YANT (Yet Another Newbie Thread)

[paul_lynch]

I recently decided to get started with straight shaving, and could use some confirmation on my thinking.

I normally shave every 2 days with a Mach3, mostly with and across the grain, against in some spots, using a shave gel (non-foaming). By the bye, switching to a decent shave soap (Taylor's) and my old badger brush gives a better shave just on its own.

I bought a Cyril Salter razor (marked Solingen on the blade) and a Dovo strop plus yellow paste (the pure fat sort). Test shave: nothing. Was so blunt it didn't even pull, just glided over, although it felt sharp in a kitchen knife kind of way. Got a couple of nicks from using too steep an angle to the face and it digging in. I wasn't entirely surprised, to be fair. A hanging hair just glides over this baby.

Next step was to buy a Norton 4000/8000. I've given it a couple of 'aggressive' pyramids, and a couple of normal ones, according to Randy's guide in the files area. A hanging hair catches on the blade now, but doesn't part. A test shave naturally results in a shallower angle, closer to the face, and I can handle cheeks and neck just fine - but still can't touch chin or lip. The quality of shave where I can shave is poor; there's still a very obvious stubble there to finger tip feel.

My thinking is that the blade still needs plenty of honing; could I be right (or wrong) on this? I am stropping adequately, I think - 50-60 strokes each way; I did dig in a couple of times on my first run, but that problems fixed now. Shaving technique needs some work, too, but with my cheeks as a test area, I think I'm pretty ok for gradual improvements there.

Thanks in advance,

[AFDavis11]

Welcome,

Yea, maybe a little more honing. Just the weight of the blade or just a touch more than the weight of the blade followed up with light stropping.

I would use mostly the 8k side at this point and add an occasional 4K pass instead of say 1/5 pyramids. Maybe 1/15s.

[paul_lynch]

OK, will do; thanks for the tips. I'll give it another hone today, and test it out again tomorrow.

[raZor]

howdy, I am new to this "honing" concept so I do not know what resul;ts you need from a honed razor. I have been reading that even if you get a honed razor by whoever you still need to strop and use the blade to get used to it --did that make any sense?? well eventually, from what i have read, it should get sharper as your skills improve.


I have no skills because i have been using a disposable straight edge and I have always gotten a super shave with those---but you can only use the disposable blade once, so there is the down side

anyway best to ya man

[xman]

I'd concur that sharpness is the most likely issue with your blade. It's important to keep th e pressure even along the edge while honein. For that reason most of us either use an 'X' motion on the stone drawing the tip down from on corner to its oposite throughout the honing stroke, or the Rolling Hone method where the main pointof contact with the hone travels up the edge of the balde from heel to tip throughgout the stroke. Starting with some pressure and ending with little to none will help form a good edge.

Unlike Alan I get best results from sticking to the pyramid and want to encourage you to do the same. Once you're a little more familiar with the honing process you can branch out to what serves you best.

I've condensed the collected wisdom on the Standard Sharpness Tests, raZor. I hope its useful.

X

[paul_lynch]

I'm honing using the standard X pattern; it seems to me to make the best allowance for inconsistencies in hone surface, razor edge and technique. I'm also trying to keep my hand in the same position throughout and for both strokes, and I'm using my other hand very lightly on the blade to try and ensure that it doesn't lift, which it was doing on some of my early passes.

I've read the tests page a couple of times, I've found it very useful; thanks.

I have been reading that even if you get a honed razor by whoever you still need to strop and use the blade to get used to it --did that make any sense?? well eventually, from what i have read, it should get sharper as your skills improve.

You should always strop a razor before use; most people say that you should strop after use as well. Poor stropping will blunt a razor, but normal stropping won't ever sharpen it - although it will preserve a sharp blade for a long time. Using a strop that has been prepared with grinding paste (the Dovo yellow paste is just fat and doesn't contain any grinding powder) will sharpen, but that's in a different category from normal stropping, and serves a different purpose.

[paul_lynch]

Commenting on my own post: actually, I believe that leather contains silicia particles, so could well have a mild sharpening effect. Wiser minds, however...

Update: I've run a few more milder pyramids, as suggested above, and the Salter blade passes the thumb pad test alnong most of its length. Still no HHT, though. Since I previously posted, I recieved one of the Polish razors (a bargain, nothing to lose) in the post. Just about one week to arrive to the UK, btw. I gave this a 20x seeing to on the 4000, followed by an aggressive pyramid, and straight away got that grippy feeling on the thumb pad - but no HHT.

Shaving with the polish razor, and I can get a decent finish on cheeks and neck; some of this is down to the blade, and some down to improved shaving technique. The chin and upper lip still defeat me, and I am having to use too much pressure compared to what I imagine a sharp blade would require. No burn, except a little at the base of my neck, together with a small nick there. Compared to my usual Mach 3, there is still some small stubble remaining (with 2 passes), and a very little burn and nicks.

I am encouraged by progress; my shaving technique is only going to get better, and I think a truly sharp edge would provide that. I'd like to be able to get from TPT to HHT, which I don't quite have the expertise to carry out (but I'm learning). I see that JoshEarl reckons to get to HHT just on the 4000, which is some pretty impressive honing skill.