I palm strop each new blade out of habit (read that OCD). For the last few months, most of the time the blade is used once and then binned. Life’s too short to use a dull blade. I should add that to my sig line. Edit: done ✅
Works great for a shake sharp razor and a carbon blade. kamisori style razors technically are, since they were designed to be used one handed (same hand) across the whole face.
Good point, though I can imagine buffing affords a bit of stropping action. But it isn't the wrong direction when using a sharpening/honing steel on a knife. Hmm, does this give a whole new meaning to a steely complexion?
I've been hand-stropping my DE and SE every day for the last 11-12 years and I've never cut myself. (Be watching tomorrow's news. I'll be the headline as guy who cut off his finger.)
News interviewing the neighbor. " He's done this for 11 years and never had any trouble before this. "
The difference this time? He began stropping with: y'all ain't never going to believe this. Hold my beer.
Or in the case it is here in Mississippi, wearing a Harley-Davidson t-shirt and jorts, standing next to a vehicle up on blocks and forgot to put in the dentures for the interview.
The particular Mississippi species I outlined, would be holding a Budweiser or Miller Light shoved into a "Don't Tread On My Beer Or My Deer!" coozie.
I used a Blue Bird Platinum blade this morning. But I didn't dare to flip it over. "Flipping the bird" is naughty, you see... - Bax
I doubt it would make any difference for me, as I shave my legs & underarms. That's a lot of real estate, so no matter what, I won't use a blade for more than 2 shaves.
Perhaps apropos regarding a blade getting sharper. I recently stumbled across a bar graph that showed the sharpness of various blades. I recorded data for initial sharpness, after 1 and 2 shaves and average. Of ddly enough some of the data indicated blades getting sharper with use! How does that work? What I wouldn't give to have that be he case for my kitchen knives! I tried to find that graph again but couldn't for the life of me. Perhaps others know of this? I did however dig up this blog: https://www.refinedshave.com/razor-blade-sharpness-testing/
I would ALMOST rubber-stamp this comment, although I'd say "The only flipping I do is flipping a shave-item I don't like or is almost finished into the trash bank".
The idea is to make the edge last longer by flipping it after every shave, not to fix a worn out edge.
I tried it a couple of times, but it did not seem to make the blade last any longer or improve the shaves. It's like stropping the blade on the inside of a drinking glass - worth trying once or twice just to see if it actually works. If it doesn't, there is very little time or effort lost. Your mileage may vary, so what works for one person might not work for another.
I take my blades out of the razor for a rinse and dry and blade count, for me to flip a blade is no big deal at all. I do not know how well it works but we all know that stropping worked for 100's of years on straight razors so that is not worth arguing over a know fact. Stropping straightens the waviness of a razor edge making it efficient at slicing. As for flipping a blade I wonder some times is it really working because their is fellow on Youtube (sugardaddy) who has gotten 450 shaves with a 1 Nacet blade with out flipping. I'm not sure why he does this because he bought 300 blades just recently, he is not BS anyone because he shows putting the blade in his razor and shaves away. He does revisit that blade off and on.(strange experiment IMO). The man has some of the best shave gear anyone could dream of but still shaves with a worn out blade- go figure!
I palm strop and flip the blade but can't really say whether it makes a difference or not. On blades that have the same printing on both sides I put 3 dots on one side with a permanent marker for identification. I just find it easier to remember than using one of the numbers in the corners.
