Can't keep it sharp!

I have been using a straight for 8 months now and love it! But I have been having trouble keeping it straight. I am using a 5/8 Ralf Aust. The hones I have are a Norton4k/8k, a dragons tougue, and a llyn melynllyn. I also use pasted balsa, a pasted SRD strop, and a Tony Miller strop for finishing. My problem is that it will not stay sharp for more than a 2 months before needing honing and no more than a few shaves before needing the paste. In all fairness, my whiskers are quite coarse and I do not expect my razor to last as long. But it should last longer than it has been. Before every shave I strop between 40-80X's. It is usually sufficient. However, if it pulls any, then I go to the pasted strop. If I have to use the pasted strop 2-3X's in a row, then I go to the stones. I have honed it twice. Any suggestions would be appreiciated. Thank in advance!

I don't use pastes, so I cannot comment much about your routine, all I can ask is, "Do you have another quality straight razor to make shave comparisons with?"

maybe your stropping technique isn't quite perfected? That seems to be the biggest edge damager I can think of.

Yes. I have a Crown &Sword 1720 that is an excellent shaver, but I haven't used it enough to get it dull. Also, I have considered that it could be my stropping technique too. I have tried various amounts of pressure and have not found much difference in the blade. I am at a loss.

I will have to back away from giving advice to you on this one, as I am completely different in my honing style & maintenance of the edge. I can say that I only do 60 to 80 laps on a strop after completing my edge on my finisher; before each shave , there is only 20 laps on the strop.

Do you shave with it every day for the two months?

Check out the Stroptober thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...st-2012-a.html

There is a ton of great stropping info there.

In addition to pressure, how consistent are you with stretching your skin? I found I often let that aspect of the process slip from time to time, especially when I was starting out, and proper stretching can make a heck of a difference sometimes.

Where are you located? There may be someone local who can help you out.

I shave every 2 days usually. I stretch the skin and shave down, across, and then up. Also, I lather between each direction. I live close to Tupelo, Mississippi.

how is your beard prep? I think in general most people need to do a bit more prep than they do. it will really impact the longevity of an edge if you under prep. you may get comfortable enough shaves to suspect something else is at fault but perhaps try experimenting with improving the prep routine. you may find your edges retain their bite longer.

I never considered that. I usually shave after a shower. I use Proraso soap and hot water.

the operative phrase would be "with a grain of salt" :p it may or may not have anything to do with the issues but peruse the info in the library Improving your preparation to get better results - Straight Razor Place Library

I'd suggest trying to strop on a flat surface for a while and see if that extends the life of your edge at all. If so, you may have found your culprit. Probably goes without saying, but use light pressure and ensure you're keeping both edge and spine on the strop at all times.

Well I don't know - it seems to me running your blade over some pastes every three shaves seems perfectly fine to me. I mean if your face likes it, who cares?

As for having to hone your blade every three months - woot!! A valid reason to pull out the stones is a boon if you ask me lol!!

Ultimately, 8 months isn't that long a time in. If all you have to do is play with your stones every three or so months, and use a little paste now and again - I figure you are golden!

I have no doubt in my mind that at the stage you are at, in another 8 months you'll probably need to use your stones less. But if that isn't the case and you indeed find yourself still needing to hone every three months, at least you'll not be in the position I am in wishing I had something to hone lol.

That's my 2 cents.

I read somewhere some advice regarding using a 12k hone for 12 laps every 12 shaves or something like that, maybe you could experement with something similar, ie use your finest hone every second sunday for a set number of laps, it might reduce or eliminate the need for pastes, will improve your honing techniques and should reduce the need to do more intense honing every few months.

Hi Perr,

I'm smiling, having read what could easily have been some of my first posts here, though I made the error of trying to learn to hone right away. At 8 mo., you're likely got skill enough that learning to hone makes sense.

You mention a couple 'finishing' stones in addition to pasted strops. I'd like to ask about how your edges are when you finish w/ the Norton 8k. How do they compare w/ your Aust when you got it (I presume professionally honed)? To many here, its a familiar question, and far from trivial. It should be a pretty comfortable, smooth edge that gives a fine shave. Is it for you? I ask, 'cause unless it is, all the sprays, pastes, snots, gucci finishers are doo-doo. The snots will give you a short-lived illusion of a good edge. I got a little familiar w/ the edges from one Pro that sold a particular brand, and when I brought one used, I wrote the seller: "did XXXXXX do the honing on this blade"? Yup. I thanked him (its a lovely razor) and re-honed from 4k. I LOVE that razor years later.

