Thread: TI razor-Sharp enough?

Hello All,

I just bought a Thiers Issard 5/8 Full Hollow ground razor from The Art of Shaving, and as I have just seen on the Wiki and forums it seems as though the blade is not sharp enough. I can not get the razor to pass the hanging hair test, and I am not sure about the results of the thumb test. I used to shave with a Dovo Shavette for a few months, so my form is not horrible. I can get a somewhat close shave, but only with substantially more effort than with the Dovo Shavette. I am I correct in thinking the razor is not sharp enough; anyone familiar with these razors?

Does anyone know where I can get the razor honed in Chicago as I lack the stones to sharpen the blade?

Thanks for any help.

have you stropped it.
there is a differance going from shavette to a straight and you have to adapt.
Most fokes will say hht does'nt matter . In my experiance a shave ready blade will pass hht especialy the razor you have still does'nt mean it won't or carn't shave , i would 'nt use tpt as this could damage the edge. rather than mess with it send it to be honed.

alot of first time straight razor shavers find the razor is not sharpenough untill they adapt. I had several pro honed razors and going from shavette i thought the same not sharp enough. It was my 5th shave before i realized how nice the razor actauly shaved

All the tests you mention (HHT and TPT) are used in the course of honing to assess the progression of an edge. They're not meant to be used to gauge shave readiness. The ONLY test for that is the shave test.

The HHT is TBH a bit of a parlour trick. Its only any use once you've calibrated it for your hair. To give you an example, I have a Boker Edelweisse from SRD which was honed by Lynn (I've had it a while now though, so its since been rehoned by me). So I knew the edge was good when I got it..! For me it passed the HHT about 60% of the time, for my dad every time and a mate of mine couldnt get it to work at all. One shave ready razor, and three different results, but the shave was excellent!

The TPT is usually used after the 1k stone to ensure a good even bevel is set, but using it on a shave ready razor wont yield the same meaningful result. You may also cut yourself!

Have a look at this Wiki article to see more about these tests.

A shavette is a different animal to a straight, and the geometry of the edge is different, so its not a direct one to one swap over. You'll probably need to change your angles slightly, or at least I did when I used a shavette.

The first thing to do is to contact AoS to discuss the problems you are having and see what they can do for you. If you're still not sure about the edge, the best advice would be to send it to a pro for honing. I dont know of someone in Chicago, but you can certainly mail the razor to several people who you can contact via the classifieds.

Historically though, this sort of problem is usually a technique issue which works itself out with practice. When most people start, the shave is not as good as they're used to, just because of the unfamiliarity of the razor and the motions they are making. That may not be the case here, but thats quite often the problem!

But the first thing to do is contact the vendor and see what they can offer.

my question would be:
Does AOS hone there razors prior to sale?

I dont belive they do. Anyone know?

HHT is pretty much useless for me (a knife will do hht)
TPT is getting a feel for how easy it cuts your skin (im using a modifyed one)

none of these tests tell you anything before you got a feel for the shave test

Great advice so far. Your stropping skills will influence the edge also.
Here's a link for when/if you need it Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

you will find your own way of judging an edge once you learn to hone. i no how to calibrate the hht and it works for me i use the same type of hair every time as i have a barbers shop and got my self a pot of the same hair. Of coarse the shave is the real test. i find razors that shave arm hair won't always shave stubble but it will indicate your close.

i have had several TI's and they have been shave ready from ti.

The AoS razors have their bevel set on a wheel before leaving the factory. Some actually have a nice edge on them just from that, amazingly enough. The majority however do not. The new steel that they use is extremely hard and is extremely hard to hone so not a good blade for a beginner. I would definitely recommend sending it off to get the edge cleaned up.

my ti's have been stubben. once they are sharp they are bril shavers i found diamond spray and coticule worked realy well

Originally Posted by gary haywood

my ti's have been stubben. once they are sharp they are bril shavers i found diamond spray and coticule worked realy well

Oh definitely... Don't get me wrong, when I finally put an edge on my AoS razor it is amazing. Getting it to that point was no fun though.

Unless something changed with the AOS razors in the last few weeks it isn't shave ready... Or let me be absolutely accurate, of the few dozen that I have honed not one of those was shave ready

I can't think of anyone in the Chicago area that hones professionally but maybe one of our Chicagoland members will see this, and give you a shout, if not check out the classifieds like the guys already told you and get that bad boy ready to roll.....