Jodie Weston
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These days I have been doing a lot of thinking about my daily hygiene and beauty routine as it relates to a long term survival situation. I don’t want to appear frivolous but for me, feeling clean and looking nice are an important part of feeling good about myself in general. I do not think that my thoughts in this regard are limited to women and in fact, the Survival Husband feels much the same way, albeit without the need for a touch of lipstick and blush.
While an article on survival hygiene is long overdue, today I want to share with you a great tip for increasing the longevity of razor blades. Anyone who shaves – and this includes men and their beards and ladies and their legs – knows two things. One, razor blades are darn expensive and two, a dull razor blade will cut you up and result in a big bloody mess.
For the past few months I have been doing some research, trying to learn how to increase the longevity of the common razor blade. One strategy that worked well was drying the blade with a hair dryer after each use. Good to know, of course, but highly impractical in a survival situation.
I recently learned of a new technique and after testing with three separate razors, I can attest to its efficacy.
Sharpening a Razor Blade Using Blue Jeans
This method of sharpening a dull razor blade is so very simple that I am surprised more people don’t know about it.
1. Clean your razor in a little cup of soapy water.
Let it sit for awhile so that all of the old goo and gunk float away.
What I did was spray some of my Tea Tree Wonderful in a glass and let the razor soak for about an hour. I could not believe the crud that came loose!
2. Dry your razor by shaking away then excess moisture the wiping it off with a towel (or in my case, a microfiber cloth).
These are the razors I used for testing. All were old and dull.
3. Going in the opposite of your normal shaving direction, run the razor across some blue jean material about 20 times.
This is called stropping. Remember, you want to run the shaver backwards!
That’s it – easy peasy.
The Testimonial
When I was done sharpening the razor blades, I handed the Survival Husband his razor and told him to give it a try. Now let me say this: he was doubtful to say the least.
The first words out of his mouth were “Wow, this is really sharp”. I asked him how old the blade was and he said about a month. It was ready for the trash any day now.
Need convincing?
As part of my research, I came across the following YouTube video. It demonstrates the process for you and although the author refers to sharpening a disposable razor, in my tests a standard razor (not the disposable type) worked equally well.
Some Thoughts on the Budget
I like to save money just as much as the next person. As near as I can tell, refill razor blades are expensive. Let’s say you can get one month’s use out or each. That would be $24 a year. If you could double their life by sharpening the blades on a pair of blue jeans, you would save $12 right off the bat.
How many times can you re-sharpen the razor blades? Time will tell but if you ask me, my best guess is that you can re-sharpen then at least twice, if not more. It certainly is worth a try.
The Story Continued
What started out as a great Wednesday shortly turned into a bloody mess. The short version of the story is that Shelly, aka the Survival Husband, decided to touch up his bald head with a dull razor blade. What happened next was a scrape about one and a half inches long and a half inch wide. Who would have thought that so much blood could pour out of such a small wound.
I grabbed some gauze to soak up what I could, then dabbed on some boo-boo stick followed by miracle slave. While he held a clean piece of gauze in place, I grabbed the first aid kit and used a chunk of 1″ stretch wrap bandage aka “Vet Wrap” to hold the gauze in place. Although he looked like a dork for the rest of the day, the bleeding stopped and we were able to remove the makeshift bandage at bedtime.
Whether it was his great healing powers, or the essential oils in the Boo-Boo stick and salve, by the next morning, there was barely a scar.
When all was said and done, he got a harsh scolding for using a dull razor blade. There is absolutely no excuse for that since sharpening your own razor blades only takes a minute or two and is a cinch. All you need is scrap of old denim.
Need the recipe for Boo-Boo Stick? You can find it here: Make Your Own Healing Boo-Boo Stick.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Bargain Bin: Stock up on a small supply of razor blades then sharpen them yourself! Check out these and a few more items related to today’s article.
Gillette Sensor Excel Razor: This is an extremely popular razor. According to the reviewers, it is difficult these days to find it locally. Shelly (the Survival Husband) uses this razor with the 3-blade refills.
Gillette Mach3 Men’s Razor Blade Refills 15 Count: These are the refill blades that Shelly uses. He has not felt the need to go beyond the 3 blade type of razor. Can you imagine giving these the longevity of 30 or even 45 blades?
Gillette Sensor3 Smooth Shave Disposable Razor 8 Count: Many folks prefer disposable blades but personally? Although we use them, we like the heft of a traditional, non-disposable razor.
Soft ‘N Style Clear Spray Bottles I happen to like these smaller bottles and you can not beat the price for a set of 6. Likewise for these Pump Dispensers.
Stretch Bandage Wrap, 1” 30 rolls: I first learned about self-adhesive bandages when my dog came home from the vet such a bandage wrapped around his leg. A light went off telling me I needed to add some to my first-aid kit. And so I did. This is a fantastic price and rivals the price at the farm supply. I rarely use old-fashioned band aids any more. You are going to love this stuff.
