Sharpen a straight razor

I posted the following over at bladeforums:

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I ordered a new straight razor it arrived yesterday along with the brush. The item was as described handle is steel+wood handle and the razor/blade is steel as well. The blade is a straight blade not the curved one I washed the blade and tried shaving but this thing just isn't cutting I tried every possible angle and pressure but nothing. I tried against and with the grain nothing : /

I even tried shaving some hair on the arm but it's just not cutting at all. However the blade does feel sharp to the touch when I press on it with my finger.

What I have in my disposal is a sharpening stone, sharpening file both for kitchen knifes and I have few straps of Japanese tooling leather some are regular some are vegetable treated and off course the old
military leather belt.

I tried 100 swaps on the tooling leather and the blade is just not as sharp to cut when you pull against the direction of hair growth even if I apply pretty decent pressure I don't want to hit it with a stone to ruin the blade. What are my options ?

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They told me to come here. I'm a novice at all this I tried a shave with a straight razor before using my grandfathers and I loved it but after my grandfather passed however was packing up the house seems to have thrown it away. I found a very similar model on a Japanese store all steel (I did not like what you get in some barber stores wood+blade or plastic+blade it feels way to light) on this one both handle and blade are steel and pretty heavy to the touch.

I paid 599$ for the razor and then some 200$ for oils, brush and what no but did not get a strop. The razor feels very sharp to the touch but won't cut hair regardless of pressure. I was pretty disappointed that this is not shave ready.

Question: Is there anything I have or could have at my disposal that could help me sharpen this thing up, up to a point where I could use it for a shave ?

Otherwise what is my best option, (I was thinking of taking it to a local work shop that sharpens knifes for restaurants see if they can help me out) ? I'm central EU with no local honemeister to take this to, closest one I found was UK the postage makes it some 120$ for two way shipping + then some 20-70$ for sharpening, which is not that big of a problem if this is a once a year thing. But this again means sending it then waiting up to a month to get the thing back so I was thinking of possibly joust keeping this one as eye candy and buying a new one in some 80-150$ range that's shave ready but not sure which one to pick.

My geography s not good. If you go the top bar there are two menu lines. On the bottom line click community, and then from the drop down click member list, then search members, then advanced search you can search by location. If you find someone near by the send them a private message. There are ads for honing here Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Can we see the Razor ???

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Can we see the Razor ???

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I don't have the camera with me I will upload a photo tomorrow.
Attachment 166964

Very similar instead with steel & wood handle.

But it was a Hart ??

Weird, they usually send those out ready to go. Sounds like it wasn't honed completely and you may have dulled the bevel they put on it. Or they may not have completely set the bevel in the first place. Honestly I wouldn't use the sharpening files, they normally aren't more than 1-2k in grit and you are bound to roll the edge. The cheapest option sounds like a Narniwa 3k/8k or henkels combo and bite the bullet and learn. Otherwise you are still going to have to send it out 2-3x's a year unless you find a cheap barbers hone to maintain your edge every few months, or diamond or chrome are good as well

Did a quick search in the member services here. Both these guys are in Europe.

Honing in the Nordic/Northern Europe area - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Honing services EU / Finland, handmade leather goods - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Hope this helps

Well,

worst case scenario, I would do it out of the curiosity of testing a Hart, since a Hart is out of my budget, if you pay for port back and forth (France).

But for such a piece, you should go to a professionnal. Or, well, send it back for a check.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...icipation.html

Have a read at the posts above.

I wouldn't do anything with the blade until you try a couple of more shaves as you learn how to use the razor. You can always send it back to where you got it for them to have a look at it as well.

Have fun.

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Originally Posted by Lynn

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...icipation.html

Have a read at the posts above.

I wouldn't do anything with the blade until you try a couple of more shaves as you learn how to use the razor. You can always send it back to where you got it for them to have a look at it as well.

Have fun.

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I looked in the member list as RezDog suggested and what are the chances I found an active member on this forum from Slovenia (even same city as me) xD who sharpens his own straight razor he also refereed me to a SRP like site in Slovenia he offered to help me out but is very busy atm. However I did find a local workshop that makes and sharpens the swords and blades and what not they said they had done a few before, they also sharpen regular knifes and swords like katana they told me that they have equipment for fine sharpening the price is 30 euros so I decided to go with them.

Since it can be done right away and no need to ship it off. I will take it to get sharpened and post the pictures and first shave result.

On the other hand they said that depending on the type of steel if it's soft steel then sharpening it will work once or twice so there is a chance that this will be joust eye candy in the long run.

I'm trying to find a decent straight razor with replaceable blades.

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Originally Posted by neredsenvy

However I did find a local workshop that makes and sharpens the swords and blades and what not they said they had done a few before, they also sharpen regular knifes and swords like katana they told me that they have equipment for fine sharpening the price is 30 euros so I decided to go with them.

Since it can be done right away and no need to ship it off. I will take it to get sharpened and post the pictures and first shave result.

On the other hand they said that depending on the type of steel if it's soft steel then sharpening it will work once or twice so there is a chance that this will be joust eye candy in the long run.

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You came here to get advice on Straight Razors, so far you haven't listened to what we are trying to tell you...

So I am going to be rude and direct now, BEFORE you destroy a good razor..

Hart is a solid brand, the steel is fine, even though you still haven't answered the question if it even is a Hart
It should have been shave ready from Hart, but we don't really know how it came into your hands you haven't said
The issues as Lynn just nicely pointed out are probably you, not the razor, at least that is what the odds say
The odds are also WAY against you finding a "Knife / Sword" sharpener that knows how to hone a Straight razor, that is exactly why the BladeForum guys told you to come here

But as I like to say, Your Face, Your Razor, Your Money, Your Choice...

