You bought an open razor for a reason. You probably know full well the advantages of an open razor. It is your secret weapon during your shaving routine, which is why it is such a valuable product. However, you must treat this secret weapon properly. If you do, your open razor will glide over your skin like a warm knife through butter. Besides, chances are it will last your whole life! So if you treat your razor properly, you'll end up being a lot cheaper than buying a new one every so often.
Cleaning and storing your straight razor
We'll get into the details of straightening, polishing and sharpening your razor in a moment, but we'll start with the basics. This step should definitely not be forgotten either! It is extremely important to properly clean your open razor, i.e. a shavette or straight razor, after every shave. After shaving, your razor is full of junk, such as hairs, dead skin cells and shaving soap, transparent shaving gel or shaving cream. Of course, you don't want this to stick around until your next shave.
After every shave, wash your open razor with lukewarm water under the tap. If your water is too hot it can stain the blade, and of course you don't want that. Once you've cleaned your razor, be sure to dry it with a clean, dry cloth. Do this through the back of your razor so that the shaving surface itself does not have to be touched. Next, store the razor in a dry and well-ventilated place. Preferably do this in a razor holder to keep it neatly stored.
Use a shaving belt
A razor strap is a belt that you can point and polish your open razor on. This shaving belt has a leather side and a canvas side. A shaving belt is important for the preservation of any open razor. You do not have to apply this step after every shave, but do it especially when you start to notice that your razor is no longer sharp enough. This varies from razor to razor, so we can't tell you exactly how many shaves it takes for your blade to become dull. Of course, this is best left up to you.
The maintenance of your open razor consists of straightening and polishing with the razor handle. Further on you will read how best to do this. First it is useful to know exactly what straightening, polishing and sharpening mean.
Pointing
Pointing your open razor is done with the canvas side of your razor strap. This one is easy to distinguish because the other side is made of leather. Pointing is specifically meant to point all the metal particles of your open razor in the same direction. All minuscule damage is subtly removed this way. Sharpness is again improved by aiming as all metal particles are brought back to the right place.
Polishing
After straightening, it is equally important to polish your open razor. This is done with the leather side of the razor. Your razor will be a lot softer and more comfortable after polishing. Polishing is done by moving your open razor over the leather side about 20 to 25 times in the proper manner. You will find that your razor will again glide over your skin like a warm knife through butter.
Sharpen
An additional option is to re-sharpen your blade once in a while. This could be done with a tension belt or a sharpening stone. A tension belt, like the shaving belt, also has two sides. A brown side and a colored side. The colored side, depending on the color, can be used for silver steel, carbon or stainless steel open razors. These colored sides must be smeared with a paste specially made for this purpose. It can be used in the same way as a shaving belt. Let the paste dry for a while and move your knife over the strap about 10 times.
A sharpening stone is recommended when the cut of your open razor is damaged. With a sharpening stone, the cutting edges can be restored in many cases. Thus, sharpening your open razor from time to time is essential to keep it sharp.
How do you use a shaving belt?
To use a shaving belt, first hang it in a convenient place. Make sure it's a place you can reach easily because you will have to use your other hand to tighten the shaving belt yourself. Once your shaving belt is hanging properly, you need to tighten it under tension with the strength of your other hand. Make sure that the shaving belt does not bend, or your blade will not move as smoothly over the shaving belt.
Hold your knife between your index finger and thumb and place your knife flat on the canvas side of the shaving belt (the other side is leather, that way it is easy to spot). Place the back of the blade facing upward and gently move upward without applying pressure. When you reach the top, gently turn over the back and move down again. Repeat this about 15 times to make sure all metal particles are properly targeted.
Next, it's time to flip the shaving belt over so you can use the leather side. Repeat the same actions on this side about 20 to 25 times to polish your open razor. The leather side will make your blade smooth, smooth and comfortable again.
Tip: In the article how to use a shaving belt, we go into more detail on how to use a shaving belt.
When should you apply this maintenance?
As we already described, it is important to maintain your open razor. Some maintenance you can apply after every shave. This includes cleaning, drying and storage. It is up to you to sense when you should straighten, polish and/or sharpen your razor. Once you've created a knack for this, you'll be your own barber in no time!
We hope this has helped you a lot, but if you still have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We would love to help you create the most comfortable shaving routine.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men