I thought maybe this would be the oddest thing I’ve ever written about, or the most trivial or insignificant. But that’s a big list.
So just the facts: I read this article back in September. It said that soaking your razor in mineral oil between shaves could prolong its life. Significantly.
This bounced around my brain for a few weeks. I spend maybe 3 minutes a day shaving, and I don’t think about it all that much while I’m doing it. I certainly don’t think a lot about the expense of razor blades until I’m buying them, and even then I get over it.
It just sort of interested me. And every once in a while, in the drugstore, I’d wonder where the mineral oil was (with the laxatives. Duh). Eventually I bought a bottle. And when the new year came around, I decided to experiment.
I bought a bag of disposable razors, the cheap kind, a dozen for about 2 bucks. I soaked it in mineral oil. I tried to think about it.
And on January 31, I felt a slight tug when shaving. Not a nick, just a tug, a little abrasion, something to suggest it was time for a new blade.
There you go. One cheap blade, one month’s worth of shaves, no cuts, smooth skin, no complaints. The End.
3 responses so far ↓
Mich // Feb 2, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Okay, odd but still interesting.
Clarence // Feb 3, 2010 at 5:35 am
Thanks for sharing the research results. Personally, I’d never have gone to the trouble. I’d just get another new one out of the basket under the bathroom sink and shave with it carefully the first time. That’s when they are most dangerous.
I keep two new ones in the shower so I can shave my head while I shower. Sometimes, it like a blood-letting. I tend to chew up the skin on top of my head because I’m not sure if they are new or used.
Sid Schwab // Feb 3, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Well, it’s hard to fathom how oil would soak into the metal. Maybe it’s just a nice external lube-job. On the other hand, I use my triple dipple super duper cartridges until they do more than tug. Probably a month, with no soaking. I’m waiting until they make ‘em with ten blades. Wowzers.
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