Mylar bags & Oxygen Absorbers: What I love about Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers is they protect against every single one of the food storage enemies. Prices do vary but for the most part, they are inexpensive and easy to keep on hand. And while you can seal them up with a FoodSaver, some tubing and a common clothes iron, I find it infinitely easier with a cheap hair straightening iron that you can pick up for very cheap.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, (Pack of 36): No list of DIY cleaning supplies would be complete without these wonderful microfiber cloths. They will last you for years and will allow you to replace paper towels forever. Truly. I color code using blue for glass and windows and the other colors for everything else. I love these. They are not as “fuzzy” as the Z-wipes. I have both types.
Spark Naturals Essential 4 Pack: This 4 pack includes some of the most popular essential oils for everyday use, including lavender, peppermint, melaleuca (tea tree), and lemon. Another option is the “Health and Wellness” kit that comes packaged in a tin and includes a brochure with suggested uses for each of the oils. As kits, these oils are already discounted but as an added bonus, you get an additional 10% off with discount code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout.
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap: Of all of the Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps, tea tree is my favorite. I prefer to purchase the versions are already infused with essential oils since it does save me a step when concocting my own cleaners. A little goes a long way with a favorite use being DIY Foaming Hand Soap.
Color Me Calm: 100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation: Those of you that follow Backdoor Survival on Facebook know that I have become a coloring maniac. This book is my latest splurge and what a fantastic adult coloring book it is! This is another one of my favorites: Balance (Angie’s Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1) Yes, I am totally addicted. Why color? Read Nine Reasons Why Adult Coloring is Important to Preppers.
Colored Pencils 36-color Art Drawing Pencils: This is the first set of pencils I purchased and they have served me well. I can also recommend this set of 72 colors from Prismacolor. More expensive, yes. But really worth it for coloring scenes where you want to do a lot of shading.
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Every family should have at least one Tote-able Toilet
. I have priced purchasing the bucket and toilet seat lid separately and found that it was more economical to pick up this kit. I have filled my portable potty with sanitation supplies plus, of course, plenty of TP.
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66 Responses to “How to Sharpen Razor Blades for the Long Term”
That’s all fine, but the premise is misleading. Razor blades are actually quite cheap; it is disposable razors that are expensive.
I wonder if this trick works for scissors?
To sharpen scissors, fold a small piece of aluminum foil over about 4 or 5 times then cut through with the scissors 9 or 10 times. They will sharpen up nicely.
Gaye,
I used to sharpen my scissors with folded up foil. It works, but it wastes good foil.
Then I decided to try using a well-rinsed out aluminum soft drink can instead.
I simply start by poking a hole at one end and cut the can just like you would peel and apple when you keep the peeling in one long strip.
Works every time.
You don’t waste any usable foil.
And if you usually recycle your aluminum cans, you can still recycle the can after it has been cut into strips.
Linda
That is a great tip and something I will try. I typically use old, repurposed foil that I save for scissor sharpening but the soft drink can sounds better. I can crush the can then snip away.
BTW, I have tried this method of snipping through foil with my garden shears but have had only marginal success. I really do need to learn how to sharpen them on my own.
Another great tip to keep your razor blades from getting dull in the first place is to dry them off thoroughly after each use. I only go through about 3 blades for my Gillette Fusion per year. Now I might be able to use only one a year with this tip. Thanks!
I heard a loooong time ago to use only cold water on your blades as the hot water will tend to take the temper out of the blade..
I always rinse my blades with water while shaving, but then when I am done I give the shaver some quick flicks and then I rinse it in a jar of 91% isopropyl alcohol.
Thanks for the blue jean stropping method!!! 🙂
I will have to add this to make tricks. I buy one razor a year. I clean it after every use and once a week treat it with a Qtip and baby oil. i could probably have it last longer but I get a new one for my birthday. i am new to your blog but am thoroughly enjoy it. Can’t wait for the Kindle links.
Lawrence – Because the free e-books are only online for a day or two, I post the links only on my Facebook page. Just so you know . . .
Thank you for the tip.
I have been using a “Razorpit” for two years now and I get THREE monthe out of a blade .I discard after this time so I don’t know how long one could last.
Another technique is to strop the blade on glass under water, this old tip worked in the 50’s and sharpens as well as stropps.
Back in the 70’s there was a commertially availabe pyramid that you kept the razor blade in and somehow it remained sharp!Don’t ask me how but it was very popular in Russia .
what is the product called?
I always wear a leather belt. Can be used quite effectively as a impromptu strop if you just need to touch up a blade or razor.
Thanks for this article, I have loads of old blades to give this a go on to see if I can resharpen. The savings would be a a lot more than $2 here in the UK. blades here cost between £5 and £8 a standard size pack.
I agree with Paul Anthony, buy Wilkinson Razor blades at Wall Mart. They’ve been around a LONG time, quality material, and they’re made in U.S.A.! Look at the country of origin on all the others and you’ll see they all come from over seas! The consumers of this distressed country can make a difference by supporting what’s made in our own back yards! You all talk survival and independence, now back it up with home products to get this country back on track! The journey may be long and hard, but it all starts with the FIRST STEP!
I’m all for buying “made in the USA, but I use Wilkinson, and they are not made in the USA.
This is cool !!!!!!!!!! that has been a constant bane for most men , constantly going through disposable razors . I find that a NEW razor , rather than a dull one will cut you up faster , I do this once in awhile when I forget that I just swapped out the razor and I dont have to bear down so hard .