Thread: Bought a new razor but...

First of all, I live in Holland, so if my english looks crooked I apologize, for it has been many years since I left school...

Second, I recently bought a straight razor to shave with (obviously) after I found out that the blades for my GMach3 were too expensive. I had some experience about 10 years ago with a straight. On my right cheek it shaved perfectly, but on my left cheek I dug it in and was left with a cut razorwide. After that I looked at the razor with great respect, but never trusted it to come near my face again...

So, some weeks ago I bought a new one. Just a simple one form Solingen (no DOVO or somthing like that). When I tried to shve my armhair they broke off just above stubble-level (about 0,6 mm remained). So I bought myself a strop and begain stropping. No result. Again I made myself an extra strop (as leathercrafter I now know what kind of leather to use) and rubbed it in with green paste.
Stropping on the green strop and straightening on the blank strop gave me (after some stropping) a good result on my arm.
As I have read many topics on the forum I did try the HHT, but no result on this.

OK, let's go to shaving... What a dissapoinyment. The razor slipped over the beard as skiing over snow with a lot of sand over it.
Again back to the stropping, armhair OK, HHT not, bodyhair (about the same thickness as my beard) could only be cut with a cutting movement like slicing bread. Shaving....well... just some hairs in the lather but no clean shave.

I've tried almost anything except for honing. But I wanted to postpone buying a stone for about 6 months or so and train with it on some old razors I have lying around, before putting this razor on the stone.

Please help, where is it going wrong?

(in the meanwhile I am still traing with Jaguar with changeble blades, good results and as time and practice goes by, even less cuts)

Unfortunately, new razors are usually not ready for shaving. It's unclear from your post but it sounds like you tested your blade by shaving your arm hair by running the blade along the skin? Unfortunately this only tells you that you're beginning to get pocketknife-sharp, once you can cut armhair with the blade hovering a millimeter or so above the skin, then you're getting razor-sharp.

The green paste (chromium oxide) is I think somewhere around 0.5 microns, which is too fine to sharpen a blade that dull. You need either a fine stone or a barber's hone. If you wish to stay with the pasted strop, you need 3 micron and 1 micron diamond pastes. Once the blade is popping hairs from this, then you go to the chromium oxide for extra polishing.

If I misunderstood, and your armhair test did involve hovering the blade above the skin and it still doesn't shave very well, then it may be that the chromium oxide is putting too fine of a polish on the blade. For my beard I prefer to stop at about 1 micron, if I go to the chromium oxide the blade gets sharper (cuts armhair better) but shaves my face worse; I think the finer grooves in the edge of the blade don't get as good of a bite into the lather-lubricated whiskers even though the blade is sharper.

Thanks for your reply, but the problem seems to be solved.
This afternoon I went to the store where I bought the razor and the kind lady said: "With such a price on such an knife it should shave. Bring your razor and we'll send it back to the manufacturer."

And yes, I have tried all the mentioned hairtests: HHT, armhair close to the skin, armhair hovering about 1 mm above the skin, bodyhair held between thumb and forefinger... Every time the same result: armhair close..OK, rest...failed.

I await another razor I have bought through ebay, and I will post the resultst with that one soon!

First off, let me say that your english is just fine. In fact, it's better than a lot of native speakers

Now, as for your razor troubles, it sounds to me as though your razor could use a honing. Stropping, even with a pasted strop, will only do so much to help the edge. It's possible that your stropping technique might not be proper, but you haven't explained preciesly how you're doing it, so, I won't pass judgement on it.

Since you're looking to defer your purchase of a hone for some time, you can always send out your razor to be honed by one of the honemeisters on our forums. I know Lynn (adjustme69) is one such person who does it.

Originally Posted by Pinda

...This afternoon I went to the store where I bought the razor and the kind lady said: "With such a price on such an knife it should shave. Bring your razor and we'll send it back to the manufacturer."
...
I await another razor I have bought through ebay, and I will post the resultst with that one soon!

Razors that are fresh from manufacturers (even reputable ones such as Dovo and TI) are quite often NOT shave ready. However, with a pasted & normal strop and proper technique, they can usually be brought to shave readiness. ebay razors on the other hand almost always require some work on a hone.

@ToxIk
Thnx for your compliment (I wil tell my old english teacher I háve learned something after all... )
It wil be a bit difficult sending my razor to the States just to be honed. See my post, problem seems to be solved.

The ebay razor is new, not used...

@mparker762
When I get my razor back I will order the pastes you mentioned. I can make m own strops, so it wouldn't hurt to try. In fact I believe in your theory, that the microteeth on the edge could grab the hairs better.

Originally Posted by Pinda

Thanks for your reply, but the problem seems to be solved.
This afternoon I went to the store where I bought the razor and the kind lady said: "With such a price on such an knife it should shave. Bring your razor and we'll send it back to the manufacturer."

If the store person thinks they will send it back to Dovo and they will sharpen it or replace it with anything other than another not shave ready razor they obviously don't know much about them.

A new razor, right from the box, especially from Dovo is not going to be shave ready. They can only do so much and get them reasonably sharp but not sharp enough to shave. Many of the knife shops here will tell a customer much the same thing.......that they are ready to go and no honing is needed.

Get a shave ready used razor from a group member, a new razor from Classic Shaving and have Lynn hone it or from me, already honed. These will be ready to use.

Tony

Pinda

Hi from the UK

I have also had similar experiences recently. I bought a DOVO when visiting the Taylor of Old Bond Street shop in London, being assured that it was "shave ready". I discovered reality when I got home when I tried to shave with it.- blunt

I sent it back to them and they readily agreed to exchange for another one.
Result - just the same.

Pity that I didn't discover this site before buying my razor !

Last week I visited my barber for a haircut and told him of my problems. He offered to prepare my razor for me using my new strop. Unfortunately he had an accident and cut the strop, which he has now (today) kindly replaced at his expense.

I hope tomorrow to try , at last, to have a shave with my new kit.

One thing confuses me however. the guy in the Taylor' s shop stated and this is also confirmed on the "idiots guide" leaflet that I was given, is that when stropping you strop on the leather side first and finish off on the linen side ( to remove the leather dust). My barber confirms that this is also what he does.

In reading the various posts on this site concerning stropping procedures this seems to be totally at odds with the recommendations detailed here.

What do you think ?

This novice to straight edge shaving ( although 45 years wet shaving) would appreciate your views.

Cheers
John

Its slightly debatable. 99% of users would use the linen first. Perhaps the cross aligned fabric aligns the edge sideways and warms the blade a little. The leather is better for finishing. It smoothes and flattens the edge prior to shaving. Some, a long time ago, noticed equal ability the other way around. Think of it as smoothing and then aligning. They claimed that it depended on the razor steel though, not working for all blades.

I'd stick with linen then leather for now. Test it yourself and tell us what you think. I can validate that using both will help a lot. Once you use both, the order that you utilize them becomes pretty unimportant.

for me: linnen first then leather.

as for the honinh thing. I mailed him because he doens't live very far from here. And if the razor he gets back still isn't ready I'll meet up with him and we'll do some honing together. Lately my self honed razors have been turning out very good so I'd trust myself with showing it to someone else.

Originally Posted by Rangefinder10

My barber confirms that this is also what he does.

And you trust him after he severed your strop? Just what kind of "accident" do you think he had? I know some newbies who have had the same accident.