We turn a disposable razor into a reusable one - 3 ways to sharpen the blade

Every person has a disposable razor in their arsenal. This is a convenient and inexpensive device, but often such a machine becomes dull very quickly, especially if it is used by a man with thick and hard stubble. There are many ways to extend the life of such a machine and make it reusable.

Why is the machine disposable?

Disposable razors have fairly thin plates, and they quickly become damaged during use or become clogged with hair. It is not always possible to clean them under running water, and the razor simply goes in the trash. In fact, sharpening a disposable machine is not that difficult at home. This does not require any complex tools or a lot of time and money.

Preparation

If the razor blades begin to shave poorly, pulling hair instead of cutting them, it’s time to either sharpen it or replace it. If you are in no hurry to part with the machine, you can sharpen it.

But for this the product will have to be prepared:

• Rinse the blades thoroughly under running water and remove hair.
• If hair is caught between the blades, take a Q-tip and clean it out by hand.
• After this, rinse the machine again.
• Let it dry; only dry blades can be sharpened.

How to sharpen?

You can sharpen a disposable razor or even a cassette razor, which is quite expensive and has begun to become dull, pull out hair and remove it insufficiently smoothly, using different methods.

1. Using a trouser belt

There is one requirement for the product - its reverse side must be made of hard genuine leather. Such a product, as a rule, is at least in a single copy, but is in every man’s wardrobe.

The sharpening procedure is suitable for any type of razor, including straight razors.

• You will need to turn the belt over with the inside facing up.
• For convenience, if the design of the buckle allows, you can hook it onto a nail or hook to tighten the fabric and free one hand.
• You will need to pull the product in one line, holding its end with one hand, and with the other hand, press the razor to the blade, moving it away from you.
• Therefore, you should move the razors in the opposite direction to the shaving direction. Repeat this movement several times, the machine will become sharp again. Please note that you cannot change the direction of movement, otherwise the blades, on the contrary, will become dull and the surface of the belt leather will be damaged. If you have a piece of unfinished rough leather, you can use it. If you don’t mind getting the belt dirty, you can add a little GOI paste or a special blade care powder.

2. Food foil

For sharpening in this case, you will need a regular roll of baking foil, which can be taken from any grocery store. As in the previous case, the machine must be pressed against the foil and held away from you, that is, in the direction opposite to shaving. There is no need to sharpen the outer edges of the cassette where the edges are located. The procedure will help get rid of burrs and burrs on the blade, after which the cassette will begin to shave almost like new.

3. Denim

For this sharpening method you need classic rough cotton denim.Modern pants with the addition of a lot of stretch fabrics and soft threads will not help you. In principle, it is not necessary to use jeans; any cotton fabric with a rough structure and large pile is suitable.

If the weave is tight, you can sharpen the blade of almost any razor with minimal effort and be able to use it several times. It is acceptable to use both the front and back sides, but it is recommended to use the inner side, as it is usually rougher and will better polish the smooth surface of any blade.

If you decide to use denim pants:

• First turn them inside out.
• Then take any cylindrical object, for example, a rolling pin, because we don’t need a large diameter. If you have round cases, plastic or beer bottles in the house, these will do.
• The sharpening technology itself is identical to the methods described above.

How effective is it?

After you have sharpened, you can use the machine one or two more times, after which the procedure will have to be repeated. Regarding efficiency, these methods are about the same, and it all depends mainly on what materials you have at home.

Most often, a single-use machine cannot withstand more than three sharpenings due to wear of the rubber plate, which is located under the blades of the lower part of the device. Because of this, it will not be possible to make the machine eternal, but it will also cease to be disposable. Shaving will become much more enjoyable and efficient. This way, you can save a little, and also use your old machine if you forgot to buy a new one.