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You are here: Home / Electric Shaver / How To Sharpen Electric Razor? A Novice-Friendly Guide

How To Sharpen Electric Razor? A Novice-Friendly Guide

May 14, 2022 by Max Young

Are you fed up with replacing your shaver’s blade and foil too often? Keep reading as you will find out how to sharpen an electric razor by following these simple steps. Let’s go!

Anyone who owns an electric shaver is always obsessed with the sharpness of the razor blades as it can affect the closeness and the shaving experience. 

Therefore, they will do what they can to maintain the sharpness of the blades by honing or sharpening and only rely on replacement blades and foils as the last resort due to the high price. However, shaver owners are intimidated by the complicated process when sharpening.

But fret not as in this article we will guide you on how to sharpen an electric razor which will save you a fortune from continuously replacing the blades and foils. Keep scrolling down for more!

What Are The Benefits Of Sharpening An Electric Razor

Increase Efficiency And Life Span

After using electric razors for a specific amount of time, the blades will get dull, and the shave won’t be close and smooth as usual.

Customers plan to dump the old blades into the garbage bin and replace them with new ones. However, sharpening these blunt blades will revive their optimal shaving experience.

Save The Environment

That might sound silly at first, but if you look at the big picture, you can see that honing the old blades might positively affect the environment.

When you grind the blades of your electric razor, you can increase the lifespan of these blades, and prolong the blade’s performance for a specific period of time.

As a result, you will dispose of less trash, not just the blades alone but also the cartoon box or the plastic wrapped around the new blades. Moreover, the exhaust caused by the shipping and delivering process will be reduced.

Save Money

You can temporarily save yourself a few bucks by honing the current blunt blades.

You can use them for a few months, allowing you to save up enough money for the replacement blades before throwing them away. Or you can spend it on other purposes such as treating yourself to a decent meal after a long strenuous working day or buying a surprise gift for your loved ones. 

Various types of electric shavers

Various types of electric shavers

Type Of Electric Shaver

Before jumping into sharpening or honing the shaver blades, you must understand that there are various types of electric razors with a unique sharpening method, and foil and rotary electric shavers are the most popular ones. 

Rotary Shaver

One of the most popular types of electric razors is the rotary, which has three circular spinning heads. Each head is covered by a screen foil and below is a circular blade which will cut off and trim any hair that gets inside.

The blades of this type of razor can be sharpened and honed as when you open the shaver head, you can take each blade out and grind them separately.

Foil Shavers

The head of the foil shaver includes straight lines of foil screen which cover the oscillating blades. 

Foil shavers can’t be honed or sharpened due to their oscillating design which has little room between the foils and the blades. Moreover, the blades and foils are arranged horizontally which makes the honing process impossible.

Besides, the blades are quite thin which makes them susceptible to bending during repair operations.

For that reason, the only option for dull foil shaver blades is to replace the new ones. Furthermore, after being used for several months, the foils are also distorted and might clash with the blades when shaving. Thus, you should change the foils and the blades at the same time.

When You Should Sharpen Electric Shaver Blades

When it comes to electric shaver sharpening, the first step is to know when to do so. In the guideline, the manufacturer only recommends you replace the blades instead of sharpening them when they get dull.

Therefore, there is no specific timeline for sharpening the blades as it depends on various factors such as the quality of the blades and the foils you use, the thickness and coarseness of your hair, or the way you clean your electric shaver.  

You can tell when your electric razor’s blades need to be sharpened based on how well it works. To begin with, you may notice that the shave is becoming less close and you need a few more strokes to get the closeness you want. 

Moreover, the razor may start yanking the face hair rather than cutting it. A heated shaver head is also a sign of the worn blades which means that it’s time to hone the blades of your electric shaver.

How To Sharpen An Electric Razor

After trying various methods to hone and sharpen the electric razor blades, below are the three methods that will bring the optimal result to your blades.

Toothpaste

Before we start, you should prepare a small brush or old toothbrush with soft bristles, regular toothpaste, and warm water. When all the items and tools are ready, it’s showtime!

Toothpaste for sharpening blades

Toothpaste for sharpening blades

Clean And Take Apart The Shaver Head

You should dismantle your electric shaver and cleanse all the hair, dead skin, or dust still stuck in the shaver head before honing or sharpening the blade. 

Basically you can easily open the rotary head just by clicking the button on the side of the head. Then turn the knob in the middle of the blades or each blade to separate the blades and foils. In some models, you might need help from screwdrivers to disassemble all the components.

Using a  soft bristles toothbrush or a tiny brush, rub all the dismantled pieces under the running tap water. Then soak them in the hot water until all the dirt gets removed. When it’s all done, put these pieces back together and move to the next step.

Apply Toothpaste On The Blade And Razor Screen

This step might create a mess so prepare yourself for that. Squeeze a little toothpaste out and spread it on the foil screens and gently press the rotary head against your palm in order to allow the toothpaste to sneak into the blades and foils.

After that, turn on your shaver and let the running blades help you deliver the toothpaste across every corner of the blades and foils. Let the shaver run for a while and turn it off when you can feel the heat when touching the shaver’s head.

Repeat this procedure a few times until the blades reach the sharpness you require.

