Thread: Base line sharpness

If I have a well-honed blade that shaves well, and I strop it correctly and do enough passes, the blade stays sharp (shave ready) for a month at least. Maybe that is because I always strop 100 laps minimum and do use some pressure (with proper technique) while doing it. I still say that a SR won't be quite as sharp as a DE blade, and my Feather SS proves that to me every time I use it. I stay with SRs, though, because the difference in the shave is minimal (both methods give great shaves) and the SR blades are just more fun to use.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Pretty likely our not really stropping. Don't baby it. If you fail to use any pressure at all you're at the whim of the perfection of your technique alone.

A properly stropped edge should provide consistently good or bad shaves, based on honing or technique. Honing, prep, and technique would produce consistent issues, too, either good or bad, I think.

I've been using a (very) small amount of pressure, and after this, using hardly any at all, just the weight of the blade. Haven't tried using more pressure (obviously without going silly), but will give it a go, slowly but more firmly. Thanks for the tip :-)

My experience has been that I can use more pressure while stropping than I do when honing. I use little pressure when honing, but stropping results have been very good for me when I bear down just a little bit in my stropping. This is safe only when you have first established that your stropping technique is flawless. Adding pressure to a stropping flaw can cause problems.

You are supposed to use only enough pressure to feel some draw*. That is clearly more than none. Here is a good read on the topic.


* 1961 Barbers Manual in the site library

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...t_-_Honing.pdf

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

You are supposed to use only enough pressure to feel some draw*. That is clearly more than none. Here is a good read on the topic.


* 1961 Barbers Manual in the site library

File:Help Files Permanent Archive Barbering Textbooks 1961 Barbering Text - Honing.pdf - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thanks AFDavis11, this and your earlier response re pressure, nailed the problem!

Shaved this morning, and put some pressure (probably a little more than necessary, but carefully, too) on the stropping, with 30 on canvas and 50-60 on leather. The difference was amazing. The Sr8t shaved just about as well as the Shavette (VERY little difference) and was smooth and very comfortable, similar to when it first came back from honing. So, as you suggested, looks like I wasn't actually stropping the razor with my 'too light' touch, and so it was becoming more and more dull.

Thanks again - yahoo..
Kevin

You are very welcome. My work is done here.