Thread: TI razor-Sharp enough?

Thank You for all the replies they have been very helpful. I will try to send it out to get honed.

You could also get a hone yourself, with a beaten up razor to practice on

I have bought a TI C135 6/8th full hollow a few weeks ago from Fendrihan.com in Canada. I followed a similar path to yours. I was shaving with a Shavette. The Shavette blades are real sharp when they are new, you can't beat it.

I first bought a used Dovo Silver 5/8th from the classified , from someone who had bought it from SRD in december. The guy had used natural stones because he felt the razor was too sharp to his taste. When i got the razor, it was an awful experience. I had a red face. The Shavette shaving is real quick since the blade is so sharp. I had to go back to basics and take my time and use less pressure. Yet, the Dovo just did not measure up to the Shavette. The razor would tug. I stopped using the razor and decided to buy a brand new and honed razor since i suspected the razor was not honed properly.

I decided to buy it in Canada to avoid shipping costs and customs. The owner at Fendrihan told me some of the good Dovo razor to buy but they were not shave ready. Since i did not want to wait, he suggested i buy the TI C135 razor which comes shave ready from the factory. He went on to tell me that TI hones the razors before leaving the factory because a lot of newbie end-up messing-up their razors on their first hone.

I received the razor the next day and tried it. It did a much better job than the Dovo that i had bought. It took me 3 shaves to get used to it and get a nice shave. It is certainly different than a Shavette. The more i use it , the more i learn to appreciate it. I use the leather strope before using it and that is enough.

I still feel that the Shavette offers a sharper edge. The TI is not as sharp, and don't expect it to ever be. However, as i got used to it, i now feel that it offers a nicer shave than the Shavette . It is more foregiving. It is slower. You need to use shorter strokes in thight areas. I remember that with my Shavette, i was using longer strokes because the edge is so sharp. This technique does not work with a Straight i found out.

I have since honed my Dovo with a Naniwa 12K and it offers a much smoother shave. Still not as nice as the TI, or perhaps is it because i am not used to it (i shaved only once this morning after honing it with the 12k).

You may want to talk to the store where you bought it from. My experience with the TI is positive and very different from some of the people who already answered you. Before i bought the TI, i verified on user experiences and the posts i saw on this site and different user posting on the sites selling this razor agreed that this razor made a nice shave out of the box.

I have not seen your razor and i do not know if you bougth the same C135 carbonsong razor. If you did, take the time to get used to it and get back to the basics . Straigth razors are different

Thanks for the response MichelG. My TI razor is C135 carbonsong, and my experience was that the toe was sharper than the middle or heel. Also my hair is extremely thick. Unfortunately I had to return the razor as I did not want to take a risk with a purchase of close to $300 USD.

Is it possible for a carbon steel straight razor to be as sharp as a Dovo Shavette or Feather razor?

Originally Posted by airbus001

...snip....
Is it possible for a carbon steel straight razor to be as sharp as a Dovo Shavette or Feather razor?

Yes. It takes a good hone set, a practiced hand and a good stropping
technique. A Feather blade IMO sets a very high standard.

The shavette and feather blades have one advantage.
They coat and fuse a thin layer of Teflon on the blade.
This coating is a real advantage....

A hand honed blade also has advantages. Smoothness
and freshness. A factory blade edge out of a box can start our harsh
then be fine even wonderful for two shaves and then is dull for one or more
shaves... A personal blade gets stropped prior to each shave
it gets honed when it should. With modern hones and
touch up strop pastes a str8 can be smoother and sharper than all but the
very very best factory blades, or not depending on the preference
of the owner. I like my blades about second day Artisan Feather
sharp and with a personal blade I can do just that (most days.

In all cases it is steel against whiskers.