Extend the life of your Razor blade

Today's disposable razor blades gets dull faster than you can say "Its been only a few weeks since I bought those..."

Major personal care companies like Gillette and Schick depend on such a marketing philosophy that will make you buy more blades each month. And what can be a better way to do so than to sell you cheap blades that looses their sharp edge after just a few shaves. That is one of the reasons people use a Straight razor, and if you are willing to give it a try, be sure to check our "How to shave with a straight razor" guide for shaving tips about shaving with a straight razor.

If not, than we gathered those helpful guides on how you can prolong the life of your disposable razor blades. Because it pays to squeeze that extra use out of every one of them. Your disposable blades, just like a regular knife, becomes dull because of small imperfections in the edge of the blade. So, just before you shave, and another time after you finish, run the blade up and down a few times in one direction along a clean pair of jeans, and than again in the opposite direction. The course texture of the jeans will smooth any imperfections, just like an old strop on a straight razor would.

This method uses the same idea as honing a blade for shaving with a straight razor, the sharping process is more subtle, but if your blade is not in a total-lost condition, it could help maintaining a sharp edge for just a few more shaves. If you are out of clean jeans, you could also use your forearm as a grinding surface, the hair can simulate the thread of the jeans.

Another great way to extend the life of your blade would be to dry it in between uses. Don't let your blade lay in the water, use a clean towel or even a hair dryer to remove the moisture.

"The Chicago Tribune suggests that drying your razor after use can drastically increase the life of a razor blade—up to 122%, according to one study"

Placing your blade into a cut of mineral oil could also help. The oil will repel water, thus preventing from oxidation of the blade and the deposit of alien minerals form your water.

In the end, if all else fails and you get tired of buying those expensive, low quality disposable blades, why not buy a real strait razor. It could cost you much less in the long run, and your shaving experience will never be the same. As a matter of fact, why not learn how to shave with a strait razor right way? Use our guide above in the tabs, and learn how to use a strait razor.

TMS