Thread: Done... Finished... I've had enough!

Well… That’s it! I’m throwing in the towel. I’m done. I can’t get a consistently decent shave from my self honed and stropped razors. Therefore, I must admit, I have been defeated.

Now what will I do now? Put my razors on ebay?

Not so fast I said to myself. It’s time to pull out all the stops. Anti-up and call in the experts!

I have sent my razors to Lynn for a good hone and sharpening. I ordered a 4 sided pasted on 3 paddle strop from Tony. I shall endeavor to persevere. I will win over the M3 and its money sucking bottomless pit. I will become a straight razor convert so help me.

YES!

Now I must wait for my keen razors to return. I'll let you all know how it all made out.

Way to go. I admire your sticktoittiveness

Way to go. You did the right things. Keep one as a honing project and get Lynn's video. It's extremely informative. Just watching it once did wonders for my honing performance. Here are a few tips:
1) As you near the end of the honing process, make sure you use very light pressure (even less than the weight of the blade)
2) Make sure your hone is well-lapped
3) Use slow strokes. Speed kills (the edge)

That sounds like sound advice! Thanks! I will have to make my next razor related purchase Lynn's DVD.

Hopefully the pasted strop will keep the edge for you. I love mine from Tony. I always use the barber hone, then pasted strop, then the strop.


Keep us informed.

Jerry

That's the right attitude!

btw, in honing if you're not getting anywhere it's better to step aside and take a break. Do something else.

it will come, even if it takes a while. (not sure about the $$$ saving part, though )

Cheers
Ivo

I'm still trying to get my skills up to meet Bill Ellis's job on the Gold Bug. I'm about to send Lynn my Hinkles #8 as I'm having trouble with it's slight smile on the 3" norton stone.

I am getting to the point that I may get skinnier stones soon. Many of the razors I have become interested in, have slight smiles to them... Oh boy....

Hang in there!

I was about to the point of selling my razor on ebay too, until a few guys on here talked me into ordering a pasted paddle from tony. It made all the difference in the world! Just a single stropping session on the 1.0 micron side and a few sessions on the 0.5 micron side got my stainless Dovo in great shape. Now I enjoy close, painless shaves daily that are free of pulling. I just couldn't do it with the Norton alone...

Of course the razor's edge isn't the end of the story either. Now my effort is to perfect my shave technique. If I have a bad shave I know that I am to blame. I've gotten a shave or two that have just blown my socks off -- way closer and more comfortable than anything I ever got with my DE. My goal is to develope my technique to the point that every shave is this noteworthly.

Good idea having the razors professionally honed, Agent Smith. But keep working on the honing as it's a learning curve. I found that just taping the spine seemed to improve the quality of the edge.

I see you joined this June.

If you thought that shaving with and maintaining a straight razor is as easy as changing the cartridge in your Mah3, you are wrong. It isn't. That is the reason that straight razor was defeated by DE razors and such.

If you really want to shave with a straight razor, you have to invest some time learning the skill of sharpening it.

There is alternative, though. You can get a replaceable blade straight razor like the Shavette from DOVO, or the Feather straight razor. Both will give excellent shaves.

Nenad