Thread: I now realize my folly

Hi guys this is my first post, aside from an "introduce yourself" post.
I had just had my first straight razor shave and I realize that I should have
bought a second hand razor that was presharpened.
What I bought was a new razor (Dovo) that was said to be presharpened
but had a lot of tug on my stubble.

I bought a 4k/8k Norton wetstone and tried to hone it. At first I tried the
3/3 -- 1/3 -- 1/5 pyramid, but that didn't improve the performance.
Then I tried the full pyramid starting from 25/25 and going down to
3/3 and 1/5. Only a slight improvement; still much "tug."

could it be that this blade needs so much work? It's only carbon steel.
could it be that I ruined it by pressing too hard while honing and need to go down to 1k?
how much work usually goes into honing a new razor?

A new razor should need little work. If you bought it from a reputable seller who advertises their razors as shave ready then it should be. Though not certain, it's more likely lack of prep or poor technique at this stage.

How much experience do you have with honing? I'd say that, initially, more work needs to go into learning to hone effectively than needs to go into honing a new razor.

Try not to use too much pressure on the hone. Try also to make sure the entire edge hits the hone evenly on both sides. If you do not have much experience with honing, check out the honing section for good info to get you started, and also the Wiki.

It is also often a good idea to get your first one honed by a professional if possible, as it gives you a benchmark for your future honing endeavours.

Welcome to SRP, and good luck!

James.

Not so much a lot of work as knowledge. Do yourself a favor and send it to a pro.Send a PM to this guy.He's in Israel too and a real restorer/honer.

Straight Razor Place Forums - View Profile: manah

i am sure we have someone in Israel which will hone your blade.
Manah if i am not mistaken.
try to get your first blade honed by pro. it will help you in long run.

Thanks guys!
so should I ask manah for his help ASAP or should I first try to improve my shaving technique?
maybe the razor is not as much to blame as I am

gwolff, welcome to SRP.
On this forum you'll find all you need for straight razor shaving.
Also you can PM me. I hope, I can help you.

Hmm... Norton combo...
Do lap it flat and also on the first use lap off
the top half mm or so. The surface of the Nortons
seems to be a bit resin and bubble rich -- after
lapping that surface off and getting it flat you
may have better luck.

A pyramid on a Norton combo works when both sides
are equally flat.

You are on the right track -- many new razors have
a very sharp factory edge that was set in a way
that protects the spine and make the razor look better.
i.e. they lift the spine a bit....

It may take a couple tries at a pyramid but the bevel will
set and then the blade will go sharp quickly. The black
magic marker trick can often let you see where the
bevel does not extend to the edge...

The impatient might try one or two layers of tape on
the spine. Effectively, lifting the spine with tape may line things
up on your hone closer to the factory bevel. Eventually
dispense with tape... A marker is a big help in deciding to tape...

Originally Posted by gwolff

Thanks guys!
so should I ask manah for his help ASAP or should I first try to improve my shaving technique?
maybe the razor is not as much to blame as I am

At this point I would get the razor sharpened first, then work on your technique once you get it back. This way you will know for sure that your razor is properly sharpened and "shave ready." This will eliminate one of the variables.