Thread: Smoothness vs. Dullness

I need to know what the experienced members of the forum would do. My first razor ever still gives me great shaves. The irritation factor is starting to go up. Again, I still receive wonderful bbs shaves. I strop linen and leather and just wanted to know what has been done in the past by other members.

To me irritation always equals one of three things. To much angle, To much pressure or a dull razor. Check those first and I am sure other will chime in soon as well.

Well if you were and still are getting great bbs shaves it would seem to me that you know what you are doing in the shave department. Might need a touch up with a barber hone or a finishing stone ? Try doing 60 laps on linen and 50 on leather. Chrom ox on a flat hone or balsa wood might bring it back as well.

If you have no hones or pastes, before you go out and buy a bunch, try laps of 100 on your linen and see what happens to your shaves per 100 laps. Then hit your leather as normal, 40 to 60 laps.

The worse skin irritation I have ever received has been from very sharp razor but the following mistakes were done; too much pressure; too many passes; poor skin prep;

None from the razor.

If something is to blame, all other things being equal, always blame yourself.
consider that

respectfully,
Crom

If it isn't your technique and it IS the razor it can be the microchipping your facial hair is doing to the edge. This happens over time, especially with tough facial hair, causing the razor to need honing on a barber's hone or the like (pasted strop, etc). Bart had a few threads that mentioned the effects a tough beard can have on a razor's edge a long with some microscopic images showing actual chips missing from the edge from shaving.

If that's not it then your angles bad or the prep is off.

Well I have an Illinois strop #127 and a 4k/8k.....I always have the time for prep and so far, this is not happening to any others. It is a Geneva Cutlery 4/8 with ontario on the other side w/ a small indian w/bow and arrow. I am taking everyone's suggestions into consideration. I do admit that out of my 5 razors, it gets the most use.

Originally Posted by cromagnum

If something is to blame, all other things being equal, always blame yourself.

True! Hilarious!

So all your other razors are giving you no problems?

If so, I'm leaning towards "duller" razor. Doesn't sound dull because it gives you BBS, but it sounds like it could use some extra sharpness. If you like, I'll take a look at it. I'm offering free honing services right now.

For this razor, you may need a honing tool that is less abrasive than your honing stones, but more abrasive than your leather strop, such as a 4 sided pasted strop with a .5/1.0/3.0 pastes on it. Some razors come off an 8K hone still a little rough around the fine edge and a pasted strop does well to smooth out the edge and take off any lose parts still hanging on the edge from honing.

Been there, felt it, and found a solution.

Pabster