You didn't purchase an open razor for nothing. You probably know very well what advantages such an open razor brings with it. It is your secret weapon during your shaving routine and that's why it's such a valuable product. However, you must treat this secret weapon in the right way. If you do this, your open razor will glide over your skin like a warm knife through butter. Additionally, there's a good chance it will last you a lifetime! So if you treat your open razor well, you'll end up being much cheaper than having to buy a new one every so often.
Cleaning and storing your open razor
We will delve deeper into the details of honing, polishing, and sharpening your razor, but we'll start with the basics. This step should certainly not be forgotten! It is extremely important to clean your open razor, such as a shavette or straight razor, properly after each shave. Your razor is full of debris after a shave, think of hairs, dead skin cells, and shaving soap, transparent shaving gel or shaving gel. Of course, you don't want this to stick until your next shave.
Wash your open razor after each shave with lukewarm water under the tap. If your water is too hot, it can cause stains on the blade, and you certainly don't want that. Once you have cleaned your razor, you should dry it with a clean and dry cloth. Do this via the back side of your razor so that the shaving surface itself does not need to be touched. Then store the blade in a dry and well-ventilated place. Preferably do this in a razor holder, so it stays neatly stored.
Use a razor strop
A razor strop is a strap on which you can hone and polish your open razor. This razor strop has a leather side and a canvas side. A razor strop is important for the maintenance of every open razor. You don't need 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 per razor, and therefore we cannot tell you exactly after how many shaves your blade starts to become dull. You will obviously feel this best yourself.
The maintenance of your open razor consists of honing and polishing with the razor strop. Further on, you will read how to best approach this. First, it's useful to know what honing, polishing, and sharpening exactly entail.
Honing
Honing your open razor is done with the canvas side of your razor strop. This is easy to distinguish because the other side is made of leather. Honing is specifically intended to align all metal particles of your open razor in the same direction. All minuscule damages are subtly removed in this way. The sharpness is improved again by honing because all metal particles are put back in the right place.
Polishing
After aligning, it is just as important to polish your open razor. You do this with the leather side of the razor strop. Your razor will be much softer and more comfortable after polishing. You polish by moving your open razor about 20 to 25 times over the leather side in the right way. You will experience that your razor will glide over your skin like a warm knife through butter.
Sharpening
An extra option is to sharpen your knife well from time to time. This could be done with a strop or a sharpening stone. A strop has, just like the razor strop, two sides. A brown and a colored side. The colored side can be used for silver steel, carbon, or stainless steel open razors, depending on the color. These colored sides need to be coated with a paste specially made for this purpose. The strop can be used in the same way as a razor strop. Let the paste dry for a moment and move your knife about 10 times over the strop.
A sharpening stone is recommended when the edge of your open razor is damaged. With a sharpening stone, the cutting edges can often be restored. Thus, sharpening your open razor occasionally is essential to keep it sharp.
How do you use a razor strop?
To use a razor strop, first hang it in a convenient place. Make sure it is a place you can easily reach because you will need to tension the razor strop with your other hand. If your razor strop is hanging properly, you should tension it tightly with the strength of your other hand. Make sure the razor strop does not sag, as this will make it harder for your knife to move smoothly over the razor strop.
Hold your knife between your index finger and thumb and place your knife flat on the canvas side of the razor strop (the other side is leather, making it easy to recognize). Place the back of the knife upwards and move gently upwards without applying pressure. When you reach the top, turn gently over the back and move down again. Repeat this about 15 times to ensure all metal particles are properly aligned.
Then it's time to turn the razor strop 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 ensure that your knife becomes smooth, sleek, and comfortable again.
Tip: in the article how to use a razor strop we delve deeper into the use of a razor strop.
When should you apply this maintenance?
As we have already described, it is important to maintain your open razor. Some maintenance can be applied after each shave. This includes cleaning, drying, and storing. It is up to you to sense when you should align, polish, and/or sharpen your razor. Once you have mastered this skill, you will become your own barber in no time!
We hope this has helped you a lot, but if you still have questions, feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you create the most comfortable shaving routine.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men