Thread: Odd razor

Hello, help needed please!
I am new to straight razor shaving and new to this forum...I have started few months to shave with Dovo shavette. After practiced now I am happy and enjoying the smooth shave. Then I decided to upgrade to a Dovo Bismarck, so I use the shavette in my travels and keep the other one at home.
The problem with the new one; I have shaved for the first time, and it was OK..next time after stepping (leather side and linen side) it felt not shaving well as if it's not sharp enough. I thought it might be good idea to send for honing. I did to Invisible Edge here in the UK...the razor was returned ready. Eagerly shaved and it was cool. But today I strop it and when is started to shave, it was not shaving properly...like the first time.
I must be doing something wrong? Stropping? How can I be sure it's sharp ready?
I will be grateful for your help.
Many thx
Murad


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Welcome. Who did you purchase the razor from? Was it honed shave ready? Make sure you strop correctly. Not too much pressure. Keep blade and spine in contact with strop. Make sure you are not rolling the edge by lifting the razor too soon. Strop canvas (linen) fitst and finish on leather.

Originally Posted by bouschie

Welcome. Who did you purchase the razor from? Was it honed shave ready? Make sure you strop correctly. Not too much pressure. Keep blade and spine in contact with strop. Make sure you are not rolling the edge by lifting the razor too soon. Strop canvas (linen) fitst and finish on leather.

Thank you! I bought it online (not from a well-known shop) and it was shave ready. I sent for honing though...I will follow your advice on honing. Many thx!


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Well, the razor shaved well enough for you the first time after you bought and the first time after you got if back from honing without you stropping it. You stropped the razor for the second shave and it now feels dull to you. The only conclusion I can come to is you are dulling the razor through poor stropping. That is not unusual when you are just learning to strop.

At the top right of the page there is a search box. Type in something like "stropping dulling razor", hit enter and there are a large number of posts on the subject.

Bob

Practice stropping using a butter knife until you acquire proper stropping technique. In the mean time lay your strop on a counter top when stropping before shaving.

Hi and welcome. As Bob has said twice you have had a shave ready razor which performed fine and both times after stropping it is tugging and shaving poorly. It obviously isn't the razor. So as said eliminate variables and lay the strop on the bench, go super slow being very careful about technique and up the strop count to 75 linen and leather and see how you go. Even better see if you can find someone local to meet with and they will be able to help far more than reading for a week. Good luck

This was a problem for me too for a while. It was my stropping. Had to really focus on not going to fast and rolling the edge. practice makes perfect.

The problem is most likely that you are lifting the spine of the razor while stropping. Sounds like it will need to be honed again. When you get it back go very slow on the strop and be sure that the spine stays flat on the strop throughout the process.

There's a number of good YouTube videos on stropping. It's harder than one would think. At first you'll find not lifting the spine off the strop when you flip over to do the other side difficult, but it's all just muscle memory and takes practice.
You'll also need to keep the strop tight. Dulling comes from "rolling" the cutting edge when you strop.
Good luck... it'll come.


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