"...I did find a local workshop that makes and sharpens the swords and blades and what not they said they had done a few before, they also sharpen regular knifes and swords like katana they told me that they have equipment for fine sharpening the price is 30 euros so I decided to go with them."

Nightmare outcome: 87%

I have honed everything from a cross cut saw to a real good pocket knife. the straight razor is a different animal. I had no luck at all until I watched and read and learned from the masters here at SRP. I know that fine blades can be ruined from an inexperienced person. if you have a good straight razor it would be in your best interest to send it to a pro razor hone master. I can now shave with one I have honed but as I found out recently from a visit to a friend and pro I'm till a long way from the pros. do yourself a favor and find a hone-master send your blade to that person and enjoy a shave. just my opium.

From the OP's original post.

"I ordered a new straight razor it arrived yesterday along with the brush. The item was as described handle is steel+wood handle and the razor/blade is steel as well. The blade is a straight blade not the curved one I washed the blade and tried shaving but this thing just isn't cutting I tried every possible angle and pressure but nothing. I tried against and with the grain nothing : / "

I doubt very much the razor is a Hart unless they have now started issuing razors with "steel+wood handle". I am getting the bad feeling it may be a RSO. If it is a RSO then it is likely a waste of time to even attempt to hone it or shave with it. Display piece may be for anyone who does not know straights.

A photo of the actual razor would be a very good starting point rather than a photo of a Hart that looks similar to what I have idea.

Bob

+1 Bob I have been wondering the same, (see post #3 and #5) but we just are not getting the answers :(

That being said, I don't know what a RSO is, but OP did say he paid his razor $499, which is, IMHO quite pricey for anything not high end

I have lakefront property of sale cheap in Arizona USA. Send me money for a deposit wink wink.
The truth is without images and answers to the basic questions asked of you.
You are in a boat with no paddles.
Do as the senior members here have told you first nicely, then bluntly.
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink.
Everyone on this site WANTS to help, follow their order of operation and you will be sucessful ... Dont and you will lose time, money and your mind.

I think you should check with the local person from your town - chances are they know how competent the honing at that local shop is. If he doesn't perhaps others on the Slovenian forum do.
It is best to get hands on help and in this hobby patience tends to be rewarded.

But ultimately it is your razor, your face, and your money so it is up to you how you want to go about it. Do keep us posted on the progress, though.

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

I have lakefront property of sale cheap in Arizona USA. Send me money for a deposit wink wink.
The truth is without images and answers to the basic questions asked of you.
You are in a boat with no paddles.
Do as the senior members here have told you first nicely, then bluntly.
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink.
Everyone on this site WANTS to help, follow their order of operation and you will be sucessful ... Dont and you will lose time, money and your mind.

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Hey! We have quite a few lakes here in Arizona...

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Originally Posted by Aggelos

That being said, I don't know what a RSO is, but OP did say he paid his razor $499, which is, IMHO quite pricey for anything not high end

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RSO = Razor Shaped Object
In other words: something that looks like a razor, but can't function as one due to some defect (i.e., bad metal or geometry, etc.).

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Originally Posted by rhensley

... just my opium.

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You're dreaming.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

+1 Bob I have been wondering the same, (see post #3 and #5) but we just are not getting the answers :(

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Yea, saw those posts and then everyone seemed to go off in a Hart beat. ;) Just thought I would bring it up again. I am curious too.

Bob

I want to know how this turned out. 600$ for something with a bulky "handle" sounds very odd, and not like a razor.

man this thread ended up being a disaster.

I'm surprised. The guys at blade forums always brag about how great they can hone razors.

The blade, box, case and paper say it's Heart the handle is not original. I will stay away from any knife shops for now. Im picking out one for regular use with dispozable blades. This is a pretty expansive sport, this is the reason Im sort of reluctant to use this one for anything other than eye candy.

picture???

Heart and NOT Hart ? You need to be more informative and we can help more, pics are worth a thousand words.

I hope they know razors...I wouldn't use a knife/sword guy to work on my razors UNLESS he's done a bunch before. They are very different than other sharp edges.

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Originally Posted by neredsenvy

The blade, box, case and paper say it's Heart the handle is not original. I will stay away from any knife shops for now. Im picking out one for regular use with dispozable blades. This is a pretty expansive sport, this is the reason Im sort of reluctant to use this one for anything other than eye candy.

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As long as you do not abuse it and maintain it properly there is no reason that with daily use 100 years from now your razor should look any different. Hart razors are made of O1 steel, which is fairly generic high carbon tool steel. It will rust quickly if you don't make sure there is no moisture on it after your shave.
The bottom line is that shaving with it is not a problem, only improper care would be.

For $600 you could've bought a much better decoration, so I'd suggest that you try to get a bit more out of what you paid for.

Please listen to all the guys on here they DO know what they are talking about. For the price you've paid it would be crazy to not use this razor especially if it is a genuine Hart. Get the thing sharpened by someone who knows what they are doing NOT a knife grinder unless you want a useless bit of steel back!
You're impatient to get stated, we all know that feeling but unless you get the basics in place you may as well not bother going down the SR route as you're setting yourself up to fail before you've even stated.
SR shaving requires patience so get the razor honed even if it takes some time to get it back then you'll know that you're starting with a razor that will shave you. If it doesn't then as others have said the problem is with yourself and your technique.
Read everything you can here and watch all the relevant videos it should point you in the right direction.
Finally if you ask a question listen to the answers you get as everyone here does want to help you but can't provide that help if you ignore the replies.