Shaving is a necessary evil, especially for men.  From maintaining a professional look at work to impressing significant other – it is an obligation. And razor industry knows it really well.  Razors cost a lot. Don’t waste a fortune on disposable razors, sharpen your old blades with these tricks. Get a close shave!

This post is written by Lee Walters

Those of you who use safety razors probably know how much it costs to replace your razor blades over time. While there are advantages to using a safety razor, the expense incurred may not be one of them. That is why we have written this article: to help you lessen the financial burden of using a safety razor. 

 Using Leather 

Traditionally, blades of any kind were sharpened using a leather “strop”. This is a strip of leather that would be held tightly while running the blade over it a number of times until it is sharp. You can still get yourself a strop if you want, but it works just as well on denim. We recommend using an old pair of jeans as the blade will probably cause the fabric to fray and deteriorate. 

 Using An Old Denim  

The first thing you need to do is place the jeans on a clear, flat and sturdy surface, like your desk or kitchen counter. It is also a good idea to use a surface that is dry. While setting up your surface, you might want to clean your blade by allowing it to soak in a cleaning solution for about 15 to 30 minutes. You can find cleaning solutions that are meant for razor blades, which will be good at removing hair and skin buildup from the blade, but a regular dish soap will also work for this purpose. Just leave the blade in the solution for about half an hour and occasionally stir it around to dislodge any stubborn pieces of dirt or “razor gunk” that has accumulated on the blade. 

 After soaking, you should dry the razor completely. To do this, you need to shake it thoroughly over the sink to remove all the big water droplets, after which you should gently run it along with a cloth in the direction of the blade to make it absolutely dry. To avoid a buildup of lint, it would probably be a good idea to use a lint free or a microfiber cloth. 

 This is when you will begin to sharpen your blade. To do this, you need to run your blade along your jeans in the direction of the blade and not against it. You can do this about 20 or 30 times with short, quick strokes. This is the part of the process that is known as stropping, and it removes burrs and irregularities, thus honing the edge of the razor. For more even results, it is a good practice to strop your blade in the opposite direction as well. Just flip the blade over and run it along the same section of denim around 20 or 30 times in the same way as before. Remember to apply minimal pressure while stropping. If you apply too much pressure while performing the strokes, you run the risk of damaging your blade further instead of sharpening it. 

Using your foreman 

An alternative to denim stropping is your own forearm. The forearm is very similar in firmness and texture to traditional leather strops. Needless to say, you have to be careful while doing this to avoid cutting yourself. Again, just apply minimal pressure and you will get the same results as you would with denim or leather. Just as with your jeans, run the blade along the straight part of your forearm with the direction of the blade and not against it. Doing this about 10 to 15 times in each direction will sharpen your blade as effectively as it would with denim or leather. Since you are running the razor with the direction of the blade and not against, you should not be cutting the hair on your forearm. If you are, then you might want to reorient yourself to get the proper angle for stropping. 

 Yes, using the best disposable razors matter, but would always be a very good practice to clean it thoroughly after every shave. To get this information about the top list of disposable razors available online, you can visit The Hair Central website for details.  

 NOTE: Unfortunately, this method does not apply to regular cartridge razors, as it would be impossible to sharpen one blade without damaging the others. 

About Lee Walters

Lee Walters is a blogger and owner of https://thehaircentral.com/ website. His site is about the hair niche and promotes different products. You can check out his website and discover all the necessary secrets to having hair that’s on point 24 hours a day.

Here are some grooming essentials for busy men. Click here to read more.

Let me know what you think about these saving tricks?

Lots of love!

xoxo