Thread: Help with new TI

I received a TI razor from AOS (Here) for Christmas but have yet to be able to get it to shave me. I cannot (this is straight out of the box) get it to do much to my facial hair. I had originally hoped that it just needed to be stropped but after some reading it sounds like that won't help, but I have a 3" strop from TWSG on the way (leather only, no cotton/canvas) anyway. From what I have read, it is normal for the "ready to shave" (according to the manufacturer) to need some work.

1. Do the new TI razors need a bevel to be set?

2. Will the Norton 4k/8k OR Shapton 4k & 8k be all that I will ever need (along w/ an unpasted strop)? And can the bevel be set on the 4k?
-Other suggestions for starter sets would be appreciated also

2. The TI pamphlet that came with the razor said never to hone it, they said to just use their paste with their strop and that I will never need to hone. They also said that I only need to strop after several shaves.
-From what I have read on SRP, these both seem to be untrue, but please correct me if I am wrong.

3. Would it be advisable to just skip the stones and get a few strops with the full set of DOVO pastes for sharpening since this is a new razor and the bevel should theoretically exist?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

If your new TI isn't removing hair then it is most definitely not shave ready, as most razors aren't straight from the mfg. All the stropping in the world will not bring an edge out. Send it off to a honemeister to have it properly sharpened, and don't listen to those "instructions" from Thiers Issard.

Good luck!

Most likely the bevel is set and it is not shave ready. Before you start honing a razor, I would suggest to send it out to a honemeister for honing. It works twofold: 1) you learn what a good edge should feel like; 2) it will save you time and money in the long run. Obviously, you still have to make long plans for honing your razors.

Al raz.

IT NEEDS TO BE HONED !!!

I just did one, for another member here on Tues...
They take a very nice smooth edge, in fact one of the easiest TI's I have honed to date...

Get it honed and enjoy your shave....

Then start looking into honing for yourself after that..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

IT NEEDS TO BE HONED !!!

I just did one, for another member here on Tues...
They take a very nice smooth edge, in fact one of the easiest TI's I have honed to date...

Get it honed and enjoy your shave....

Then start looking into honing for yourself after that..

+1, It needs to be honed!

BEVEL already set on that blade.who will hone needs to use tape .Rest should be ok.I honed one but it had hard still.took me forever to finish it up.I was using only natural hones.

If aggressive leather stropping (and I mean actually pushing the razor down while stropping) doesn't get the TI razor popping hairs, then I agree with the others that it needs to be honed. Then stropped.


Scott

Get 'er honed!

Thanks for the advice. I will send it off and have someone hone it for me.

That removes the immediate need for hones, but in a few weeks would you advise having something like a Chinese 12k to keep it sharp for a little longer? Would this extend the period between honings significantly? Thanks again for the help.

I would say if you are going to go the touch-up route cruise E-bay and get a nice Barber's hone for about $10-$15 that will be perfect once you learn to use it... Then by the time you need more, you can decide which route to go with hones, or for the price of a pkg. of Fusion's, you can send it out again to be re-honed by one of us...