Straight razor sharp?

Hi all,

Not sure whether I have to post here or in the beginner forum. Mod, please feel free to move the topic.

I just bought a new straight razor from a local shop. It is a Herbertz Solingen 5/8. According to the shop owner, it was shaving sharp from the factory and did not need sharpening. Now I am home and have tested it. The razor does not pass the HHT. It also does not "catch" my (thin) hair. When I drag a hair from my girlfriend (a bit thicker and stiffer than mine) over the razor, it does catch the hair and splits it, effectively creating two thinner hairs of the same length.

Do you think this razor is sharp enough?

Thanks!

Evert.

You need to shave with it and that will answer your question.

Factory made edges are seldom sharp enough. (in modern production razors)

I think you should have tried a shave test..

That does not mean an entire shave, that means do a full prep and lather then start at the easiest spot on the face, from the sideburn to jawline on your strong side.. Now paying very careful attention to the angle and pressure try a simple stroke,, The razor should shave that patch surprisingly well now try the other side same spot... If you are lost in this explanation you need to do more research on here

The HHT is a test for the honer not the shaver


All that being writtin the truth of the matter is that "From the Factory honing is a myth" :(

But pay attention to what I said for you newly honed razor don't spoil that with a test that tells you nothing

g

There are many threads and posts here on SRP that suggest that people new to straight razors avoid the HHT. Search the site and enjoy the reads. As noted above, after a proper face prep just shave your cheek. Be sure to have a proper angle and do not do any slicing movements. That is the only way to know for sure if it is shave ready.

Ok, thanks! The HHT is not a good test for determing razor sharpness.

I'll try and shave myself with it. Problem is: I've never done it before and I do not know how sharp the razor should be. So if it goes cumbersome, how do I determine then whether it is the razor sharpness or my technique?

Follow this link here to the SRP beginner's guide. In there you will find a post by Lynn, SRP founder, on recommended procedure for the first straight razor shaves. Read the text in the beginner's guide carefully and you should find all you need to get started in the right direction. Just don't rush it and you will have a better chance of a pleasant introduction to straight razor shaving. :gl:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

That does not mean an entire shave, that means do a full prep and lather then start at the easiest spot on the face, from the sideburn to jawline on your strong side.. Now paying very careful attention to the angle and pressure try a simple stroke,, The razor should shave that patch surprisingly well now try the other side same spot... If you are lost in this explanation you need to do more research on here

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Originally Posted by Joed

As noted above, after a proper face prep just shave your cheek. Be sure to have a proper angle and do not do any slicing movements. That is the only way to know for sure if it is shave ready.

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Originally Posted by evert67

Problem is: I've never done it before and I do not know how sharp the razor should be. So if it goes cumbersome, how do I determine then whether it is the razor sharpness or my technique?

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Other than what Joe and I already pointed out ?????

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Other than what Joe and I already pointed out ?????

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I guess I'll have to jump in! :D

Thanks, and I'll let you know the results.

Well, I did it :).

I am not sure what to think of the results. I first tried to shave off some arm hair. That went without any problems.

Then I did what gssixgun recommended.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I think you should have tried a shave test..

That does not mean an entire shave, that means do a full prep and lather then start at the easiest spot on the face, from the sideburn to jawline on your strong side.. Now paying very careful attention to the angle and pressure try a simple stroke,, The razor should shave that patch surprisingly well now try the other side same spot...

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The razor did shave, but definitely not "surprisingly well". I had to shave each patch of skin a few times to get all hairs removed; the razor did not catch all hairs in one pass, it seemed to "hang" on some hairs. I went on to my cheecks with the same results. After shaving the skin was pretty red and feeling burnished.

What do the experts make of this?

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Originally Posted by evert67

Well, I did it :).

... After shaving the skin was pretty red and feeling burned.

What do the experts make of this?

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Redness and razor burn are usually signs of too much pressure and/or an improper angle. If the razor were not sharp enough you would feel tugging as the hairs were being cut. Think of what it feels like to shave with a dull disposable or DE. Did it feel like that? Straight razors take a while to get the technique down and many fail because of the time and patients it takes to master. The technique is much different than the disposables.

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Originally Posted by evert67

Well, I did it :).

I am not sure what to think of the results. I first tried to shave off some arm hair. That went without any problems.

Then I did what gssixgun recommended.



The razor did shave, but definitely not "surprisingly well". I had to shave each patch of skin a few times to get all hairs removed; the razor did not catch all hairs in one pass, it seemed to "hang" on some hairs. I went on to my cheecks with the same results. After shaving the skin was pretty red and feeling burnished.

What do the experts make of this?

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I think Joed missed the part of "hanging" on the hairs. If it hangs on hairs (tugs, pulls) it is most likely not sharp enough. I had the same problem when I started.
It is also possible that your stropping was a bit off, but I'd say that this razor needs a proper sharpening.

By the way; if stropping seems to make no difference, then that's another sign that the razor isn't sharp

I'm impressed.. Splitting a hair down the middle! I only wish I could see well enough to try that!(:-)

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Originally Posted by evert67

I just bought a new straight razor from a local shop. It is a Herbertz Solingen 5/8.

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Could you post a picture of your razor?
To my best knowledge the company C. Jul. Herbertz from Solingen does not produce any razors it´s just a retailer.
They sell everything from Thiers-Issard and Puma to stuff they buy godknowswhere and sell under their own label.
A picture would help to get a clue what you bought.

