure quickly and efficiently.

Abrasive wheel selection options

This consumable material for a processing machine is available in a wide range. The sharpening wheel specifically for a knife should be designed for working with steel and the possibility of finishing correction.

The shape of the profile is fundamentally important for working with sharpening. In this case, equipment with a straight profile is used, which is optimal for straightening the blade.

The grit size will determine what type of finish a particular abrasive wheel can provide. For a sharpening machine used to correct a knife blade, almost all types of fractions can be used. Usually there are three ranges - from 400 microns, from 1000 microns and from 5000 microns. Accordingly, coarse, medium and fine sharpening is provided. Sometimes you can limit yourself to just finishing touches if the blade requires only minor editing.

The type of abrasive itself is equally important. Although knives are not overly demanding tools in terms of machining and dressing, today it is better to give preference to the more durable and efficient alumina blades. This material is hard and resistant to damage.