That 8k finish is the pass/fail test for your stone work. Get it right, and the higher grits will give you the joy you want. Get it wrong, and you're better off finding out why and fixing the issue before continuing. JimmyHad credited the honorable Randydance w/ telling him about the importance of that 8k edge.

Maybe your 8k edges are awesome & you're facing other issues. If so, I'd suggest getting w/ someone experienced on the stones and have them look at, and test your edges, then let them re-finish the blade & see how the difference feels. Some asymmetry to the blade? Some misalignment between spine and bevel, introduced by early honing efforts? Sometimes the issues hide well. Some regular testing w/ magic marker would possibly help identify where the issue is.

As one member posted earlier - months from now, I doubt this will be an issue. Best of luck and enjoy the learning.

It was professionally hone at SRD. It had almost a soft, buttery feel. Of course, I don't expect for my honing skills to be on par with the pros, but I would like to obtain a more consistently comfortable shave. I did a pyramid hone after posting and it was a bit better. But I am striving for that initial feel.

Hi Perr,

That craving for the joy of the nice edge will be with you for a while. It now haunts me when a perfectly fine edge that shaves well - doesn't have the preferred combination of smooth & sharp. I've grown partial to a particular feel from a finish. My penance for the error of trying to learn to shave and learn to hone at the same time, meant I suffered from harsh edges for my first 6-7 months. So when I tried my first really smooth edges, I came unstuck - was on a mission to obtain that magic feel.

Rather than advocate a particular method, rock, some perspective might have as much value. In the shooting sports, newer competitors were all about gear. The latest trick toy to pimp out their preferred tool. When a famous guy responded to questions about the latest fashion accessory to the sport - he usually said something like: put the money in ammo and spend 1-2 more days/month at the range. In honing, a great young guy (Holly4pirating) said: go hone a couple hundred blades. Your question will mostly evaporate by then.

So our journey involves paying some dues, having frustrations, etc. Posting questions about specific issues w/ edges makes alot of sense. The more blades you work through, the better the questions will get and the better your shaves will be. Its no small accomplishment that you now get nice shaves from your own edges - whether or not the edge lasts very long.

I expect hear more from your efforts. 'Some breakthroughs, some frustrations, and some fine shaves. I'll be rooting for you as you go.

Well, I have discovered a few things since I began this thread awhile back. I am a severe allergy sufferer and apparently my sinus inflammation was causing my skin to be irritated too. Also, I began using Proraso pre-shave that helped too. So as long as my sinuses are in check, my shaves are good. Thanks everyone for the advice on the face prep! The pre-shave really make a difference.

How are you honing & stropping? Are you using any pressure or are you just using the weight of the razor? If it is sharp enough to shave, you must be doing something right but sometimes people tend to use a little more pressure than needed. It might just be getting used to using just the right amount of pressure, especially stropping. Maybe you are stropping a little harder than normal which could be why you have a hard time keeping it sharp. Sometimes it takes a little getting used to & continuing in that way. It isn't hard to be using a little more pressure than needed & you might not know it.

So what does the edge look like?

One of the biggest mistakes people make learning to maintain an edge is not looking at the edge and doing what the razor needs.

The most difficult thing to learn is stropping without damaging the edge, the edge is much more fragile that most people think. Lifting the spine just once will roll the edge. Take a look at Fuzzychops SEM Photos of a Diamond .25 edge, note the rolled edge. Here.

If you were proficient at stropping, proper stropping could renew it, maybe. If you lift using a pasted strop you could cause more damage.

Re honing without looking at the edge and seeing what it needed caused more damage. Now it most probably needs a complete bevel set and honing.

Have the razor pro honed, so you can learn to shave and maintain the razor and Find a local mentor to reduce you learning curve.

Don’t feel bad, as said this is all common for new shavers.

Here is a video to show you how to check the edge, not the bevel. What you see determines what you need to do next to repair it.

It is not as easy as it looks, but it is not that difficult either. Blindly making repairs usually does not yield good results.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF-ayPofWpY

Not sure about anyone down in tupelo. But there is a couple around the border memphis area. Now if I,m visiting grand kids there in ripley ms. But if you find someone close that might help ,, but I say get it pro honed you don't need that kind of distraction, remember that feeling when you got it? They will get it back for you till you can hone well ,, and if it don't shave well at 8 k it is not going to be any better farther up the grit. Tc