Get Rid Of The Toothpaste

To complete the operation, you must dismantle the razor head again. Use hot water to cleanse the blades of your razor. Before putting them back together, leave these pieces alone for a few minutes to dry out.

If your razor head can not be taken apart, use a towel to remove any toothpaste which is left after cleaning with hot water. Make sure that everything is cleaned up completely. Razor blades may get clogged and less effective even if a little toothpaste is left on them.

Reassemble And Test The Shaver

When all the pieces of the razor head are dry out and clean, put them back together carefully. Then you should turn it on and check the sharpness of the newly honed blades by pressing them gently on your face. If the blades don’t cause any pain or discomfort, this shaver is ready to use.

Store The Shaver

Put your electric shaver in a drawer or cabinet which is free from direct sunlight and moisture as these factors can deteriorate the external parts of the razor.

Watch this video so you can know how to do that properly:

Flat Glass Or Mirrors

Heart glass mirror

Heart glass mirror

In order to sharpen your shaver blades with this method, a piece of glass (mirror), lubricant, and a stiff brush are what you should prepare.

Disassemble The Razor Head

Click the button on the side of the razor head to open the internal parts and cleanse the hair, debris, or dust stuck inside with the brush. 

Detach the cutting parts from the housing and then take apart the blades and the foil screens. Later, put all the parts into the sink and cleanse them. You must be careful or else you will accidentally flush away the components.

Start The Honing Process

A flat piece of glass or a mirror may be used to begin this process by putting the blade on it. Then, use your finger, apply a little force on the blade, and circle it in a clockwise direction. Each blade must circulate on the glass 50 or 100 times to revive the initial sharpness.

Reassemble All Parts 

When you finish grinding all the blades, put them back into the foil shields, and attach the cutting parts to the housing. Once you’ve reassembled the electric razor, it’s ready to go.

You can check out this video to see how to sharpen an electric razor with flat glass or mirrors:

Sharpening Heads

If you are owning any electric shaver from Norelco, Phillips, or Remington, congratulations! You can hone it by sharpening heads.

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Purchase The Sharpening Heads

You can easily find the sharpening head online at a reasonable price. Make sure you know the exact name of your shaver model so that you can choose the right sharpener which is compatible with the blades.

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Dismantle The Rotary Razor Head

Press the button located on the side of the shaver head to expose all the pieces inside. After that, carefully twist the knobs in the razor head to free the blades. You can use the brush with soft bristles to brush off some dust, hair, or dirt.

Replace The Foil Screen With Sharpening Head

When all the blades are separate from the housing, take out the shaving screen and input the sharpening heads in this location.

Hone The Blade

Put all the components back to the housing and run the razor for a couple of seconds. After that, take out the sharpeners and put the shaving screens back.

Benchstone

And the final method we would like to introduce is using bechstone or oil stone. This is a traditional way to hone or sharpen the blunt and dull blades for several decades.

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Take Apart The Shaver Head

What you must do is disassemble the components in the shaver head just by clicking the button residing on the side of the razor head. Pay attention to the knobs in the razor head as turning them can free the blades from the head.

Sharpen The Blades

Take a single blade each time and rub it in the clockwise direction on the surface of the stone repeatedly till the edges appear polished.

Lubricate And Put Them Back Together

The last step is to lubricate the blades and reinstall them, make sure the razor is operating properly by turning the razor on and then off a couple of times to make sure it is operating properly.

FAQs

Which Type of Toothpaste Should I Use To Sharpen The Blades?

For best results, stick to the regular toothpaste. If you can not find the regular type, ‘whitening’ toothpaste can be an acceptable substitute.

The toothpaste must not contain any flashy additives, such as odd flavorings or minty crystals because the additives might hinder the effect of toothpaste on sharpening the blades.

How Often Do I Need To Sharpen My Electric Shaver Blades?

It depends heavily on your shaving habit. If you shave daily, you should sharpen your razor once a week. If your shaving routine is less dense like that, It’s not a bad idea to hone the razor’s blades weekly because you will get a better, more sanitary, and safer shave in the process.

Can I Sharpen My Electric Shaver Blades With Sandpaper?

Using sandpaper to sharpen electric razor blades is not a stranger as you might hear it somewhere. However, we recommend you against this method as it can cause more trouble than you expected.

The sandpaper even with the finest grain will get stuck in the rip and blade which create unusable surfaces. In addition, the grit can create greater wear and tear on the edge of the blade.

If I Sharpen My Blades Regularly, Does It Mean That They Will Last Forever?

No, It will never happen. With appropriate maintenance, the shaver may last for decades but it’s a different story for the blades. The more you shaver, the duller the blades become, and applying various methods to sharpen the blades is just a temporary solution.

When the blades reach 12 months old, they will be too dull and blunt to repair.

Conclusion

We hope that after reading this post, you understand how to sharpen electric razors effectively, as well as what materials and instruments you should have on hand.

There are four methods that you can use to sharpen your electric razor blades. We recommend you hone the blades with toothpaste or glass as these items can be found easily in your home.

As usual, your ideas and questions are welcome. If you find this information valuable, please share this article with your friends and family. Thank you for reading, and enjoy shaving!

Filed Under: Electric Shaver, Shaving Tips

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Hello, my name is Max Young - the founder of ShaverMap.com, a website dedicated to the shaving community. Read More…

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