Thread: Novice needs help

My first "straight" was the Parker Shavette, followed by a Feather AC. Then I had a friend who owns a knife shop who took a TI straight on trade, and since he knew I enjoyed traditional DE shaving, he called me up and I excitedly bought it. It's a beautiful TI with Rams Horn scales and stamped with the Art of Shaving logo and I thought it was an awesome deal for $100. Unfortunately, I didn't know enough about what I was looking at and didn't realize the bevel was set/honed horribly. I almost wonder if a knife guy tried to sharpen it on a wheel.

After using it a few times, I took it to a local guy and he did an OK job honing it for me, but it lost it's edge pretty quickly. So then I sent it to someone very well known to hone it for me, and it was great for a few shaves, but again lost it's edge after only a few shaves and it tugs pretty bad. Both guys who honed it mentioned that someone messed up the edge but that it should eventually get back to even after enough hones.

Sadly, I don't really enjoy the razor because it's just not comfortable. When I first got the razor, I realize I made some mistakes stropping and like many newbies, I did cut the strop a couple of times, but I'm pretty comfortable with my stropping now. I also have a pasted balsa strop and I can use that to help bring some edge back from time to time. I'm looking for another razor, but am leery about buying a used one after my first experience. Is there someone that can reset the bevel so that' it's even? Should I just buy a new razor from someone who hones? I appreciate any suggestions.