Saturday, April 27, 2013

Sharpen Disposable Razor Blades and Save Money

Expensive Razor Blades


Sharpen Razor Blades, Save Money!
Sharpen Razor Blades, Save Money!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher
Store display of Gillette Fusion razor blades, one box is priced at over $40 for 12 razor blades
Disposable razor blades are expensive
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Disposable razor blades are expensive!  I use a Gillette Fusion razor which uses a disposable razor cartridge with 5 blades.  Since my wife usually picks up razor blades for me, I had no idea how expensive they are.  The Gillette Fusion razor costs about $10 and comes with two disposable blade cartridges.  Packs of 4 razor blade cartridges cost about $16- this is $4 for each disposable razor blade.  So the old expression "give away the razor and sell the razor blades" is almost true in this case.  I would estimate that a razor blade cartridge lasts 3 or 4 weeks.  At this rate I would use 14 per year which adds up to $56 over one year.

Razor blades are made of steel- the Fusion actually has 5 blades.  Shick Hydro is a similar multi-blade razor product in this category.  It seems like something made of steel should be able to last longer than a few weeks against my beard.  It seems wrong to throw away something so expensive after such a short time.  Can you sharpen disposable razor blades?

Sharpening Disposable Razor Blades

After some research, I think I have come up with a way to make disposable razor blades last much longer.  You can find videos on the internet that show how to sharpen a razor blade using denim blue jeans.  The technique shown in the video is to push the razor along the jean with the blades facing backward.  My initial impression was that this is nonsense.  Cotton is much softer than steel (and much softer than whiskers even) and it does not seem possible that a soft material like cotton could sharpen steel.  The process of sharpening a blade requires some of the metal from the blade to be worn away to hone the edge and make it sharp.  Blue jeans are simply not a viable way to actually sharpen a razor.

After further reading and actually testing this technique, I think that the blue jean sharpening technique works- but not by sharpening the blades.  The process of rubbing the blades against the blue jeans is similar the rubbing a straight razor on a piece of leather to sharpen it.  This method of sharpening is known as stropping.  Rubbing the blade against leather straightens out the edge of the blade and thoroughly cleans and dries it.  This is the beneficial effect that you can get using denim to "sharpen" a disposable razor blade.  The primary reason that disposable razor blades get dull is that they get build-up of dried shaving cream residue and mineral deposits.  They can also get some rust on the surface since most people put them away damp.  Rubbing the blade along denim after shaving cleans, dries, and straightens out the blades and keeps them in new condition much longer.

Close-up of sharp disposable razor blade with microscope in background
Sharp disposable razor blade- no mineral deposits, dired shaving cream residue, or surface rust to dull the blade
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Better than the Blue Jean Sharpening Technique


My mind kept going back to the image of a barber rubbing an old fashioned straight blade against a leather strap to clean and sharpen it.  I don't want to keep a pair of jeans or even a piece of denim in my bathroom.  It would get wet and dirty.  What do I have that is more like leather?  Conveniently, skin is a lot like leather.

I tried this sharpening technique and it works great- rub the razor along your forearm from your elbow to your wrist.  Press the razor so it is in contact with skin- make sure the sharp part is facing opposite to the direction you are moving the blade.  In other words, run it backward along your arm so the blades will not cut you.  You will see that the razor blades looks clean and shiny after doing this about 20 times.  Next, I run the razor in this same backward direction along a towel to make sure it is really dry before putting it away.  My razor has stayed noticeably sharper by doing this.


Picture shows how to sharpen disposable razor blade by pushing along arm
Improvised leather strop sharpening technique for disposable razor blades.
Run the razor from near your elbow toward your wrist in the direction shown.
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher


I think mineral deposits, hardened shaving cream residue, and surface rust cause most of the dulling effect of disposable razor blades.  Keep your blades clean and dry and they will stay sharp much longer.  I was amazed how well this works- give it a try and save money on expensive disposable razor blades.


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How Long Does It Take To Walk X Miles or X kilometers?

How Long Does It Take To Walk...


Man and Woman hurrying along road,  woman is looking at watch.
How long does it take to walk 1 mile?
Image courtesy of Ken Morrill CC-BY-2.0


The time it takes to walk a given distance depends on your walking speed.  Evaluation of walking speed determined the following typical walking speeds on a paved surface:

  • Leisurely walking speed is 3.14 mph or 5.06 km/hr.  This is approximately the average human walking speed.
  • Normal/purposeful walking speed is 4.22 mph or 6.80 km/hr
  • Brisk walking speed is 5.88 mph or 9.47 km/hr
The brisk walking speed is walking nearly as fast as possible- it would take excellent physical conditioning to sustain this pace for very long.  Normal or leisurely walking speeds could be sustained for a long time with little or no special conditioning.  The walking conditions will also impact walking speed: walking uphill or walking in bad weather is likely to be slower.  The walking speeds considered are based on walking on a paved, level surface.

