Thread: Razor not sharp??

Hello friends,

I am new to straight razor shaving and I seem to be having a bit of trouble. I know that it is because of my inexperience, but I was wondering if it was also because the razor is not sharp enough.

I have only shaved with the razor three times. It is a Le Grelot 6/8 1/4 hollow razor that I had pre-honed by Martin at razurpur.de. Most people say he hones razors well, so it probably arrived nice and sharp. I don't know how common it is for the razor to become dull after only a few shaves, but I think it is possibly why I'm having trouble. I am using firm, confident strokes, but I get a lot of tugging, rather than slicing, on my neck and chin. It seemed worse the third time I shaved than the second time. The first time I don't remember getting to much tugging, although chin and neck hair were harder for me to cut. I just remember not knowing how to hold the razor.

The razor doesn't pass the hanging hair test. It also doesn't seem to tug at my skin when I try the thumb pad test. Because I am not an expert at the TPT I compared the feeling of the straight to that of a fresh DE blade. The DE felt like it was tugging at my skin but there was significantly less tugging with the straight. It was much smoother feeling.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought about this. Maybe I did something to dull it. I don't think it's my stropping technique, because I have been doing it slowly and lightly while keeping the strop taut, and it makes the sound like you are supposed to hear. Maybe the way I was slicing at the hairs or pushing the razor against my face caused it to dull? Or dulled it some other way? Or maybe it's not dull at all, it's just my technique?

I recently bought a barber hone (pike swaty). Is this a good hone for keeping my razor edge sharp? How often should I expect to have to hone this razor, and around how many strokes do you estimate? If it's not such a great hone, what would you recommend?

Thanks a lot!

The Gssixgun test for razor sharpness for new guys

First off those tests you read about the TNT TPT HHT are really for honing a razor...

For somebody that is testing a "shave ready razor" here is my reccomendation... Lynn has said the same thing many times but more as a shaving routine than a test but try this...

After you do all your prep, lather up your face, then while the lather soaks in strop your razor...
Take the razor in your strong hand and shave from your side burn to your jawline using your weak hand to stretch the skin.... One smooth stroke keeping the spine of the razor exactly two spine widths from the skin...

Rinse the lather and using the back of a finger feel that spot...
if smooth than the razor is fine
if not smooth,
repeat test on other side
still not smooth
yer razor most likely is dull and needs to be honed...

It's most likely stropping technique at the moment. I'd say it was very likely shave ready when you received it, & the most likely culprit since then would be stropping. There's a lot to learn in the first few weeks, & proper stropping is one of them.

Have a look at this page & see if it helps. Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki. It's possible you can get it back with improved technique. If not, you'll have to get it honed.

Well, I'll tell you I bought a razor from Martin,the TI Silverwing LE and though I didn't pay extra for honing it came with a sheet saying to shave with it out of the box and not even strop it. That wasn't a TI instruction it was Martin's. What a joke. Forget about the no stropping it wouldn't shave worth a damn.

So my advice is send it out to a honemeister for sharpening. Certainly your inexperience could be a factor also however until you know for sure that your razor is sharp you'l never know.

Originally Posted by Scabby

Hello friends,

I am new to straight razor shaving and I seem to be having a bit of trouble. I know that it is because of my inexperience, but I was wondering if it was also because the razor is not sharp enough.

I have only shaved with the razor three times. It is a Le Grelot 6/8 1/4 hollow razor that I had pre-honed by Martin at razurpur.de. Most people say he hones razors well, so it probably arrived nice and sharp. I don't know how common it is for the razor to become dull after only a few shaves, but I think it is possibly why I'm having trouble. I am using firm, confident strokes, but I get a lot of tugging, rather than slicing, on my neck and chin. It seemed worse the third time I shaved than the second time. The first time I don't remember getting to much tugging, although chin and neck hair were harder for me to cut. I just remember not knowing how to hold the razor.

The razor doesn't pass the hanging hair test. It also doesn't seem to tug at my skin when I try the thumb pad test. Because I am not an expert at the TPT I compared the feeling of the straight to that of a fresh DE blade. The DE felt like it was tugging at my skin but there was significantly less tugging with the straight. It was much smoother feeling.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought about this. Maybe I did something to dull it. I don't think it's my stropping technique, because I have been doing it slowly and lightly while keeping the strop taut, and it makes the sound like you are supposed to hear. Maybe the way I was slicing at the hairs or pushing the razor against my face caused it to dull? Or dulled it some other way? Or maybe it's not dull at all, it's just my technique?