Yes, I would consider your razor sharp enough to shave with. You just need to strop it. I have yet to see a brand new out of the box razor that needed grinding on a stone. I would say that 99.9% the honing done to factory-new razors is entirely unnecessary; those razors only need to be properly stropped. By "properly" I mean with a littie weight borne on the edge so that it is actually polished.

I would disagree with that. I have bought two "ready to shave" razors from a local shop, and from an internet site. They were not sharp enough. I would have saved myself a lot of trouble if I realized that earlier. The only one I got that was actually ready to shave with was from Straight Razor Designs.

If you bought the razor from SRD or a similar place where they take pride in their honing skills, only then would I assume that there is something wrong with stropping and shaving angle etc. The frustration of trying all sorts of shaving angles and stropping techniques on a dull ("ready to shave") razor was a main reason why a friend of mine gave up on the whole thing.

Nowadays, if the razor doesn't catch at least some of the fine hairs on my arm in mid-air, then I don't even try to shave with it. It may still work, but it won't be comfortable.

You might want to read this

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ry-2012-a.html


Everything that is being talked about in this thread is right there even the part that JeffR brought up about the stropping..

You need the razor brought to a shave ready condition check the members services section of the classifieds find somebody you trust in there and stop going in circles

g

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Originally Posted by evert67

I'll try and shave myself with it. Problem is: I've never done it before and I do not know how sharp the razor should be. So if it goes cumbersome, how do I determine then whether it is the razor sharpness or my technique?

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Yes, this is a problem and the proper solution is to get the edge evaluated by somebody you trust to know what a properly sharp razor should be. The best way to do so is by following our standard recommendation on this forum - buy a razor honed and stropped by somebody who is good at it.

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Originally Posted by JeffR

Yes, I would consider your razor sharp enough to shave with. You just need to strop it. I have yet to see a brand new out of the box razor that needed grinding on a stone. I would say that 99.9% the honing done to factory-new razors is entirely unnecessary; those razors only need to be properly stropped. By "properly" I mean with a littie weight borne on the edge so that it is actually polished.

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Now, may be the brand new razors you're seeing differ from the brand new razors I'm seeing, or your experience of comfort differs from mine, but I've had the exact opposite experience. Here's a micrograph of a typical brand new razor honed at the factory and I don't consider such an edge in need of 'just proper stropping':

Attachment 92822

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your answers! I’ll try to shave with this razor a few more times (just the straight areas of my face) before I conclude the razor is not sharp enough. Tomorrow I will try to do it with less pressure and I’ll also experiment with different angles. At least I know now my face won’t be blood-stained immediately :-).

I guess it was my own responsibility to buy this razor and trust the seller (a barber) that it needed no sharpening off-factory. I had read enough messages here (as well as the beginner’s guide) saying the contrary.

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Could you post a picture of your razor?
To my best knowledge the company C. Jul. Herbertz from Solingen does not produce any razors it´s just a retailer.
They sell everything from Thiers-Issard and Puma to stuff they buy godknowswhere and sell under their own label.

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This is interesting! I googled the razor myself after having bought it, but I only found a Herbertz shop. Here is a link

Here are two photographs of the razor, one with flash and one without (it is dark here). There is no manufacturer mark on the razor, other than the text “Solingen” on the handle and the text “Solingen, made in Germany” on the blade.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...7/img_1080.jpg

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...7/img_1079.jpg

Interestingly, there is a slightly different photograph on the website of the guy I bought it from:

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...-59-402890.jpg

This photograph does show a logo and it is of the Herbertz Solingen shop (compare it to the website linked to above). You can find also find the knife’s description (as well as this photograph in the webshop I bought it from: link

Any ideas about what I have bought? Thanks!

Hi mod,

Good you moved this topic to the beginners forum. It really turned into a newby (me) finding out...

However, now the subject has turned again to "what razor is this?". Would it be possible to move it back to the razors forum?

Thanks!

I'm a mod, so I guess I can answer - your thread looks good enough here, so it's not going to be moving anywhere else.

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Originally Posted by evert67

However, now the subject has turned again to "what razor is this?".
Thanks!

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Hi,


I have seen both razors, the one you bought and the one on the webshop´s hompage for sale on the internet too.
Interesting enough that Herbertz does not sell these on their hompage at least not at the moment.
It´s easy to see that the razor you bought is not the one shown on the webshop´s hompage.
Yours has a a different shoulder design and is marked "made in Solingen". The other one just says Herbertz.
Could be made in China/Parkistan. So i think you have been lucky whith yours.
Although it was made in Solingen by an unknown maker I doubt that it came shave ready out of the factory.

You are still new at this and it'll take some shaves for you to develop muscle memory and technique. Be patient, stick with it and remember to enjoy this.

Here is my mantra: "You are taking a daily mundane chore and turning it into a pleasureable daily ritual."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by evert67

Well, I did it :).

I am not sure what to think of the results. I first tried to shave off some arm hair. That went without any problems.

Then I did what gssixgun recommended.



The razor did shave, but definitely not "surprisingly well". I had to shave each patch of skin a few times to get all hairs removed; the razor did not catch all hairs in one pass, it seemed to "hang" on some hairs. I went on to my cheecks with the same results. After shaving the skin was pretty red and feeling burnished.

What do the experts make of this?

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