Safety razors

[Sir Tifiable]

pcolbeck: I thought it sounded doubtful too and couldn't see that it would have any real effect, but it's amazing what people will try.

clarion: I don't have the sort of face that normally requires a razor. Except when people are being unkind.  But I have been known to use them elsewhere 

[clarion]

Ah.  Sorry.  It was the title which maybe misdirected me.  Well, for some other places you would want the keenest edge possible, wouldn't you?

[alexb]

The blades are pretty crudely stamped, so the edge would expand ever so slightly in the heat, and ba 'blunter'. 

I've looked at them under an electron microscope and they are actually very, very smooth. Agreed, the edge is actually quite "rough", but this is on a scale of microns!
It looks as though they are formed from strips of very carefully rolled steel strip, cut to length and then sharpened on some sort of abrasive strip - all the marks from sharpening run at right angles to the blade.

The edge is not thin enough to change shape noticeably from heating/contraction. Urban myth in my opinion, although of course you skin will respond drastically to hot/cold water - especially the orientation of the hairs.

As for razors, I like the simple Gilette twin blades without the lubrastrip. You can still buy the blades, but the razors are long gone now. I've tried the Quattro, the triple baldes, all the new fancy ones and none of them are as good as the twin bladed set up and the blades are stupidly expensive.

[clarion]

Interesting - particularly the way in which they are sharpened.  Must be to optimise line production.

[delthebike]

I'm curious to try a safety razor, can anyone recommend a brand of razor and blades?

Just had a quick shopping trip and had a look around.
Both Sainsburys and Wilkinsons had the blades, plus soap and brushes, but neither carried the twisty blade holder.  I think there is a Superdrug in these parts, they might carry the holder, but it wasn't anywhere near I was going.

[clarion]

Some figures.

Coefficient of expansion of carbon steel is approx 10.8*10^-6/K

So a difference of (max) 30 degrees, would give an expansion of the blade edge to 1.0003 times its width or thereabouts.  (give me a break - I've done the sums in my head).  Probably not enough to make a particularly noticable difference to the cutting effect.  But then again...

[PhilO]

If there's any basis for the myth at all, then I suspect it will be something to do with a colder blade's friction against the skin. Improve this, and you get the impression of a sharper blade (in much the same way that the vibrating blades feel sharp for longer because they slide over the skin more easily).

[Robbo5]

It looks as though they are formed from strips of very carefully rolled steel strip, cut to length and then sharpened on some sort of abrasive strip - all the marks from sharpening run at right angles to the blade.

Sandvik, who make a lot of the razor blade steel, slit the steel strip to the finished width with carbide cutters.
Their hardening and tempering process involves temperatures from -70˚C to 1100˚C, so the difference between hot and cold water won't have much effect on the steel.

[pcolbeck]

I'm curious to try a safety razor, can anyone recommend a brand of razor and blades?

Just had a quick shopping trip and had a look around.
Both Sainsburys and Wilkinsons had the blades, plus soap and brushes, but neither carried the twisty blade holder.  I think there is a Superdrug in these parts, they might carry the holder, but it wasn't anywhere near I was going.

Try Boots that's where I got mine. If you like it apparently Merkur are the dogs nadgers. You can get them on-line from severel places in the UK. I a, thinking of geting a No 38.

[Charlotte]

If you leave your razor under a small pyramid at night, it'll keep the blade so sharp that you won't have to change it for years.

[Sir Tifiable]

If you leave your razor under a small pyramid at night, it'll keep the blade so sharp that you won't have to change it for years.

Only if you leave it there all day as well. 

[clarion]

Charlotte, you don't really mix with anyone who actually does that, do you?

[Charlotte]

There are forces out there that we can't possibly hope to understand, Clarion.

[mike]

There are forces out there that we can't possibly hope to understand, Clarion.

ITV for one.

[clarion]

There are forces out there that we can't possibly hope to understand, Clarion.

  You're probably right.  I should stop sending out the negative waves, or it might disrupt my aura and I'd have to balance me chakras again.

[Greenbank]

There are forces out there that we can't possibly hope to understand, Clarion.

ITV for one.

They're only next door. We can see into some of their offices. They're odd.

[andrew_s]

If you leave your razor under a small pyramid at night, it'll keep the blade so sharp that you won't have to change it for years.

I do trust you used a compass to make sure your pyramid was correctly aligned?

[pcolbeck]

Ooh look you can see the lay line running through it. Bet that keeps things extra sharp.

[Regulator]

I'm curious to try a safety razor, can anyone recommend a brand of razor and blades?

Just had a quick shopping trip and had a look around.
Both Sainsburys and Wilkinsons had the blades, plus soap and brushes, but neither carried the twisty blade holder.  I think there is a Superdrug in these parts, they might carry the holder, but it wasn't anywhere near I was going.

Try Boots that's where I got mine. If you like it apparently Merkur are the dogs nadgers. You can get them on-line from severel places in the UK. I a, thinking of geting a No 38.

Merkur razors are indeed the mutts nuts (as are their blades)!    I have two.

[PhilO]

I now use shaving soap and a brush, but a few years ago I used Palmolive Shaving Cream. They still do the one in a green tube (based on Palm Oil) which isn't IME much kop - however, the one in the red tube, which contained Lanolin, was excellent. 

Then it suddenly disappered... 

[PeteB99]

Did anyone use a Rolls Razor kit?

Came with combined storage / sharpening / stropping case I got one for my 18th and used it for years* until I couldn't be bothered anymore and bought a Philishave.

* I suspect it may still be in the loft somewhere

[Robbo5]

Did anyone use a Rolls Razor kit?

Came with combined storage / sharpening / stropping case I got one for my 18th and used it for years* until I couldn't be bothered anymore and bought a Philishave.

* I suspect it may still be in the loft somewhere

My father had one, wasn't there some sort of scandal about them and the company boss went to  Bulgaria? I was only a kid at the time.

[bikesdontfloat]

I remember reading this http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930 and pissing myself laughing at the cunning way the writers had extrapolated the then current trend to a completely ludicrous conclusion...

I hadn't realised The Onio equipped its writers with crystal balls.

(Still using the 2 bladed Gilette Sensor Excel - soon to be discontinued I'm sure)

[Jaded]

I now use shaving soap and a brush, but a few years ago I used Palmolive Shaving Cream. They still do the one in a green tube (based on Palm Oil) which isn't IME much kop - however, the one in the red tube, which contained Lanolin, was excellent. 

Then it suddenly disappered... 

Green lube hmmm?

I use a triple thing because things like a Bic make me bleed like a pig and I don't have a purty mouth.

Some kind of gel stuff.

A little AA powered electric one for catching the bits that will show up in closeup at awards ceremonies.

[PeteB99]

Did anyone use a Rolls Razor kit?

Came with combined storage / sharpening / stropping case I got one for my 18th and used it for years* until I couldn't be bothered anymore and bought a Philishave.

* I suspect it may still be in the loft somewhere

My father had one, wasn't there some sort of scandal about them and the company boss went to  Bulgaria? I was only a kid at the time.

Yeah I think the product dates back to the 30's but they went out of production when the company went belly up sometime in the 60's.

There used to be a shop in Liverpool which sold refurbished kits which is where mine came from.