Loading…

Called BS on the whole "let your shears sit for 6 months before sharpening" thing | Barbers - Opinions Matter

Called BS on the whole "let your shears sit for 6 months before sharpening" thing

Two years ago I had a set of Mizutanis that started pulling around month 4. Took em to my sharpener and he told me to wait longer between sharpens, that I was wearing the blade out faster. I thought he was just trying to upsell me on a new pair or something. Fast forward to this spring, I finally let a pair of Kenzis go 8 months without a touch up. Didnt treat them any different. Honestly, they cut better at month 6 than they did at month 2. The blade settled in or something. Has anyone else noticed this or is my sharpener just way too good at his job?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke4755mo ago

The "blade settled in" part is real and Ive noticed it with kitchen knives too. New stuff has this tight, almost stiff feel that takes a while to break in, like a fresh pair of boots that need to mold to your feet. Once the edge stabilizes and you get past that initial honeymoon phase, it just kinda finds its groove and cuts better for longer. Same thing happens with my good scissors at home, they hit a sweet spot around month 4 where they feel smoother than when they were brand new.

elliot_johnson5mo ago

Brooke totally nailed it with that "fresh pair of boots" comparison. It's wild how that settling in thing happens with so much stuff beyond just blades. I've noticed the same with my car's brakes after I had them replaced. First few hundred miles they felt grabby and kinda unpredictable, but after they bedded in everything got smooth and responsive. Even with my headphones, they sounded tinny and harsh when I first got them, but after a couple weeks of use the bass loosened up and the whole soundstage opened up. It's like most mechanical things need a break in period to find their natural rhythm. Guess nothing comes perfect right out of the box, you gotta give it time to learn how to be itself.