Thread: Solution for a blade that doesn't stay sharp?

Hi, this is my first post after I've been shaving with a straight razor for about a month now. I found the wiki to be very helpful in ironing out all my problems, but after a month I can't figure out what could be causing my problem.

My razor is a Sheffield George Wostenhom & Sons Celebrated IXL (with a very nice custom handle). It will take me near a hundred passes of stropping to get the razor to pass the hanging hair test. When it's nice and sharp, I will lather up and start shaving. However, as I progress, the blade will become uncomfortably dull. If I should do a second pass WTG, it will get caught and slice my skin really easy.

So I'm not sure what to do. I had bought the blade and was told that it had just been professionally honed. Is this something wrong with the blade itself? Should I get a hone (or send it to a honemeister) and try to sharpen it?

First question is how many shaves has the razor gone through since it was honed last?????

also, is this a recent thing, or that's how it was from the start?

The edge may be breaking down due to overhoning, but you'd probably get razor burn if it was.
It may have been honed at an angle where the edge simply isn't durable.
To be honest, neither of these are that likely, but they're possibilities.
Finally, the temper of the blade may have been damaged. Was the razor a restore that might have seen buffing wheels?

Ok, it hasn't gone through a lot of shaves. I would shave roughly every other day. So maybe, 20-25 shaves?

I would say that, yes, it has been from the start. When I first got it I just assumed it was poor technique. After I addressed all of the possible areas it could be, I ended up still having bad results.

I suspect the razor was restored, but I have no idea of its history. I think this because it has a custom handle and came shiny/free of rust. Here's a picture:



I have gotten razor burn before, but only on my upper lip after trying to go ATG.

Might just be the pic, is that from today??? the spine and bevel look rather rough in the pic.. just going by the light refraction...

How long an edge lasts is highly variable but I have heard anywhere from 7 shaves to "It is still going" two years later... but getting only 25 shaves from a blade is not at all unheard of before it might need a re-touch....

The solution is simple, you can either send it out or hone it up yourself, if you send it out I would highly suggest somebody who is "very" reputable so that way you take how it was honed out of the equation....

I'd vote for sending it to Glen.
He can asses any problems with the steel, or the honing and fix them for you if they're fixable. I wouldn't recommend honing it yourself.

Something is just not making sense to me here. If the blade is dulling on one pass WTG and a second pass WTG is causing nicks, I am confused. More times than not, the nicks come from a sharp razor which does bring technique back into the question.

Well at least if you have it re-honed and go from there, you'll be able to tell right away.

Lynn

Originally Posted by Lynn

Something is just not making sense to me here. If the blade is dulling on one pass WTG and a second pass WTG is causing nicks, I am confused. More times than not, the nicks come from a sharp razor which does bring technique back into the question.

Well at least if you have it re-honed and go from there, you'll be able to tell right away.

Lynn

Ah, well, it's not nicking me so much as it is, er, slicing me. It will get caught on hair and instead of cutting it will dig into my skin and give me a long cut. This happens on my chin where the hair is a bit rough.

Originally Posted by alyks

Ah, well, it's not nicking me so much as it is, er, slicing me. It will get caught on hair and instead of cutting it will dig into my skin and give me a long cut. This happens on my chin where the hair is a bit rough.

The chin is a notorious place for the blade angle to flatten out even to as much as 90 degrees and not be noticed. The fact that repeatedly the razor can be stropped to where it will cut a hanging hair is making me think it might be sharp. You really need to be careful to get to the 30 degrees or less on the chin so that the edge will cut whisker and not be at a point where pressure applied will cut the skin. Just some thoughts. It may end up having to be honed again at the end of the day.

Lynn