Razor blades have steadily been increasing in price for the past several years at a disproportionate rate to that of inflation. As a result, men and women who use traditional razor blades are spending progressively more of their salaries on shaving products each year. I have found from years of experience with manual razors that one can drastically extend the life of a razor blade by exercising some basic care techniques to preserve the longevity of the razor’s usefulness. Since I began exercising the razor blade care techniques below, I have been able to cut the number of razor blades that I need by approximately one third of the amount I was going through beforehand.
The main thing to keep in mind is that water is the enemy of a razor blade. Since a razor blade is made of steel, albeit relatively high quality steel, one must take care not to allow moisture to remain on the razor blade after its use. Of course one cannot prevent water from being on the razor while shaving, but one can at least make sure that water does not remain on the razor after the shave is all finished. If water is allowed to remain on the blade after shaving is accomplished, then the water and the surrounding air will cause the steel making up the razor blade to rust. In addition to being unsafe due to the possibility of contracting lockjaw from the rust, a rusty blade is a dull blade and will cause vastly more nicks and cuts than a razor blade free of rust.
There are several methods that one can employ to remove the water and moisture from a razor blade after each use. The technique that I often use is to use my hair dryer to cause the water on the razor blade to evaporate. As long as I have rinsed the razor free of shaving cream, then the hairdryer will cause all the water to evaporate away from the razor blade, leaving a nice and dry razor that should be free of rust for a long time. If you find blowing dry your razor blades to be a little awkward, then you can simply use a towel or a piece of tissue paper to wipe clean the blade, ensuring not to cut yourself or to clog up the razor with bits of lint or paper. I have found that the hairdryer method is most effective in prolonging the life of my own razor blades, though, so I would encourage you to use the hairdryer method instead of just wiping away the water from the blade with a towel.
As stated above, I have managed to increase the life of my own razor blades by approximately three times since I began drying off my razor blades after each shave. The lack of moisture and rust allows the razor blades to remain sharp, and I find that I am able to use the same razor blade for several weeks, or even months, as long as I am careful not to allow the blade to rust. This same technique has been used successfully on almost every type of razor blade, from Gillette Mach 3 to cheaper disposable razors. Regardless of which razors or blades you prefer, this moisture removal technique should be equally effective on all types of steel razors.
