Can a blade be too sharp?

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?

Theres been a load of conversation about this, and if you search for the threads theres a veritable encyclopedia of views, opinions and theories out there...!

With DE and Feather blades, the manufacturer coats the blades in teflon to give them maximum glide and minimum resistance when shaving. This is what gives them that "too sharp" feeling and results in weepers and the like. There are people who prefer the feel of these blades after two to three uses, once the teflon has started to rub off and they lose that crazy edge.

An experienced honemeister can get a straight razor up to the same level of sharpness as a feather, but without the teflon coating you dont get that oversharp feeling.

As to whether a blade can be "too sharp", I guess its all down to personal preference! I find I prefer the feel of a well honed and stropped straight razor to the feel of a DE blade. For me, the DE blades feel a bit too harsh and have a scratchyness about them, whereas the straight just glides over my face.

I am of the opinion that the steel used in straight razors is of a higher quality than that used in feather and DE blades, simply because the feather and DE blades are designed to be thrown away once they are dull. Why spend the money on the better quality steel when its only going to be used for a month or so? Build something that will last for a month and thats it. You expect a straight to last for years, so the makers put the good stuff into them! I might be wrong, but this makes sense to me.

Whether this impacts the feeling of the shave I have no idea, but I really do find that the straight razor gives the best shave and best feeling on your face.

No, a blade can't be too sharp.
There is no such thing as too many razors, too much money or ammo or too much wine... :)

IMHO Fido, There is no such thing as "To sharp". Now you can over hone a straight, then you will have a rolled edge, but never to sharp. It is much easier to remove the hair with a sharp blade. When they start to get dull, that's when you get the pinching, pulling and cutting of the skin because the blade doesn't glide like it should. I was a Cook in the Army and the saying was "The most dangerous knife in the kitchen was a dull knife".

Here is a long debate on the topic. If you like a comfortable feel to your edges you will probably like the feel of an edge honed on a coticule. Chrom-ox can tame a harsh edge as well IME.

I think Stubear may have hit the nail on the head. WHO KNOWS!

Seems the more I learn, the less I know. If you think your razor is to sharp - don't strop it after you use it and see if it is any better next shave. If it is, then back off on your stropping and dial the edge in how you like it.

I have never had anyone send me a razor to hone and ask that it not be honed too sharp. Maybe the real question, you should be asking, is do some steels produce a smoother edge than others? And then again maybe not.


Enjoy!

Ray

With stubear on this, it's mostly preference.

There's a lot of talk about "sharp" and "smooth", especially with blades being finalized on a CrOx-strop considered giving a smoother shave. Some people (gssixgun comes to mind most notably ;)) have only one thing in mind: ultrasharpness. I think "smooth" doesn't mean "not sharp", and I think there's a SIGNIFICANT amount of misunderstanding on the subject (hence the quotes in my post ;)).

As long as a razor shaves pleasantly, I'm happy. Depends on the edge quality and the way it's polished, plus technique. Sprinkle it with a dose of personal preference, and you've got a complex multi-variable equation, often with a big set of solutions. ;)

Since Fido started the topic with the mention of DE blades I think there is a known quantity there. When I used to shave with a DE and experimented with various blades the Gillette Swede was the sharpest and smoothest with the Feather as sharp but not as smooth.

Then I tried the Derby and hated it at first. I had to learn to like the Derby and really use the multiple pass, gradual stubble removal technique to find the sweet spot for the Derby. It is a razor blade and it is sharp but it isn't as sharp as the Gillette Swede or the Feather IME.

I have been a pro tattooer for a couple of decades and one thing I've learned in that time while poking needles into skin is that we all have different hide. I'm sure a barber could comment on our differences in whiskers. IMO this is where the differing opinions come into the mix. Those with tougher skin probably won't find a Feather too sharp/harsh while those with the more tender epidermis will. Just IMHO. :)

Unless the edge is compromised by being too fragile, no. It's job is to cut. It can't be too good at it. The problem is that a user is putting flesh where hair should be. They should practice shaving more, rather than wishing for a more dull razor. I've got a razor I guarantee will never cut you. I call it the Es Puun. Only $100 each.
http://richardwiseman.files.wordpres...9/02/spoon.jpg
Act now and you can purchase the money saving four pack for only $375

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Originally Posted by IanS

Unless the edge is compromised by being too fragile, no. It's job is to cut. It can't be too good at it. The problem is that a user is putting flesh where hair should be. They should practice shaving more, rather than wishing for a more dull razor. I've got a razor I guarantee will never cut you. I call it the Es Puun. Only $100 each.

Act now and you can purchase the money saving four pack for only $375

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Honing that one would definitely require the rolling X :D

Can you get that in an engraved seven day set?

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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?

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by IanS

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.

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So why this theory makes you disagree with me? Now imagine that somehow the top few layers of your skin disappear, do you think you will feel the same about shaving? Why do you suppose when people get razor burn they need to skip a shave or few - if the skin wouldn't matter you could just use less pressure and not cause any more irritation.

What I wrote is most certainly correct - I am pretty sure 99.99% of the people lack the skill and precision to move the razor along the skin only, so you rely on the skin not being cut by the edge, while the hair is.
If you think you're that good try shaving at a 95 degree angle, i.e. almost perpendicular to the skin, see how that goes.
The reason for using about 30 degree angle or less is precisely to make it easier to cut the hair and harder to cut the skin, the closer you move the razor to your face the larger the spread between these.