Thread: Weak link

I just started shaving with a straight razor a few days ago and have a question about honing/stropping. I bought a new DOVO and Lynn's DVD and honed it on the Norton very carefully and slowly. I followed with an equally slow and careful strop. I then managed to shave virtually my whole face the first time but there was a lot of tugging or pulling. That said it was the closest shave I've ever had. What is likely to be the weak spot in this routine for a newbie? Am I undoing with the strop what I've done with the hone or have I just not created a true edge on the hone? Any Thoughts?

Not trying to be a smart ass, but everything is the problem.

And nothing. Ok, I am not jerking with you, I am saying that each step of this process is an art in itself, and you could be just off a little in any one area that is throwing the rest off - I have the stones, the strops, great razors and I still send things off to be honed by honemeisters, not because I do not possess the patience but the skill to really get it right.

I do not know your experience level with knives and sharpening, etc., BUT I highly recommend that, just once, you send your blade to Lynn or Joe or one of the other hone guys around here, have them hone it up right, and then use it (and I would do it out of the box, no stropping) just to feel what it should feel like - even without being stropped, it will feel like nothing you have experienced - thereafter, do the thumb test on the blade, and you will know what to look for after your honing and stropping...if you do not have this baseline, you will not know how far to go, or what it should feel like - and you will be perpetually disappointed listening to us talk about the ever illusive and mythical BBS shave.

It will happen, but the learning curve is steep and worth it...send it away, you will not regret it.

K

Originally Posted by Kriton

Not trying to be a smart ass, but everything is the problem.

And nothing. Ok, I am not jerking with you, I am saying that each step of this process is an art in itself, and you could be just off a little in any one area that is throwing the rest off - I have the stones, the strops, great razors and I still send things off to be honed by honemeisters, not because I do not possess the patience but the skill to really get it right.

I do not know your experience level with knives and sharpening, etc., BUT I highly recommend that, just once, you send your blade to Lynn or Joe or one of the other hone guys around here, have them hone it up right, and then use it (and I would do it out of the box, no stropping) just to feel what it should feel like - even without being stropped, it will feel like nothing you have experienced - thereafter, do the thumb test on the blade, and you will know what to look for after your honing and stropping...if you do not have this baseline, you will not know how far to go, or what it should feel like - and you will be perpetually disappointed listening to us talk about the ever illusive and mythical BBS shave.

It will happen, but the learning curve is steep and worth it...send it away, you will not regret it.

K

+1
Very well said

Lots of potential weak links I think.

One, the hone must be lapped

Two, the touch on the hone must work up to the weight of the blade and a very smooooooth edge on high grit

Three, the razor must be stropped very lightly without downward pressure into the strop.

You must make a mental image of a razor's edge on the end of your straight. It must be treated delicately.

You must know how to assess whether the edge is shavable before you start.

You must prep your beard very well.

You must support the face against the movement of the razor and stretch the skin.

You must use the correct angle, not tearing the edge up nor tearing at your face.

You must let your face dry completely before sitting there like a dork (we've all done it) and checking just how close it is. Its just a shave after all.

Kriton said it well indeed. How does your edge deal with the Hanging Hair Test (HHT)? You should check your edge.

X

Originally Posted by xman

Kriton said it well indeed. How does your edge deal with the Hanging Hair Test (HHT)? You should check your edge.

X

It failed the HHT! I'll head back to the hone. Thanks for the link.

arj