From BBS to Rough in 15 seconds

Can anyone elucidate me on what is happening here?

I honed my Dovo Special 6/8 to the best of my ability -- 4k /8k /yellow couticule / linen w/ white paste progression. Got it not as sharp as when I got it honed by Lynn but pops arm hairs pretty well.

I do about 50 laps on the leather. Hanging hair test passes on most of the edge.

Proceed to shave my right cheek/sideburn area. Smooth as butter, easy cutting, no resistance! Feels almost like I did an ATG pass with just a single swipe down! At this point I am happy until ...

... I get to the other side of my face. Blade pulls a lot. By the time I get down to left jawline the razor feels pretty darn dull and is pulling at my face like a cat clawing at a couch.

From HHT sharp to dull in a matter of seven or eight strokes? :shrug: What the hey?

STEEL WIRE BEARD:thinking:

On a more serious note: what's the angle of the razor to your face? You should keep it at 30 degrees, if you keep it at a steeper angle you will scrape the edge against the face which dulls it very quickly.

I cannot think of anything else.

You didnt happen to create a wire edge did you? Possibly overhoning,back hone a little and strop again, this should help depending on grade of steel and grind, for more info check the tutorials.

Are you switching hands when you switch sides of your face? If so it might just take more training for your hands to do their jobs equaly well on opposite sides. If not I'd check and make sure you really are keeping the same stroke direction when you move over to the opposite side of the face, The feeling you describe could be going froma comfortable with the grain stroke to a harsh across the grain stroke.

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Originally Posted by Wildtim

The feeling you describe could be going froma comfortable with the grain stroke to a harsh across the grain stroke.

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Very good point, Tim. Switching hands can alter the angle, direction just enough to completely change the cutting ability.

Personal example: On my neck, going from under my chin to my adam's apple; When I shave the right side of that area with a downward pass using my right hand....total WTG. I could go over that area over and over using that hand and I'll reach a threshold where it additional passes just don't make for a smoother shave. With the simple act of switching to my left hand and shaving the EXACT same right side below chin downward to adam's apple is a total ATG feeling. I get closer in one left hand pass this way that I can at all with a ton of right hand passes.

Chris L

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Originally Posted by Chrisl

Very good point, Tim. Switching hands can alter the angle, direction just enough to completely change the cutting ability.

Personal example: On my neck, going from under my chin to my adam's apple; When I shave the right side of that area with a downward pass using my right hand....total WTG. I could go over that area over and over using that hand and I'll reach a threshold where it additional passes just don't make for a smoother shave. With the simple act of switching to my left hand and shaving the EXACT same right side below chin downward to adam's apple is a total ATG feeling. I get closer in one left hand pass this way that I can at all with a ton of right hand passes.

Chris L

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Have you ever tried shaving only with your left hand with the grain on the left side of your face and against the grain on the right side?

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Have you ever tried shaving only with your left hand with the grain on the left side of your face and against the grain on the right side?

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I never have, Lee. I might have to try that as an experiment.

Chris L

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Have you ever tried shaving only with your left hand with the grain on the left side of your face and against the grain on the right side?

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I dont know how you guys shave with the weak hand. I can get a spot or two, but its never as good a shave as with my strong hand. On my left side below the chin, the grain runs from the adams apple towards my ear, and the opposite way on the right side. I have never been able to shave ATG on either side. Did everyone follow that? :thinking:

I try to do most of my shaving with my right hand, but I have never had one side tougher to shave than the other.

My first guess is the blade angle, the second guess is over honed, the third guess is that your soap has dried out.

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Originally Posted by adampasternak

Can anyone elucidate me on what is happening here?

I honed my Dovo Special 6/8 to the best of my ability -- 4k /8k /yellow couticule / linen w/ white paste progression. Got it not as sharp as when I got it honed by Lynn but pops arm hairs pretty well.

...

From HHT sharp to dull in a matter of seven or eight strokes? :shrug: What the hey?

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Yep, I have seen this.

Try stropping again with plain leather. Some high-carbon steel edges are strange this way. You get an awesome shave for about 6 strokes and then the razor goes downhill. Looking at it under the microscope at 100X, the edge was a line. After 6 strokes, it is ragged.

On these razors, i just go back to the strop and do 30 or so strokes, and they start shaving really nicely again--and this time, it lasts longer.

I don't know why this is, but it seems to be on purpose. Over time, they get better and better, hit a plateau, and then eventually the need to be rehoned. At 100X the edge always looks ragged, but the shave is nice. You can't see the raggedness at 20X or 40X.

Keep stropping with plain leather, it is your friend.

Here is a tip on honing: Once you are done with the 8K, *always* try stropping about 50 times and then shaving with the edge. Much of the time, this is all it takes to get a good edge.

If you find that it isn't quite smooth enough, then do no more than 12 very light strokes on your pasted strop. Then leather and go. I actually never bother with the linen until the razor has been shaving for a while.
I have gotten some truly awesome shaves from a Dovo that went from Norton 8K to plain leather strop to face.

This morning, I shaved for the second time with a Bismarck that did exactly what you experienced. I stropped it up and got one of my nicest shaves yet. Gencos seem to be the same way for me. I look at it at 100X and it looks a bit like the edge of an indian arrowhead. Yet it shaves like a dream. But it must be stropped after a few strokes when fresh-honed.


Hope this helps.

Paul