Thread: Problems maintaining a "shave ready" razor

Originally Posted by keenedge

I don't know if this is good evidence that your nephew can maintain a razor better than you're able. You and your nephew may have different opinions as to what "good service" is. I'd have him bring a razor over and test shave with it, if you really want to see for yourself.

Not that that's necessary or anything. You already know you're not happy with your shaves.

My nephew went back to college so I am sure I will talk with him next time he is in town. I lent him several razors so he could try different razors and help him decide what he likes in a razor before he purchases a razor of his own. With his beard growth he needs to save only several times a week. I shave daily. If I go out in the evening, I may save a second time.

How much does the coarsness of the beard play into the frequency of touch up?

Originally Posted by lesshairy

With [my nephew's] beard growth he needs to save only several times a week.

Thick beard or thin, most 20 somethings seem to have a 2 day stubble at all times. How do you do that! Is there a spacer they put over their razors so "just a little" is left growing in the yard? I've offered a few 20 somethings a free shave, and a BBS guaranteed shave to boot. They turned me down.

I feel sorry for the younger generation. But, I feel proud of the many younger men we have here who are genetically superior to their cohorts!

Anyone a Red Green fan? Red says, "The younger generation is so violent. Makes me want to slap them!"

(Please! Everyone, this is for fun. )

Thank you for your feedback. It helped me to think about the problem. I pulled out my favorite razor today and started from scratch, started with 1000 grit hone to.make sure I had a good starting point, resharpened it following the pyramid in the Wiki with a Norton 4000/8000, then moved on to 15 to 20 strokes on a Naniwa 12k, 20 strokes on an 8" bench hone with CrOx + 10 strokes on an 8" felt bench hone with .25 diamond spray. I then stropped it 100 times, leather only.

I took my time, reviewed the honing and stropping wiki, watched the stropping videos, paid extra attention to my strokes, body position, etc.

The main things I did differently this time was I used the stropping grip shown in the barber manual, used more pressure when stropping so the sound of the draw was more consistent in both directions and did not use the linen strop on a newly honed razor as stated in the barber manual.Plus I stropped 100 strokes on the leather. My typical stropping is 20 to 25 linen and 40 to 50 on leather.

Todays shave was nice and comfortable. I will be more careful with my stropping technique and see how the edge holds up.

Thanks again.

Thought so. The barber manual should be shipped with the sign-up email. Such a little thing, such a big difference. Glen's said it before, it's all in the stropping. The "flip the razor, not your wrist" thing can make all the difference.

Itry and keep the speed slow and consistent. I would say it is a 1000, 2000 count in each direction. The pressure is light with only enough pressure so there is contact with the strop and the following edge of the blade. It is mainly the weight of the blade.

I remember, a long time ago, an experiment by members of the SRP into stropping speed and the consequences thereof. Slow stropping was judged to be a waste of time. Good razors, well honed, rapidly became uncomfortable shavers. When swift stropping was resumed, BBS was restored.
I would suggest that you increase your stropping speed as fast as your skill allows.

Those must have been wise men. Good ol' barbers manual.

I've been using the same blade about 5-7 times a week for the past year and a half possibly longer, and it hasn't had to go back on a hone yet. just a 20-30 pass stroping before each use and once a week it goes on a pasted strop for about 30 strokes. Only shave after getting out of a hot shower, cuts like butter.

+1 on checking your stropping technique. Let us know if it helps,

-Chief

A bit of pressure while stropping is ok. The edge of a razor is fine but not fragile.
To much emphasis is placed on using a feather lite stroke while stropping.
My strop deflects about 1/2" - 1" when I strop.

Just my $.02,