Thread: help purchasing kit

Originally Posted by ducky

Thanks for the tip, I was a little concerned about the honing part. The blade that I purchased was to be professionally honed before shipping it to me. Are there any tips for me to know whether or not it was honed properly before my husband tries to use it? I would prefer that my gift not cut his face all up because it wasn't honed properly.

Where did you purchase the razor from? I assumed Straight Razor Designs initially but wanted to clarify. If that's where you bought it from then, as BAMARACING said earlier, you can be assured that it was honed to perfection.

No matter what, though, have your husband read up on how to shave with one first because he's more likely to get cuts on account of poor technique than anything else. It's good to start with short strokes on the cheek from sideburn to jawline, and then start doing more of your face as you get comfortable holding the razor.

Originally Posted by ducky

Thanks for the tip, I was a little concerned about the honing part. The blade that I purchased was to be professionally honed before shipping it to me. Are there any tips for me to know whether or not it was honed properly before my husband tries to use it? I would prefer that my gift not cut his face all up because it wasn't honed properly.

No, there's no such test. That's why it is important to purchase from a vendor the honing of which you trust.
If you have doubts you really should be talking to the vendor about this.

+1 to Gugi's comments. All the stuff you hear about the hanging hair test, thumb pad test and thumb nail test are all used during the honing process for assessing how an edge is progressing. If you use them on a shave ready razor you risk cutting yourself (badly!), damaging the razors edge or both.

The only test for a shave ready blade is to shave with it!

The key difference between factory shave ready and truly shave ready is that a factory edge has probably been honed on some sort of grinding wheel and then stropped before being boxed and shipped. A true shave ready razor will have been honed by hand on a succession of hones and then stropped (and probably test shaved) before being shipped.

If you want to clarify with the seller, ask them if the razor has been honed by hand on stones or whether it came "shave ready" from the factory.

If you buy from one of the reputable sellers here, you'll get a shave ready razor.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by commiecat

Where did you purchase the razor from? I assumed Straight Razor Designs initially but wanted to clarify. If that's where you bought it from then, as BAMARACING said earlier, you can be assured that it was honed to perfection.

No matter what, though, have your husband read up on how to shave with one first because he's more likely to get cuts on account of poor technique than anything else. It's good to start with short strokes on the cheek from sideburn to jawline, and then start doing more of your face as you get comfortable holding the razor.

That is where I purchased from so I'm glad to hear from both of you that it will be shave-ready when it arrives. My husband has wanted a straight razor as long as I've known him and I know that he has read several referrence works on how to do it so I'm not too afraid of that. With that he will have all of you helpful people if he runs into an issue