In the past couple years I have started a bunch of new hobbies: Learning to play the harmonica, Smoking a pipe, and the one i'm the most exciting for me is a shaving with a straight razor. I have naturally coarse hair and everything I've tried to shave with gets dull so fast that there is no difference between a off brand disposable or a Gillette that coast upwards of 12 dollars a pop. My love for straight edge razors started young when I would watch westerns with the inevitable barber scene with the good guy getting a shave and the badguy ambushes him only to get pumped full of lead. This always harbored an interested for me and last year I went to a barber and got a straight edge shave for the first time where I fell in love with it instantly. I really never did have a shave as good as that one and recently bought one hoping to forever never buy a store brand razor.
At this point is where it seems everything goes wrong. Back in October I visited an antiques store to buy a Strop and a Straight edge razor for my birthday and having watched YouTube videos, I try to get the dull edge in shaving order, but no go. I even paid out to get the blade professionally sharpened but even that didn't make it sharp enough to shave with. (Note: Some of the video tutorials I have watched said that razors are shave ready when they can take hair from your arm dry) So I looked online and found a new shaver from Kriegar for 14 bucks and it came being just as dull at the used one I bought. I tried to sharpen it with a strop as well and again, to no avail. Here are the stats for the razor:
KRIEGAR PEARL FANTASY STRAIGHT EDGE SHAVING RAZOR .
One of the most popular, nostalgic tools of all time. The straight razor has been around for centuries and continues to be a worldwide favorite. This stylish folding razor offers a solid stainless steel 3" blade with a mirror finish. The pearl handle is contoured to fit perfectly into your palm. Includes custom embroidered velvet bag.
- 3" Laser Etched Stainless Steel Blade
- 9 5/8" Overall Length
So...am I doing something wrong, or did I shoot my self in the foot not buying a 200 dollar quality razor that has 'ready to shave' in the discription?