Thread: How to tell when you need to sharpen?

I have only been straight razor shaving for about 2 weeks. I have managed to get one 3 pass shave in ( WTG, XTG, AGT) it was the smoothest shave I have ever had! It pulled pretty good on the against the grain on my neck, but was decently smooth shaving on my cheeks. My razor won't do a mid hair test, but I have read that some people's hair won't allow for a good test that way. So I was wondering how do I tell when my razor needs to be honed?

When it pulls a bit. I use the lowest angle that still cuts when I shave. If you are using a large angle(over 30 degrees) your edge will go dull fast. Trial and error but most people can learn this.

You'll know the razor needs honing when you cannot get a comfortable shave no matter the angle of the blade. I think the issue presents itself pretty well with pulling and tugging on your whiskers and possibly some skin irritation. I would advise you to pay attention to your blade angle and stropping. Bad stropping can cause the edge to degrade and bad shaving angle can cause you to think the razor is dull.
I'm not certain if using an improper angle will cause the edge to degrade or rather cause it to FEEL like it degraded.

I sharpen knives & hone razors. Hanging hair tests are for those who know how to use them, even then they really don't mean a whole lot as the shave is all that matters. I agree with Bill. If you have done your prep right and shaved with a low angle, strop the dickens out of it & try again...like 100 or so stropping motions per side. If that doesn't work, then try to touch it up on a pasted strop, barber hone, or finishing stone. Try this a few times and if it doesn't work, then it will need the bevel reset. It's not uncommon for a new shaver to unknowingly damage a edge, it's still not a big deal as we have all done it at one point in our "shaving life".

Try to find a person who is a veteran straight shaver and visit them, they could teach you more in an evening than you can learn in days here on the computer.

That's why it's good to have at least two razors so the extra is sharp and acts like a reference. Blades can dull very slowly and often times you kind of get used to the slow deterioration and only when the shaves get really bad do you realize how much deterioration has occurred. If you have that reference you can tell the slightest changes.

When you gain the experience the difference between a shave ready razor and a razor that needs a touch up, or honing, will be night and day. + 1 to having a rotation of at least 2 razors.

To the OP

The exact same way you would decide to change your blade in a DE or buy a cartridge, it really is that simple...

Thanks for the help, I am going to shave with my straight again on saturday. I'm really going to focus on my angle and see if that reduces the pulling sensation a little bit. If not, I think I will just send my razor to be honed professionally. As I am not even sure I really have experienced a shave ready razor. My dove best quality came with a factory edge and I tried to hone it myself. Probably not a good combination, but I had ordered it before I came across this site.

If you have the stones don't be afraid to give it a few laps on a high grit stone as a refresher. 10 laps on a 12k stone did wonders for me with such few laps there is little chance of going wrong. After 2 weeks that's probably all you'll need

I only have a norton 4k/8k stone. Would doing 15 passes on the 8k side help it? Also, I have a second razor, but it is currently waiting on me to get back home. I'm in Japan at the moment and my step-dad found a Bengall razor that is excellent condition. He got it for me at an auction for $20 and said it cuts the hair on his arm halfway with no problem. Does anybody know if Bengall is a good razor?