Thread: Buying a new razor - Reset or Polish?

Hey All,

So basic noob question, when buying a brand new razor, even if it says "presharpened" or "shave ready" (unless it was honed by Lynn or other Honemasters), is it recommended to reset the bevel or just to touch up the one thats already there?

ex. going straight to 4/8k or dulling the "shave ready?" blade and putting on a new bevel

Thanks all

I recommend trying to shave with it first (the shave test!). If it's clearly dull, strap it up then try again. If it's still dull, try a polishing stone or abrasive paste on leather.

The last step I would take would be to re-set the bevel or set a new one.

If it won't shave arm hair then yeah it probably needs a new bevel

Yes, the recommendation is to move from least aggressive to more aggressive honing.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I recommend trying to shave with it first (the shave test!). If it's clearly dull, strap it up then try again. If it's still dull, try a polishing stone or abrasive paste on leather.

The last step I would take would be to re-set the bevel or set a new one.

If it won't shave arm hair then yeah it probably needs a new bevel

+ 1 Strop it up and give it a try. If it is aweful, then consider whether it needs a light hone or needs the bevel set.

agreed, the bevel reset is the action of last resort if all else fails. There are very very few new razors that need bevels reset. Some guys may not like the way some new razors look bevel wise but that doesn't mean they need to be reset.

There's nothing wrong with asking the previous owner about the honing progression. If I were buying a razor from Chris L, for instance, there's no way I'd go and take the razor back to a 4k/8k unless there were damage to the edge. He would most likely have finished the razor with his Shapton 16k, so going back to the 8k Norton would be taking it back about 10,000 grit. Not a smart move.

Taking off as little as possible is the best idea. Think of it like getting an amputation: would you rather have nothing amputated, just your finger tip, your first knuckle, your second knuckle, or your entire finger? As little as possible right? If just your finger tip doesn't do it, you can always take more off.

I don't see anything wrong with putting any razor you get through a couple of passes on a chromium oxide strop, however.

But, when buying used razors, please clean and sanitize it before you use it. The barber used to be a common method of communicating skin diseases back in the day. Anything from barber's itch to worse.

Ben

I agree with Ben. First, where did you get your razor? If it was pre-sharpened by Lynn or another honemeister the most you would have to do is strop it. If from Lynn, it's truly shave ready. Find out from the seller if it was honed and polished. If you bought it from the classifieds, and it was listed as shave ready, then you should only have to strop it.

If was not done by one of the above methods, I recommend that you send it to one of the honemeisters to prep it for you. That is, if you aren't totally confident in your abilities to put the cutting edge on it properly.

I recommend you look at the blade under magnification. Radio Shack has an Illuminated Microscope for about $10 that is perfect for the job. The light comes down from above so you can see the bevel. Check it out from heel to toe on both sides. Note what you see. Scratch patterns, microchips, areas not honed at all, etc. Then do some honing, clean the blade, and see what is different. Your eyes will definitely be opened as to what is going on at the edge.