Thread: Straight Razor Identity Crisis

So my razor (Prima Klang) seemed to be off (it was starting to pull) so I ordered a Naniwa 12k, a Naniwa lapping stone and some CrO paste for my balsa wood strop. In the mean time I had to go back to my G. Fusion but I kept the same beard prep and used my SRD soap instead of ordinary Gillette shaving gel. Got the smoothest shave, the best I've had so far with anything... straight, Fusion or electric. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on straights, while I have Lynn's DVD and have watched it repeatedly, I am assuming my honing technique is not the best. On top of that, the really smooth shave with the Fusion came with a price; no blood but let's just say that aftershave lotion is not optional. And there are places on my face as I write this that are feeling a little heat (even after the cold water and the lotion--interestingly it's not pink though). Is this normal? Am I walking some well worn path and all the experienced people reading this are chuckling to themselves remembering this time when it happened to them? Or have I stumbled onto the means of how to at least get a smooth shave (though not a particularly comfortable one--at least post shave) with a cartridge?

Sorry for the rant.
Thanks.
Adrian.

And yeah, I'll be cashing in my gift certificate for a free rehoning.

Stygian that 12 k Naniwa might be a bit too fine for honing.
Its a finisher.
You'd need at least a 3 k and a 6 k (or 5 k and 8 k since I don't know if there is a 6 k available actually)
to sharpen a non damaged and non overly dull razor properly.
So its not your skills, its just the wrong hone.

Can't say much about the DE (maybe a little too much pressure), but don't give up on straights please.

Olivia is right the 12k Naniwa is a super stone but if you let it get to dull it wont bring it back. Catch it when it just starts to tug a little and it will whip it right back in to shape but once dull you got to go back. Also don't give up it takes time but well worth it,

Really? I posted a question on a thread and the 12k seemed to be the stone for the job. Now I'm confused.

Originally Posted by stygian

Am I walking some well worn path and all the experienced people reading this are chuckling to themselves remembering this time when it happened to them?

Not at all, the nice ones are cringing 'what a fool', the mean ones are laughing 'serves him right'.


Good beard prep helps with anything, no surprise there. If you use light touch and stretch the skin you should be able to get an irritation free shave. The trick is to get both close shave and no irritation. Practice with the fusion for a while, may be you can get there.
The straight gives you additional control of the angle and limits the number of edges scraping your skin to one per stroke - that's a big advantage in my opinon. Other than that the fusion should be pretty good.

Stygian that conversation in the other thread drifted a bit off into pastes.
Its true that the Naniwa 12 k is a good finisher but its not a touch up hone.
amd by no means a bevel setter.

Sorry you spent your money on it now, but its not wasted.
You just need some additional lower grits to set a new bevel,
then follow the other thread and polish it finely with everything the gentlemen recommended.

It is a little confusing so don't worry. The 12K is a great stone. But when you get too dull you have to start over. If the 12k is not bringing it back your razor got to dull. You might be able to get it there with more laps you can never tell unless you try. And really with out the blade in hand no one can really tell you for sure.

Originally Posted by stygian

Really? I posted a question on a thread and the 12k seemed to be the stone for the job. Now I'm confused.

you most certainly don't need a 3k hone.

the answer really is depending on how dull do you let the razor become before you decide to hone it.
naniwa 12k is perfectly adequate stone to maintain a razor sharp indefinitely, just don't let it get very dull, and there is always the slurry option to make it cut faster.

Originally Posted by 0livia

Stygian that conversation in the other thread drifted a bit off into pastes.
Its true that the Naniwa 12 k is a good finisher but its not a touch up hone.

Sorry you spent your money on it now, but its not wasted.
You just need some additional lower grits to set a new bevel,
then follow the other thread and polish it finely with everything the gentlemen recommended.

Olivia, I don't agree with you - I can run a razor lightly breadknifing style on the naniwa 12k so that it doesn't shave, or not well anyways, and then bring it back to shaving using that very hone only. I have touched up a razor using escher and it is finer and slower than the naniwa 12k.

Why do you think he needs to set a new bevel???