Thread: Just honed

Hi guys,
I have a couple of questions so best to start from the top.
I have been shaving with a shavette for about a year and a half. I recently received a brand new good quality straight razor as a gift. It is from a reputable manufacturer and supplied from a reputable website, so i don't expect the problems lie there. I tried to shave with it and immediately could tell it wasn't shave ready which I'm informed is often the case with razors straight from the factory, so I sent it off to a honing service. It just came back and after shaving with it I can feel that it is a lot sharper for sure but it still drags and tugs my hair quite a bit. I experimented a little with razor angle and skin taughtness etc. I then compared with the shavette, the Wilkinson blades I've been using in my shavette glide through the hair, and frankly I should have thrown that blade out about 4 shaves ago, nevertheless it was still much smoother than the SR.
Now having finished shaving, I can feel that the areas done with the SR are much less closely shaved than those done with the shavette.

When I received it back from the honer, I have to say, it didn't look very different. I realise that without a magnified inspection it probably wouldn't look too different, however, there didn't even seem to be any marks on the side of the spine that I would have thought would occur when the blade was on the stone.

Long story short: just honed straight razor not as finely sharp as I expected, still tugs quite a bit.

Is it that my technique is inadequate with a SR as I've learned on a shavette so far?
or
Is it that the blade isn't as sharp as it should be? (I always expected a properly honed SR to cut through hairs like a hot knife through butter)
Should I speak to the honer/complain?
Is it that machined disposable blades are just sharper than SR's? (that seems improbable)

Sorry for the long post, just a bit bummed that I still can't use my new razor.

Hi, it sounds to me like it needs re honing.

The honer should re hone it for you free of charge.

I would find a different pro to hone it up. There are many here who could do that for you.

A straight razor can out perform a shavette . having said that, I have never tried a shavette

Yeah that's what I thought. Who would you highly recommend in the UK?

Good news here:

[URL="http://shavelibrary.com/index.php/Local_Help"]Local_Help[/URL

"Shave Library" has info that is really useful. Many different areas of knowledge.

Shave_Library

Have fun!
~Richard

A couple of thoughts.
I would not write the edge of right away based on your first shave with a straight razor, even though you have used a shavette, they are not quite the same as far as technique goes.
Any chance you messed up the edge stropping?
I would try a little more with a very low angle, almost touching the skin with the spine. The rest of wet shaving experience that you have pretty much crosses over.
Looking for an experienced member near by to help you get it dialed in, either in technique, blade assessment and honing would be a premium option.

Ya who honed it? And did you strop it first?, both need answers to help figure it out. As has been discussed here many times that some knife guy thinks he can hone a razor with no experience. And second new guy strops one to it not being sharp again.

The shavettes will have different attack angles but if your doing good with it after this much time I,m going to give you the benefit of the doubt on technique. So let's go with the first 2. Don't get me wrong you will still have to learn your straight too, but the wilkinson blades are not as good as a well honed straight, maybe a good feather but not them, so I,m going with the hone job, evidence of no scratches means nothing he might have just picked up the spine like a knife, or tied it. Jamie(celticrusader) is in the Uk and he will do it right if you need the hone job done again and find a mentor so your stropping will not degrade your edge again(new guys stropping most of the time sucks) it is the most important aspect in blade performance. Tc

By the way put your location in. Your profile so some f our guys over there can jump in and help, even being in witness protection your safe here, not many mob guys looking for snitches in a razor forum.

FME, SE's,DE's and shavettes tolerate a lot less prep and quality lather than a straight razor.

What are you doing there?

Send it to me, I will give you an amazing edge.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback.
I did not strop after honing before shaving. I was not aware that that was the way. I'd seen a couple of videos where it seemed like people suggested it as 'their technique was so good it actually improved the edge', but I thought that meant it wasn't compulsory. I have done as much reading and video watching on stropping as I could in the past few days and practiced with the shavette in place on the SR. I will strop SR before next shave (does it need to be done immediately pre-shave or can it be done in advance so the blade is ready and waiting for shaving?)

Stropping is a double edged sword. Do it right and it will improve the edge but do it wrong and it will degrade the edge.

That said, normally stopping is done just prior to shaving. I strop mine the night before and that seems to work also. I also strop the blade after drying it to be sure the bevel and edge are dry. That is done on linen not leather for a bout a count of 10 laps.

Bob