Thread: Razor Not Shave Ready?

Having the factory edge, I think it needs honed. If it had been sharpened by a professional, then I would say no, the problem is most likely technique. However, since it was your first attempt with a straight, I feel comfortable in guessing that in this situation, it's both....technique and sharpness, and that would be for anyone starting out, it's just par for the course. We all start out with technique, prep, stropping, etc. issues, but having a shave ready razor is necessary to really work on the others.

On honing, some points to kind of think about, remember. Your razor should not be damaged, you're just refining the factory edge. It shouldn't need much pressure in setting the bevel and probably light (we call it no, or just the weight of the razor) pressure after that. Keep the elbow high to help with keeping the blade level on the stone at all times. Have just enough water on the stone, after soaking, that you can see the water being moved by the edge, it should be consistent across the edge.

Here's another really good video by gssixgun helping a new member with his first honing attempt. It's very representative of first attempts, and you'll hear the same points I touched on above. I learned them watching and trying Lynn and Glen's vids. Once again,

Howard

Edit: Just thought, they set the bevel on a 1k, I think, I haven't seen it lately, but, you can set a bevel on a factory edge razor using the 4k with no problem

YouTube