Can our age change hardware performance?

Is it possible for a few years to pass and hardware that once was great or fine, not be worth a #$%$ anymore? I usually go shave free on the weekend and my beard grows fast so come Monday AM there is a lot to mow down. The past year and a half my Monday morning razor has been my Timeless bronze with a feather which, is an aggressive razor combo and the shaves are wonderful.. This past month on mondays out of nostalgia I have used my IKON TECH which I havent used for years and it’s been a cluster %$^. That razor with a shark chrome used to be in my regular rotation and when I am done, the last four Monday mornings it looks like I came out of the movie SAW.... I’ve got more weepers than I can count... and I never get weepers.... I could chalk it up to getting used to the razor and angle again etc.... but how does a razor that I used to use often and get great shaves with go to a cheese grater in 4-6 years time.... ???

That is an interesting dilemma. I've no idea why a once-loved razor now bites. I am aware though that as my whiskers get more and more grey I need the sharper blades to mow them down.

I think the hardware stays the same...it's the way we wield it that needs dialling in.
Ikon Tech is the most aggressive razor around isn't it?
Maybe reproduce everything exactly as before...even the soap or cream....perhaps your soap
before offered the razor better glide. And maybe go slow. Not that you need advice you seem like
a pro.

Maybe the quality of the blades has changed?

I don’t know anything about the Timeless razor you’ve been using but us it possible it’s such a great razor that, combined with superior lathers it’s allowing your technique to get a little sloppy? I say this because I’m finding a similar phenomenon. I’ve been using a Rockwell 6s for a while now. It’s such a great razor that I have to really try hard to put one of my other razors into service. The Rockwell combined with some of the outstanding soaps on the market today has allowed me to not pay as close attention to my technique as I once did. It’s just so darn forgiving that with a great lather I can be almost careless and still get an excellent, drama free shave. When I decide to use a different razor that is not as forgiving as the Rockwell, however, blood can flow. I truly believe that some of these new razors are technique destroyers. Not a problem if that’s the only razor you use but if you like to mix it up you might have problems. You need to requalify on the more technique dependant razors. That’s my thoughts on the subject.

Or....maybe.....you.....wore......it.....out! That'd be something.

Different razors often require different techniques. IMO you had become accustomed to the newer razor.

I’m assuming your using the Timeless Bronze 78 OC normally?

I agree with some folks here that the biggest factor is probably muscle memory changing but I find there’s razors I can put down for months and come back to without issues while others not so much.

I also think that our beards get more corse with time. I have an ATT Calypso R1 that I used to think was stellar and now I find that it takes the hair off and the shaves are fine but it always catches me once or twice and seems to have way more chatter of the edge of the blade versus my Timeless SS or Wunderbar or Baby Smooth. I think the chatter is largely from tougher beard... the ATT also wears my blades down way faster. With other razors I get between 9 and 23 shaves on a GSB blade where I get 2 or 3 on the ATT. I honestly think my beard has toughened up some and that razor doesn’t hold the edge of the blade as solid as my preferred ones.

...I agree with some folks here that the biggest factor is probably muscle memory changing...

No such thing.


https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...your-limbs

Could be age ,or changing muscle memory?