The Stanford 5 Second Sharpener

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by PLANofMAN, Jul 26, 2012.

  1. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I don't think I'll use this sharpener on Teflon or PTFE coated blades, as that would strip the coating and alter the characteristics of the blade for the purposes of testing. The blades undergoing rejuvenation with this will be Feather Platinums, Astra Super Platinums, and Wilkinson Swords. Teflon coated Volkshod's will be spared...for now.
     
  2. Smott

    Smott Chew your shave. Slowly.

    Wow. That sounds like Caesar determining who will live and die in the arena. [​IMG]
     
  3. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    "Et tu Brute?"
    Rome burned while Nero shaved. (or is it fiddled? I can never remember.):signs002::D
     
  4. raag

    raag Member

    Really excited to see how this turns out. I love old, kinda obscure (but useful!) trinkets like these.
     
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  5. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I got this thing in the mail yesterday. I'd kept a worn out feather around just for this occasion. I tossed it in and gave it 15 swipes. Tucked it into a new razor and had a go. Shave was only tolerable, but not bad for what was a dead blade.

    Today I played around with this for a while and noticed the blade I put back in there and gave about thirty or fifty swipes had the entire bevel reground. I may try this blade out at some point, but in the interests of scientific study I've decided to start fresh. I used a brand new Feather blade for my shave today and will continue to use it until it dulls. Then things will get interesting. I'll be updating this thread in about four or five days, then I'll keep a running tally until I figure out how this thing works or until I get bored, whichever comes first.:) I also took advantage of Gorgo's generosity (The never ending carbon blade PIF) so I will be doing a head to head comparison between stainless and carbons as well.
     
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  6. Smott

    Smott Chew your shave. Slowly.

    I seem to recall someone chiding me on my scientific ambitions. I can't remember, though—who was that again???
     
  7. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I have no earthly idea...but wasn't your stated ambition to find the perfect combination of blades and razors? Hubris, Steve, pure hubris. I, on the other hand, just want to see if this matchbox sized device can save me fifty cents a month. If it can, it will totally pay for itself in 3 or 4 years.:)
     
  8. Smott

    Smott Chew your shave. Slowly.

    And if I can find the perfect combination of blades and razors for particular skin-types? Imagine. Just imagine...

     
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  9. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Three shaves in on the Feather blade, with one or two more before it needs to be tossed or sharpened. Instead of shaving with the feather blade tonight, I dug out one of my five vintage NOS Gillette Thin blades that came with a razor I purchased six months ago. I tossed it in my fatboy and lathered up with Tet-A-Tet Russian shaving cream (part of a trade I made with Kaiser earlier this year) I made about three strokes and opened my razor in disgust. Typical vintage carbon, I thought, rougher than a corn cob. Rather than toss it and finish my first pass with the Feather as I normally do when I try vintage carbons, I put it in the Stanford 5 Second Sharpener and followed the directions. Five up and down flicks of the lever later, I put it back in the fatboy. I expected a little bit of a difference. What I got dwarfed every expectation I've ever had from a blade. I got the smoothest shave I've ever gotten from a blade. The second pass was just as smooth.

    Even if the Stanford 5 Second Sharpener ends up not working on stainless blades, it has justified my purchase. The hard part now will be getting me to use a stainless blade long enough to figure out how long it takes to sharpen it.:D Only time will tell how long I can get a carbon blade to last, but if it worked so well on a blade like the Gillette Thin, which has a dismal reputation even among carbon enthusiasts, I have high hopes for the future.

    Edit: As I promised earlier in this thread, I just bought a back-up sharpener in deplorable state. I'm going to send it out to get a nice shiny coat of Rhodium. My acquisition disorder is spiraling out of control again, it's time to whip it back into shape.:whip: For those of you who don't know, I also bought 1,200 NOS Gillette Super Blue Blades today.

    Edit: Threads like this one have become far more interesting to me now.:)
     
  10. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    It looks like it's better than my Allegro model L sharpener. Congrats!
     
  11. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Day two with the carbon Gillette Thin.

    I used The Real Shaving Co. cream today, but everything else was the same. Dropped it into my fatboy and started off. Apparently the razor gnomes dulled the blade while I was sleeping. No problem, tucked it into the sharpener and for giggles decided to ignore the instructions. I worked the lever 6 times instead of 5. That was a bit of a mistake. It came out of the machine like a Terminator T-1000. Over sharpened blades are skin grabbers! luckily it settled down before the first pass ended, and the second pass felt like I was using a new feather blade. Post shave, I put it in the sharpener and worked the lever 3 times. We'll see how that blade shaves tomorrow or later tonight.
     
