This is part of an ongoing series to test various internet-based suggestions for extending the life of a razor blade. You can see the background for this in the Post #1672. The setup for this experiment is given in Post #1677.
Below is the setup for the main test of whether or not drying a razor blade (or drying and oiling it) extends its life.
In this case, I’m effectively testing the opposite, which is, does keeping a blade edge wet and exposed to oxygen shorten its life? Because, if that doesn’t happen, then meticulously drying that blade off does nothing. And I’m betting that nothing’s going to happen, because these blades appear to be made from fairly high-quality stainless steel. (Not non-magnetic, but pretty close to it.)
On the purple bit of sponge you see four razor blades.
- Two new, two used.
- Two with one dry edge and one continuously wet edge.
- Two with one dry-and-oiled-edge, and one continuously wet edge.
On the glass plate,you see two more
- One new, one used.
- Both have one dry edge, and one edge that will be dipped in water daily and allowed to dry on the plate.
In a couple of weeks, I’ll examine these under a microscope, test their sharpness, and see whether or not I perceive any difference in shave quality between the wet and dry/dry-and-oiled edges.
But wait, there’s more
Source: Ooh, baby, where have you been all my life?
The final portion of the test is whether softening your beard extends the life of the blade. So I’m now shaving half my face with Barbasol, half with my usual (Dove soap). Carefully using the same, marked size of the razor blade for Barbasol, each time.
Barbasol was invented in 1919, and is still manufactured in the U.S.A. The main active ingredient in Barbasol is stearic acid, which is the main fatty acid in coconut oil. Which is, coincidentally, something frequently recommended when people talk about ways to soften your beard prior to shaving. So this should be a fairly reasonable test of whether softening your beard extends the life of a razor blade.
What I did not expect to happen is that I’m an instant Barbasol convert. When I shave with Dove soap, my face stings a bit afterward. No big deal. And easy enough to ignore. Which I have done for the past six years or so.
But when only half your face stings, oddly enough, that’s much harder to ignore. And that’s my current state, as I write this. No further trials needed to prove that shaving with Barbasol is vastly easier on the skin than shaving with Dove soap. I think if I’d shaved my entire face with Barbasol, I might not have noticed. But half-and-half makes it impossible to miss.
The only remaining question is whether softening the beard keeps the blade sharper. Or, possibly, whether my face will tolerate a duller blade if I’m using shaving cream as opposed to soap. Either way, the blade lasts longer.
My wife points out that in shaving half-and-half, I have merely replicated an antique Barbasol ad. Like so:
Source: Barbasol.
The text at the bottom says: “Soaped up one side of my face. Gave Soap & Co. all the breaks. Then spread Barbasol on the other half. And my face told me BARBASOL”.
Mine too, as it turns out. Zero ambiguity.
The only drawback to traditional Barbasol is that it smells like Barbasol. Not bad, but kind of like Ivory Soap on steroids. The smell lingers and I’m not used to it. I’d prefer no-scent Barbasol. But apparently I’m in the minority, as unscented Barbasol is currently on close-out at my local Walgreens.
At the close-out price, it’s arguably cheaper than Dove soap. So I’m off to Walgreens to pick up a can or two.
Old dog. New trick. Never saw that coming. Final report in a couple of weeks.
