Thread: More questions

What test do you use to see if your blade is sharp enough to shave with? My teacher taught me to attempt to cut paper with the blade, if it can not cut paper its not up to the shaving task. So far my Inox can cut paper and can even cut a thicker slice of paper, such as a magazine page. I hesitate to touch the edge with my finger, as I did that once only to regret it and the blade was much more dull at that point.

Did not get to do a straight shave last night I was watching a DVD from blockbuster with my wife called the Day the Earth Stood Still. I know learning to straight shave is a more important than a movie but I wanted to see that one.

Edit - adding more information

Straight Razor Shave #3

did shave number three tonight after some additional stropping and pulled out a new tub of The Shave Den Sandlewood cream, that's a great cream but not runny, so if you like your creams runny don't look here. Did another careful shave and I am very pleased with the results, in fact I think I think that the straight razor is getting ready to pass up my double edge razors in terms of the quality of the shave that I have gotten from it. I have ten years to learn this task before I have to pass it on to my son who will be then starting to perform the task. I am attempting to start a family tradition here as my family has typically liked to discard anything that came before them as too old world for the modern era. Incidentally, and I am bragging here, I have cut my self millions of times shaving but have never done it with a straight.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

What test do you use to see if your blade is sharp enough to shave with?

Lather up and shave. If it tugs (assuming you lather work and shave technique is adequate), then it still needs more work on hones and/or strops

Keep shave testing until the razor lets those whiskers off with no less than a stern look!

Read the section on honing in the WIKI

Originally Posted by jbcohen

What test do you use to see if your blade is sharp enough to shave with? My teacher taught me to attempt to cut paper with the blade, if it can not cut paper its not up to the shaving task. So far my Inox can cut paper and can even cut a thicker slice of paper, such as a magazine page. I hesitate to touch the edge with my finger, as I did that once only to regret it and the blade was much more dull at that point.

Did not get to do a straight shave last night I was watching a DVD from blockbuster with my wife called the Day the Earth Stood Still. I know learning to straight shave is a more important than a movie but I wanted to see that one.

Edit - adding more information

Straight Razor Shave #3

did shave number three tonight after some additional stropping and pulled out a new tub of The Shave Den Sandlewood cream, that's a great cream but not runny, so if you like your creams runny don't look here. Did another careful shave and I am very pleased with the results, in fact I think I think that the straight razor is getting ready to pass up my double edge razors in terms of the quality of the shave that I have gotten from it. I have ten years to learn this task before I have to pass it on to my son who will be then starting to perform the task. I am attempting to start a family tradition here as my family has typically liked to discard anything that came before them as too old world for the modern era. Incidentally, and I am bragging here, I have cut my self millions of times shaving but have never done it with a straight.

Good advice, will do so when I get a little bit more time.

if you want to try to cut paper, which i wouldn't recommend, it takes a sharper edge to cut thinner paper, so something like an ATM receipt, or even a cigarette paper. according to the knife sharpening nuts at the other forum I frequent, it takes a keener edge to cut simply by pushing the blade into the edge of the paper than by using any "sawing" motion. YMMV.

i wouldn't let a razor cut paper between touching the hone and my face.
it dulls it significantly and i would rather have it sharp.

Ah, this is the sort of thing that I am looking for, advice for or against what my straight razor teacher has been teaching me. I am doing quite well now with my Inox and hope to do even better tonight then I did last night.

Shave # 4

Honed up again and fired up some TSD Cream and went to town and I am very impressed with the results. I think that it is safe to say that my skill with the straight is as good as my skill with the double edge. Perhaps within a week I will be able to pack up those double edge super speeds and pack them into the medicine cabinet and replace the whole lot of them with my trusty Inox. I can't help but imagine all the dollars my son will save when he starts using my hardware. He will never have to buy blades ever saving him a small fortune.