I started out believing very similar to you, Headcrowny. I was passionate about my abilities with my Spyderco Sharpmaker, it had a picture in the book, talked about being able to sharpen razors in the video and there was no way I was going to sink a nickel into anything else until I tried it... Surprisingly, it shaved... It felt like it was peeling my skin, underlying tissues, nerves and a couple layers of bone with it but, doggone it, it shaved! The thing I did do was have a Shave Ready (off the Classifieds here) razor to compare to prior. So, within my first pull down my face I knew I was completely wrong in my belief and now completely humbled in regards to my ability sharpening razors. But, to make sure my Ego got the point I did my normal full 2 passes with it and then just to make sure the point stuck with me hit my face with a little alcohol based aftershave... I think I actually transcended time and saw into the future... Kinda like the opposite of dying... I was completely immersed in my current situation and could easily follow the rabbit hole of where this course of action would take me were I to continue down it. I started buying honing gear within a week of doing this, BTW!

I think you should go for it as well.. What you are reading from everyone else is the Fatherly approach to answering your question and it is likely all from a ".. been there done that.." kind of position. Think back to initial conflicts with your Father/Father Figure when in puberty... They were probably just trying to save you from yourself the majority of the time but from your perspective at the time there was just no way you were going to listen/pay attention. I think many things are like that for Guys... At some point, if you are insistent on pursuing a course of action, your Guy Friends just have to smile, pat you on the back and say, "We're here for you when you need us, Buddy. Go for it!"

I would try really hard not to take offense to any answers... This is a Gentleman's Forum essentially (.. still haven't figured out if Gentleperson's is a word to be used yet..) and so people are going to try to help you where they can and, when you are passionate, that can come across as something negative... It is definitely not! People are just trying to help and, on the off chance you are going to stumble upon a paradigm shift that affects the next few thousand years of honing, they want Front Row Seats.

I think you have a good plan but the one thing you need to have is a comparison... Make sure you have a Shave Ready Razor to try shaving with and that may take some time itself as learning to shave with a Straight Razor is a journey itself... But, you could likely do one short pull straight down your sideburn area and be successful enough as a comparison. You could, in fact, buy a Shave Ready Razor... Give it a couple passes to make sure you know what that feels like... Breadknife the blade or use whatever technique to dull it then try your sharpening process and see how it compares... Unless the heat from the friction affects the temper on the very thin steel, you'll either be able to buy the proper gear and hone or send it someone and for around $20 have the razor back to where it was before.

Try it and have fun... Just realize that, with so many people urging caution, don't sink much money into your practice blade unless you are willing to lose the money and the razor.

Shaving and the journey of knowledge should be a fun thing... Go easy and enjoy it... Successes, mistakes, near misses, epiphanies and all!

Shawn
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