"almost sharp"??

I guess marginally sharp is better than dull!!

OK, basically, since my strop and stone were here, I couldn't hold myself back. I just HAD to see if the W&B would actually shave my face after a good (well, maybe "good" isn't the right word here)... after a newbie strop-ing of about 30 or so laps on the linen, and another 80 or so on the leather.

As a quick background, the blade took the hair off the back of my hand straight from the flea market.

Anyway, I stropped the blade, and decided I just had to put it on my face. I simply could not not do it. I have crossed to the dark side. No, pulled to the dark side.
Now, I dared not go ATG, but going WTG I was able to shave about as well as my cartridge with some discomfort. Of course, not BBS or anything, and my technique is REALLY lacking, but it shaved. 1 minor nick.
Oh, I only did my left cheek from the top of my ear to the jaw line, but only 1 very small nick. I'm pleased, and really really REALLLY can't wait to get my blade back from Alan to know what a shave ready blade is supposed to feel like!
I didn't prep my face like I probably should have - I may have been able to go ATG if I had.
Well, I guess I'll try it on the other side tomorrow morning after my shower when I have a little more patience to prep my face, and have the out of the shower clean/steam.
Man... I just love it!! LOL.

I feel like a giddy little schoolgirl!!:D:y";":D

ok, enough of that. Just thought I'd share!

Hey just remember, a good philosophy with any razor/knife, your more likey going to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one.

Almost sharp is like being on a boat and being almost at the pier and saying lets get off.

That's the thing. I don't really know what "sharp" is.

I mean, it's sharper than any knife I've ever had, and it did shave WTG pretty easily and without pain.
While I've ALWAYS wanted to straight razor shave, I've been shaving for 19 years or so using other methods and I currently don't have anything to use as a benchmark for "sharp".

I guess it kind of goes to the discussion in another thread about honing skills vs. shaving skills, and which should come first.
The blade I used last night I feel is a decent blade, and don't want to mess it up with a bad hone job. I have another blade that I'm using to practice my (lack of) honing skills, but it's in no condition to shave with, and based on some comments here from the pictures of it, it won't easily be put in that condition.

What's a newb to do?:hmmm:

My feeling her is that if you can shave with the grain without any pulling, that blade is sharp. Of course you won't be sure until it shaves a more sensitive area of your face like your neck. It might be able to get sharper, but it is shaving sharp as is. I still can't match the performance of the better honemeisters on here and I've been trying for a year but I get a pretty darn sharp blade.

Until you get a lot of good solid shaves in going with the grain, I wouldn't try for against. While you need good stretching and a smooth stroke to go with the grain, going against the grain makes these thing even more important. Unless you like blood and razor burn:) . I would wait a while to worry about this pass. I only ever go against the grain as a polishing step if my wife and I are going somewhere really spiffy. Otherwise I content myself with a WTG and an ATG pass that leaves my just shy of BBS and far away from razor burn territory.