I recently bought a barber hone (pike swaty). Is this a good hone for keeping my razor edge sharp? How often should I expect to have to hone this razor, and around how many strokes do you estimate? If it's not such a great hone, what would you recommend?

Thanks a lot!

This is such a common problem for new shavers. It is much more likely that you are not shaving correctly than that Martin did not hone it right. Have you read the beginner's stickies or watched shaving videos?

Glen already covered the shaving issue so I'll touch on the hone. The Pike Swaty is just fine as a barber hone. You use it following the same instruction as the real Swatys in that you use it wet or with lather and take only 3 to 5 strokes. Then you strop and test shave and repeat the honing as needed. If the shave is not adequate, then it's time to re-hone. Don't wait until the shave gets really bad. Do it as soon as the quality of shave diminishes. Frequency of honing depends on lots of factors including beard type and prep, stropping routine, razor quality, and shaving technique. Some people touch up as often as every ten shaves while other go for months.

As a beginner, like me, don't think about honing. Just don't. By the time you want to start with that, don't use your production material, use a cheap razor you can hone to smithereens.

Look at technique, and don't be disappointed that you don't get lightningfast BBS-shaves after a few weeks with 2 passes. Pick it up slowly and make sure you think about what you do. At least that works for me, analyze what I do and do it conscientious. Then look at the stropping. Jockeys, Seraphim and lots of members have stropping clips online, and shaving clips as well. Watch, listen and learn.

It's not instant gratification, although I don't think that's what you're after, it's a gradual process of improvement.

Originally Posted by Utopian

This is such a common problem for new shavers. It is much more likely that you are not shaving correctly than that Martin did not hone it right. Have you read the beginner's stickies or watched shaving videos?

I have been watching shaving videos. I have been trying to follow the techniques on the videos. It really seems like experienced shavers have a "plan" for tackling the hair on their faces. I have tried to plan it out better also.

I actually enjoy my shaves, and get relatively close without too much irritation. Usually just miss a couple spots. It really seems like I have to do a lot of "battling" to get certain areas of my face. Like the razor just doesn't want to go through those hairs. I have to push pretty hard, and I feel some pulling.

When I did get a professional straight razor shave by a barber, I felt some similar pulling under my neck. Maybe it's the nature of my hair? I do know that it was a great shave, I just winced during the first pass under my neck.

I also suspect stropping technique. Sounds like the shaves got progressively worse.

Scabby,

FWIW, recently I've been trying MParker's recommendations on using the linen/cotton part of my strop(s) fairly extensively before doing the leather routine. I do 60-70 laps on the linen (real linen from Tony Miller) and then 40-50 on a HandAmerican buffed horsehide Old Dawg strop followed by about the same # of strokes on another horsehide strop (supposedly shell cordovan). I'm not a fan of a grreat deal of draw on a strop which is why I like horsehide. I may be stropping with more strokes than necessary, but it gives the lather a chance to soak in so I figure it can't hurt.

With this routine, I am also coming to agree with MParker's analysis that the linen has some very subtle abrasive qualities which adds to the edge prep for a very close and smooth shave.

If you keep 1-2 spine thicknesses between your face and the spine of the razor, things should be just fine. Two spine widths away from my face is too much for my style of shaving. Fiddle with the angle and you'll come up with something that suits your components and technique.

By the by, the 1/4 hollow Le Grelot in my opinion is one of the nicest razors out there and IMO Martin's honing sets it up to work well.

And there you go: analyses worth exactly what they cost.

good luck, good shaving

I Suspect stropping as well. This was the same exact issue I had when I started and I found out I wasn't drawing my razor on the strop correctly even though it seemed like I absolutely was to me. You should feel some draw on the strop when you're going back and forth. Keep the strop tight also. Hopefully the edge can be restropped into a good shaving edge. Pulling is always bad on your face, and it can lead to some nasty cuts. I have been shaving since I was thirteen and I have the heaviest beard of all the guys I know, it is like copper wiring. My razors can still cut through the hairs without getting snagged on my face. If it feels wrong, then it probably is.

When you strop is the strop at your waist height or is it hanging vertically somewhere?