Thread: is my razor still sharp?

How does a newbie know when his is no longer sharp? I purchases a honed, stropped, and all-around shave-ready razor from the SRP classifieds from a reliable mentor. I am confident that it was sharp when received, but my first few shaves were so poor that I hardly have a good baseline for comparison.

I've been stropping on linen and leather (pretty sure I'm doing it correctly) and have had about a month's worth of shaves at this point. But I'm still not getting a really smooth shave and am wondering if I have inadvertently dulled my edge (poor stropping, etc). I tried the hanging hair test the other day and the razor definitely did not pass. Regrettably, I didn't try this when first received so I have no baseline. Many fellow shavers have said the HHT is a good measure to test sharpness... even holding a hair in your fingers and cutting it with a down-swooping motion of the razor works well. Mine doesn't pass either of these tests.

But looking at the wiki, it seems that the HHT isn't 100% reliable.... thoughts? Suggestions on other ways I can tell if my razor is sharp?

I'm 90% confident that it's my technique.....but there's 10% of me that worries I may have dulled the razor.

I don't want to contribute to anyone's RAD, but do you have a backup blade? If you had access to another blade that you knew was shave ready, you could compare it with the one you've got. Also, with a backup, if you have to send yours out for re-honing you could use the backup.

I'm sure you'll get better advice on sharpness from other, more knowledgeable members, but those are my two cents.

Happy shaving,
Erik

Originally Posted by anjp

Many fellow shavers have said the HHT is a good measure to test sharpness...

I am curious where you have seen this... the HHT is by no means a good measure, nor is it recommended by anyone of good repute that I know of.

I'm 90% confident that it's my technique.....but there's 10% of me that worries I may have dulled the razor.

It may well be both- beginning technique is often very hard on the edge of a razor- bad angles, poor stropping, etc. I think that it is worth either picking up a second razor or sending this one out to be re-honed so that you know. In my own experience, my edges only lasted 1-2 months the first time I had them honed.

It's not a high-end test, but you could try wetting a section of arm hair and testing the edge on it. A shave-ready razor should pretty much wipe it off with little, if any, resistance.

Send back to me i will check it out and if it is not will make shave ready ship back to you.
send pm i let you know my mailing address

Originally Posted by ehammers

I don't want to contribute to anyone's RAD, but do you have a backup blade?

Erik

+1 on comments by Erik.

There is a need to have something to compare it to.
In a pinch compare to a tossable blade or DE blade.
A couple dollar bag of the yellow handle BiC razors are a great safety
net for someone with a single open blade razor. Just hide
from those things with multiple blades. They shave so
differently (badly for me) that they are no help.

+1 on ehammers advice. Unless you are on a very restrictive budget, get another shave ready razor. After 6 months with 2 razors I bought 1 from classified. It showed me that my 1st 2 razors were quite dull. I sent them to honemister and still had 1 to shave with. Unless money is tight you will end up with several blades. don't sweat whether it's "the" perfect blade for you. They don't have to be the most expensive razor or beautiful to give you a first class shave.

I myself am a noob to straight razors but the test I use is down where the rubber hits the road. Next time you shave with the razor utilize the "proof is in the pudding" method:

1. Will the razor effortlessly shave arm hair?
2. Before my morning shave, I strop the razor like always 20 laps before, (20 laps after first pass, and 20 laps before I put it away.)
3. After my initial stropping I lather up and shave. This is the critical test:
A. Did the shave leave your face burning irritated or full of visible stubble?
B. Does the razor tug or move through large areas of your face without removing stubble or removing it in patches?
4. If you answered yes to A or B then your razor is likely not as sharp as it should be.
5. Now, I'm by no means an expert but I can tell you what I've done and why and if I'm completely full of feces, the experts can correct me as required and I'll appreciate the steer. At first, my reflex was to take it back to the hone and hone the crap out of it. Fearing overhoning though, I decided that before I did that I'd simply strop the crap out of it. After all, I didn't see anything in the wiki about overstropping. I stepped up my stropping to 50 laps prior to shave, 50 laps before the second pass, and 50 laps prior to putting the razor away. Over a period of 3-5 days on this regimen, the razor should have noticably better performance.
6. If the razor still isn't giving you good shaves, take it to the hone and start the pyramid at 10 (15 if the razor is serious no kidding dull.) Once you run the pyramid, do 100 laps on the strop and put the razor away for the night. The following day do the 50/50/50 stropping. It should be good to go. If not start over again at step 5 and repeat.

This of course assumes that at a minimum your stropping technique is not harming the edge and your shaving techique is adequate to be able to deliver a good shave. If you suspect stropping or shaving technique problems, do your homework and practice, practice, practice. Once technique is ruled out start at one and run the gamit.

Another method of testing is the thumb pad test. Sadly though, you have to have a known shave ready blade as a reference (at least I did the first several times). I would to what bud said and send it to him to be honed. Then you can be sure it's shave ready.

I'd say it's your technique. When I started, I got a Dovo Bismarck from SRD and it didn't feel as sharp as it should which just couldn't have been the case. after just a couple weeks, my technique improved and the blade felt much better.

It's your technique...