  12. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    Has anyone seen the series "Doomsday Preppers?" Each episode focuses on what a person or family would do in the event of a crisis, whether it by economic, biological, nuclear, etc... seems to me that if we could get wetshavers from not just this forum, but all shaving forums (putting aside all differences/rivalries to pursue the greater common cause) sign a petition or whatever you do to get on a TV show and have the show go around to different traditional wetshavers to interview them and in turn the wetshavers get to proudly display all of their Traditional Shaving Accoutrements in all their glory and declare how prepped they are for the dreaded "SHAVEPOCALYPSE!!" :eek::transport024:. I think I may be a tad insane...:angry032::scared011:
     
  13. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression. I don't buy into the hype of people worrying about the end of double edge blade manufacturing on our planet. DE blades will be available for third world countries, Medical preparation of slide cultures, hospital and industrial use. I'm afraid if we did show up on a show such as "Doomsday Preppers" our way of shaving would be portrayed as a nutcase ritual of a radical fringe group, rather than as a search for a better shave. Wet shavers have seen the passing of a few brands of beloved blades, soaps, and creams. We have also witnessed the introduction of dozens, if not hundreds, more. Yes, I just bought 1,200 blades. Why? because I knew I could sharpen them and use each one at least twice. The total cost of that was 5.2 cents per blade and they came with a free container. Add on the extra ten bucks for shipping. That's why I bought them, not because I believe the world is going to end. This whole thing with the Stanford 5 second sharpener? It's an experiment, a fun way to pass the time. If I really can get half a year's worth of shaves from a single blade? That would be neat. My buddy already gets at least 4 months per blade. I know this and he knows it. We both know it works. But, since he's not interested in joining this forum or making wet shaving a hobby rather than merely a morning ritual, I've got to do the fun stuff, like respond to conspiracy theorists...and play with old shaving gimmicks, some of which actually work.
    Every forum needs one crazy member...it's how we can gauge the mental health of the other members.:D
     
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  14. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Day 3 (actually day two: the evening shave) with the carbon. Started off just as it was. Fairly smooth on the first pass, and really smooth on the second. Did the five swipe routine after the shave. At this point, from what I understand, most carbons are dead. This blade is still shaving well and showing no signs of slowing down.

    I am not palm stropping or doing anything else with this carbon blade besides drying it on a towel, using the Stanford machine on it, and placing it back in the fatboy.

    Gorgo's never ending PIF carbon blades showed up in the mail today, so I'm going to give the first one of them a go as soon as my current blade dies or at the end of the month, whichever comes first. Thanks Gorgo.
     
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  15. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Day four with the carbon Gillette Thin

    A little too sharp on the first pass, but settled down on the second pass, again. I'm starting to see a pattern here. This time around I only swiped it 4 times after the shave, so we'll see if four swipes is the magic number for Gillette thins. I believe that five swipes would be suitable for thicker carbon blades, and mandatory for the old three hole style blades, which is what this thing was originally designed to sharpen. Once I get to the sixth or seventh shave with this blade, it will have lasted longer than any other blade I've used.
     
  16. asleep2shave

    asleep2shave Well-Known Member

    I'm so jealous lol
     
  17. richgem

    richgem suffering from chronic clicker hand cramps

    Oh, just give yourself a chance; you're just getting started. :)
     
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  18. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    Actually, I was just kiddin' around. I have a tendency to pour it on thick sometimes with the sarcasm. Sarcasm and Irony are two of my most favorite types of humor.:cool: In terms of crazy, the verdict is still out on that one...:whacky011:
     
  19. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I'll admit I got you mixed up with Azarius-
    I forgot that you were the audiophile, which must make Az the nutcase...odd...he seems so normal and stable...Maybe you guys should talk about switching avatars.:) On the other hand, I bet the discussions at those sites are waaaaay more interesting than anything we talk about here. Although he did say he spends all his time at the Den, and I presume, B&B these days.
     
    Azarius likes this.
  20. Azarius

    Azarius Must have had his WHEATies

    I am a nut case :S. I must have a few hundred Giorgio Tsoukalos memes that I have used over the years, I love that guy and his outrageous hair.

    Actually most discussions at GLP, ATS and the other "conspiracy sites" have turned into "let's blame the worlds problems on Islam" and I refuse to be part of a group of hatemongers.

    I just remain a closet lunatic and enjoy my shaving forums.

    I actually spend very little time on B&B, mostly here and the Nook. I prefer quality over quantity ;)
     

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