Thread: Is a razor sharp?

I've just now been able to go thru my father's things after he passed last year. He was an old school barber of fifty plus years. Anyway, I've got his chair, ten or so razors, all his tools etc.... I knew enough to look for burs on the razors before I started to shave with it. Did pretty good for not knowing anything (he never taught me, I wouldn't have been patient enough anyway). Anyway, I'm on my fifth day and this morning I noticed that the razor isn't "sharp" so to speak.

I'll admit, I didn't know how to strop (just read that technic). My father's strop clipped to his chair, and it has a canvas strop also. Is this the linen you all talk about? Looking at the pictures you all posted I now know what a hone is (I'm so soooooo happy I didn't try to sharpen the razors on my knife stone). I'll look for it tonight when I go thru his things again.

Anyway, the razors 'seem' sharp (they are after all razors) but how do you know if the ARE sharp?

Thanks in advance, glad I found this site.

johnjohn

The better the shave the sharper the razor. You need to strop prior to every shave. If its still pulling or tugging its time to get Dad's barber hone out and give it 3-5 roundtrips, remember honing is the opposite of stropping. Use an X pattern when doing either, diagonally up one way and then diagonally down the other. Sorry to hear about your Dad, but by all means enjoy his legacy I think he would be pleased..

Hello,
That's so cool to have all that shaving stuff from your father. There are tests to assess a razors sharpness. These can be used right through the honing process to determine what stage the edge has achieved. Do some searches for TNT, TPT, HHT & the best & most reliable, Shave Test! Good luck with getting them shave ready. You'll be fine!

Welcome to SRP! there is a ton of information here

Sharpness tests

honing facts

as you go through each section, check the first few posts for the "faqs" stickies, I have been on the site a few months, and the search button has become my best friend

just my 2 cents, but from personal experience it is far better to send your razors out to be professionally honed, the learning curve takes time, and its better to start with a truly sharp razor and learn to shave with it, then after you are confortable you can begin to learning process of honing.

you can find a list of "Honemiesters" here

Have a read of this: Sharpness tests explained - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Generally speaking, if it shaves, it's sharp and that's how you know.

If you haven't stropped then you should definitely do that (about 60 laps) before taking anything to a stone. Stropping may be all that's needed.

X

Thanks everyone,

I'll give it a good strop tomorrow. One thing that I noticed on one of his razors was that the end of it was filed off, a good half inch. I'm just wondering if he used it for more control. It also seems that a majority of his razors are Kamas.

I had to laugh because he would always say in conversation "I gave him a good once over". Now I know what he was refering to.

Oh yeah, he also used to say that there is nothing like a Noxema shave. Any idea how this is done?

Thanks in advance

IIRC Noxema used to(maybe still do) make a number of shaving products, shaving cream, facial moisturizers etc.

Originally Posted by johnjohn

Oh yeah, he also used to say that there is nothing like a Noxema shave. Any idea how this is done?

Thanks in advance

Swedish blond - "Take it off, take it ALL off...."

Noxema is a brand of canned shave cream.

All you old guys (like me, ha, ha) will remember this one: