How to Sharpen Razor Blades With a Matchbox Striker

If you want your razor blades to last and you want a precision cutting edge regardless of what you are cutting, then you may wish to try sharpening a razor with a matchbox striker. Caution is the key word here, but if done correctly, you can sharpen any razor blade on a match box striker and maintain its sharpness much longer than normal.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leather gloves
• Dull razor blade
• Matchbox striker

1. Protect your hands with the leather gloves. We are dealing with an incredibly sharp object, so safety is the key here. Always use leather gloves when handling a razor blade, as they will give you a better level of protection than bare skin or gloves made of other materials in case of a mishap.

2. Grab the blade by one side and position the edge on the matchbox striker.

3. Push down hard enough to flex the blade. Once the blade is flexed, pull it firmly over the striker. Repeat the flexing and pulling motions three times.

4. Sharpen the other side of the blade. This may not be necessary, depending on what type of razor you have. However, most razor blades are long enough that you can only sharpen half of the blade at a time. If this is the case, turn the blade around and use the same flexing and pulling motions as before.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan on doing this on a regular basis with the same matchbox, place a couple of drops of penetrating oil onto the striker first before sharpening your razor blade. The oil will suspend the minute metal particles of the razor blade and allow the strikers grit to be more effective the next time you use it.
• Always wear gloves to protect your hands from injury.