Thread: Can a blade be too sharp?

Can you get that in an engraved seven day set?

Originally Posted by Fido

As an experienced DE shaver I know that my skin does not take kindly to very sharp DE blades. Even with the lightest of touch I end up with a few nicks when using say, a Kai or Feather. So I get a more comfortable but still close shave with blades not quite so sharp.

As a newcomer to the world of straight shaving, I wonder if it is possible to have a blade that is too sharp for comfort for those with a sensitive skin? Or is there no such thing as too sharp in this sphere of shaving? And if there is such a thing is it just a question of laying off stropping until it settles down?

A razor does 2 things: it peels off skin cells and it severs hairs.
A good edge severs hair as effortlessly as possible and does no more peeling than your skin can take. Shaving pressure and angle play a big factor in that. But the edge itself is not less important. There is a wide array of possibilities to "finish" an edge with various hones and stropping compounds. Also the razor (grind, weight, steel type and temper) contribute to the final result.

Finding your own personal shaving style, and edge preferences is what makes straight razor shaving such an exciting venture. I don't believe there is a shaving method other than straight razor shaving that brings more variables to the skill of shaving. Because of that, your question is besides the point. The point is that we all search a razor's edge that has only individual meaning.

Best regards,
Bart.

I think it is possible for a razor to be too sharp. The idea is that it should cut the hair and not the skin. It seems that for most people there is a level of sharpness that does these two things, but I don't see a reason why it would be the same for everybody.
Every person has different hair and skin as well as different skill about handling a razor.
You should be able to find something that works well for you the same way you have found DE blades that do.

Hmmm. I also like the shave with a DE after it's been used a couple of times. But, I started to think about it, because an ultrasharp SR gives a great shave.

I think it has something to do with the angle. You have very little control of the angle on a DE, but you have complete control of the angle on a SR.

At the moment I believe that there is no such thing as "too sharp razor". It could be DE or straight no matter.
I believe that everything depends on muscle memory.
Each blade & razor needs its own "touch" and that touch must transform due to many variables like Bart mentioned.
Some variables to mention
*lather
*balance
*stroke
*angle
*pressure
*soap or cream
*which manufacturers soap/cream
*shaving moment
*your feeling to shave
*your experience with that particular razor in your hand (muscle memory with that razor and especially with different variables)
*shaving time (hurry or not)
*prep work
*climate
*your stress factor
*your muscles stress factor
*your whiskers type
*your skin type
*how many days grown
*and so on & on & on

It is not only sharpness thing or how much pressure a man load into the blade.
But at the end..... it is fun and challenging to learn different razors.

Originally Posted by Fido

As a newcomer to the world of straight shaving, I wonder if it is possible to have a blade that is too sharp for comfort for those with a sensitive skin? Or is there no such thing as too sharp in this sphere of shaving? And if there is such a thing is it just a question of laying off stropping until it settles down?

Let me put this to you. I am familiar with weepers from a Feather DE. I am also familiar with using a straight razor effectively as sharp ( Zowada razor) but not having the weepers. I really think there are degrees of smoothness to an edge rather than degrees of sharpness but maybe its just semantics.
It is possible to have an edge that is not smooth enough for sensitive skin & it is possible to use too much pressure but I can't see how stropping would make an edge uncomfortable unless it was done wrongly. I find stropping smoothes an edge off the stones not the opposite.

Thanks again for all the replies.

When DE shaving I am well used to the fact that first use of a new blade is followed the next day by a feeling that a slight edge has been taken off the blade. This often leads to a more comfortable shaving experience on second and subsequent days until the blade needs to be replaced. When I used my new straight razor it was incredibly sharp. Now on my fourth session with it the razor does not seem quite so sharp and I am getting a smoother more comfortable shave. I realise this may be due to a progressive improvement in my shaving technique as I become less inhibited. I now have two more freshly restored and honed razors. I will be interested to see if I have the same experience with them.

I'm sticking at it and making progress! But not without the aid of a final pass with my DE razor.

Originally Posted by gugi

I think it is possible for a razor to be too sharp. The idea is that it should cut the hair and not the skin. It seems that for most people there is a level of sharpness that does these two things, but I don't see a reason why it would be the same for everybody.
Every person has different hair and skin as well as different skill about handling a razor.
You should be able to find something that works well for you the same way you have found DE blades that do.

The reason I disagree with this is that there is no sharpness that will allow cutting without pressure... and as sharpness increases (with no maximum) pressure decreases. If a blade is sharper, it takes less pressure to cut the beard, thus you use less pressure, thus you aren't any more likely to cut the skin. The exception is if you're familiar with a significantly duller blade and then suddenly start using a sharper one, you may not adjust fast enough and then you are more likely to cut yourself. Give a kid who's used to a butterknife a kitchen knife to cut his grilled cheese, and yes he's more likely to cut himself. Give an adult cutting a potato a sharp knife in place of a dull one and he's MUUUUUCH less likely to.

u gotta buy 4 es poons? i need 7 for each day of the week. unless i buy two lots one just for show. aslo whats a DE?

I call it too keen. Yes, it can, for me. I cannot use .25 Diamond paste. As a matter of fact, if I buy a razor from someone, I can tell you if they used Diamond paste or not.