Walking Time Calculator

Use the Walking Time calculator below to check walking time for any distance:
  • Enter the units you would like to use: miles, kilometers, or blocks
  • Enter your walking speed: leisurely, purposeful, or brisk
  • Enter the walking distance
  • Click 'Compute'
  • Results show how long it would take to walk the selected distance in seconds, minutes, and hours


Walking Time Calculator by Dr. Penny Pincher
Copyright (c) 2014. All Rights Reserved
http://pennypincherjournal.blogspot.com
Units:
Miles
Kilometers
Blocks (650 feet)
Walking Speed:
Leisurely (3.1 mph/5.1 km/hr)
Purposeful (4.2 mph/6.8 km/hr)
Brisk (5.9mph/9.5 km/hr)
Enter distance to Walk:

Result: Time to Walk= seconds
Result: Time to Walk= minutes
Result: Time to Walk= hours

* Remember to push the "Compute" button to update the result when you change units, walking speed, or distance!


For reference, the tables below show how long it would take to walk the given distance at each of the 3 walking speeds considered.  Note that the times provided do not include any breaks or rest stops and assumes that a steady walking pace is maintained.

Look up the walking time for a given distance in miles or kilometers below.  Walking time for distance in miles is given first, followed by kilometers (km).  Sometimes km is abbreviated simply as k, for example a 5k walk is 5km or about 3 miles.

How Long Does it Take to Walk 1 Mile?

One mile is a fairly short walk- you may be able to reach a local school or grocery store from your home with a one mile walk each way.

Leisurely walking speed: 19.1 minutes
Normal walking speed: 14.2 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 10.2 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 2 Miles?

A two mile walk is no problem for most people.  If you live in town, you can likely reach many schools and businesses with a 2 mile walk each way.

Leisurely walking speed: 38.2 minutes
Normal walking speed: 28.4 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 20.4 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 3 Miles?

A 3 mile walk is something you can easily accomplish during a 1 hour lunch break.

Leisurely walking speed: 58.1 minutes
Normal walking speed: 42.9 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 30.5 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 4 Miles?

Walking 4 miles may also be achievable during a lunch break if you are in good shape and have good walking conditions (good weather and flat walking surface).

Leisurely walking speed: 77.4 minutes
Normal walking speed: 57.1 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 40.7 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 5 Miles?

Walking five miles is more of a commitment.  You can walk across most small and medium size towns with a 5 mile walk each way.

Leisurely walking speed: 95.5 minutes
Normal walking speed: 71.0 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 51.0 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 10 Miles?

If you are stranded on the highway between towns, you might need to walk 10 miles to reach the next town.

Leisurely walking speed: 3.18 hours
Normal walking speed: 2.37 hours
Brisk walking speed: 1.70 hours

How Long Does it Take to Walk 100 Miles?

Walking one hundred miles without a break would be a long day- it would take about 24 hours at normal walking speed.

Leisurely walking speed: 31.8 hours
Normal walking speed: 23.7 hours
Brisk walking speed: 17.0 hours

How Long Does it Take to Walk 1 km (kilometer)?

One kilometer is a short walk- a few city blocks in most areas.

Leisurely walking speed: 11.9 minutes
Normal walking speed: 8.80 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 6.34 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 2 km (kilometers)?

A distance of two kilometers is a bit more than one mile, also a short walk for most people.

Leisurely walking speed: 23.7 minutes
Normal walking speed: 17.6 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 12.7 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 3 km (kilometers)?

You could walk 3 km during a 30 minute lunch break.

Leisurely walking speed: 36.1 minutes
Normal walking speed: 26.6 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 19.0 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 4 km (kilometers)?

If you are not ready to tackle a 4 mile walk, start with a 4 km walk.  It sounds almost as impressive!

Leisurely walking speed: 48.1 minutes
Normal walking speed: 35.5 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 25.3 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 5 km (kilometers)?

A five kilometer distance is equivalent to about 3 miles.  Most people can easily walk this distance.  A 5 km walk is also known as a 5 k walk.

Leisurely walking speed: 59.3 minutes
Normal walking speed: 44.1 minutes
Brisk walking speed: 31.7 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 10 km (kilometers)?

Ten kilometers is over 6 miles.  Walking this distance would take you across town in most small and medium sized cities.  At over an hour and a half at normal walking speed, a 10 k walk takes some commitment.

Leisurely walking speed: 1.98 hours
Normal walking speed: 1.47 hours
Brisk walking speed: 63.4 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Walk 100 km (kilometer)?

One hundred kilometers is a bit over 62 miles.  Walking 100 km would be a long day or night, taking over 12 hours to cover this distance.

Leisurely walking speed: 19.8 hours
Normal walking speed: 14.7 hours
Brisk walking speed: 10.6 hours


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