Thread: New to Straight Razors, What am i missing ?? Blade not sharp

Originally Posted by carl16732

Yeah I read that its better to get it professionally honed lol, But I just always want to learn and do it my self, But with everyone stating the same thing i think i may just send it off, and go from there. Thanks for all of the answers.

No problem playing with honing, just do it to a 2nd razor.

Really need the first to learn the shaving aspect, send it off a second time after a few months of shaving and its ready for the next hone. When you get it back, you will have the control for you honing learning. You have a known good edge used while knowing the basics of shaving to compare your edges too. You will also pretty much eliminate shaving and stropping techniques for the honing equation also.

carl16732

Two advices-and I`m also beginner so it think some of master will agree or doom me :-)

First-make sure that you properly set bevel if bevel need to be st. If you think bevel was set just check it.
Second-I found very important to work long enough on 4k stone before moving to any higher grits. I missed this on the beginning and shaving was just BAD...

Best luck!

+1 for the recommendations to send your razor to someone who advertises honing services in the SRP Classified section. You have enough on your plate just learning to shave.

It's clear to me that the AOS salesman you bought your Dovo from knows nothing about the straight razors he is selling. They aren't knives you use for whittling sticks. I've never tried this myself and I don't recommend anyone else try this with a prized razor, but it's my understanding that were you to take a razor that was honed shave ready sharp and gave you a comfortable shave, then used it to slice a piece of paper, it would no longer give you the same comfortable shave until the edge was touched up.

I went to the AOS store one time because I wanted to try their shaving cream. I noticed the straights they had for sale and asked the salesman what brands of hones they carried? His face took on a doe-in-the-headlights expression. I then asked him who he recommended his customers send their straight razors to when they needed honing? He again did his impression of a deer about to be jacked. No surprise, given that Gillette owns AOS.

Should you ever be moved to purchase another new straight razor, might I suggest you purchase it from a vendor like Straight Razor Designs? Every razor they sell is honed shave ready sharp for you at no extra cost. You're guaranteed to get a good, comfortable shave (once you've developed your technique, that is).
Namaste,
Morty -_-

Folks, cutting a piece of writing paper or similar won't likely harm an edge. At least not in a way that couldn't be fixed by stropping it. Think about it - whiskers are far tougher than paper and one can shave for months without needing to touch up a razor.

Originally Posted by JeffR

Folks, cutting a piece of writing paper or similar won't likely harm an edge. At least not in a way that couldn't be fixed by stropping it. Think about it - whiskers are far tougher than paper and one can shave for months without needing to touch up a razor.

you wiskers are also cut at a controlled angle, who know how the paper tried to flap around and or pull on the edge. there is a bit of lateral force on a blade during those cuts, especially if the cutter is good and consistent with them. im not saying its a guarantee to mess up a blade, just that i can see the possibility.

Well it seems logically the next step would be to cut up some printer paper and shave test the edge. I have done it already. Razors aren't for cutting paper. Try it.

I just have to say cutting paper, EVEN if it's not going to harm the edge, proves nothing, surely? Has anyone heard, on this fine forum, of the paper cutting test (PCT)?

Originally Posted by jaswarb

Well it seems logically the next step would be to cut up some printer paper and shave test the edge. I have done it already. Razors aren't for cutting paper. Try it.

Respectfully, that's a fair suggestion. After cutting this 20# printer paper this morning, my razor shaved great - without even stropping:

Originally Posted by JeffR

Folks, cutting a piece of writing paper or similar won't likely harm an edge. At least not in a way that couldn't be fixed by stropping it. Think about it - whiskers are far tougher than paper and one can shave for months without needing to touch up a razor.

Think about how many hairs you would have to line up to equal the width of that paper. He probably put a months worth of wear on the edge with that one slice.

Originally Posted by JeffR

Folks, cutting a piece of writing paper or similar won't likely harm an edge. At least not in a way that couldn't be fixed by stropping it. Think about it - whiskers are far tougher than paper and one can shave for months without needing to touch up a razor.

Hi Jeff,
I certainly don't want to be giving out bad advice to other members, so help me out please. In the wiki, under "Sharpness tests explained," in talking about the TNT - Thumb Nail Test, it states:

#####
Finer points

1. This test will damage the shaving edge so it should only be done on an edge that you intend to keep honing on the 4000 level hones. Its primary purpose is to determine whether the bevel is set properly.
2. This test is sometimes seen as the least useful of the tests in this article as it is the most dangerous to the shaving edge and the results are also the most vague to interpret.
#####

A couple of things come to mind. First, it's obvious we aren't cutting *through* our thumbnail when performing a TNT, we're just gently drawing the edge -- that has not yet progressed past a 4000 hone -- across the surface of our thumbnail just to get an idea as to whether the bevel is set yet or not. Folks who know honing better than me state that "This test will damage the shaving edge" and "is the most dangerous to the shaving edge" that is not yet shave ready sharp. So how is it that taking a shave ready sharp razor -- whose edge is much finer and more fragile -- and using it to cut through a sheet of paper *won't* damage the edge?

The other thought that pops up is that most of us go through an extensive pre-shave ritual to soften and moisten our beards that includes shave oil and lather to keep our beard and skin lubricated, moist and cushioned. Yet the edge still needs to be stropped before the next shave.

So is slicing through a dry sheet of paper with a shave ready sharp razor like shaving a properly prepped beard? Or is it more like performing a *very* aggressive TNT with a much more fragile, easily damaged edge?

Please don't misunderstand me; I'm not arguing with you. I don't care about being "right." My concern is that a new member reading your post might get his freshly honed razor back from a honemeister, slice through a couple of sheets of paper to "test" it, not get the shave he was expecting, and complain in a thread that so-and-so did a lousy job honing his razor. How does that help him?

Your thoughts, please?