Thread: Four Words--What do they mean?

Sharp
Smooth
Buttery
Harsh
I have read them a lot but never thought much about them and their relation to the edge. Are there two words too many?

Originally Posted by WW243

Sharp
Smooth
Buttery
Harsh
I have read them a lot but never thought much about them and their relation to the edge. Are there two words too many?

Hi bill,
Here is what I understand them to mean:
Sharp - kind of self explanatory,
Smooth - sharp and cuts hair without leaving irritation/ discomfort,
Buttery - not really sure, poss glides over the face, sort of super smooth,
Harsh - sharp but uncomfortable, a freshly honed razor that is really sharp can be like this, but after a few shaves it mellows and becomes smooth.

I'm with Ed, only I think harsh does not necessarily mean sharp. Harshness, as far as I know, is caused by microscopic teeth at the edge. The size and shape determine how much of your skin is scraped off, which causes the harsh feeling.

Coticule edges are often called buttery, but they are not the sharpest. I once had an edge felt dull, yet was sharp enough for a good shave. One of the best edges ever, because it felt so nice on my skin. Don't remember how exactly I honed it.

Yes, I think Ed's got it covered fairly accurately, I'd describe buttery exactly that way...super smooth and glides over the face.

Ed,
First at the scene of the crime! Ed, do you think a harsh shave can leave the face more smooth than a buttery shave? Is this why some old timers make the switch from BBS with 3 passes to a 2 pass comfortable shave? Ok, here is my take on the language:
sharp= you do a TPT and your thumb bleeds and you cry
smooth= you do a TPT and notice that your thumb bleeds but you don't know how it happened
buttery= must be the convergence of the perfect prep, perfect cushioning lather and a properly honed blade that you have wielded enough times to know your face without a GPS
Harsh= The words that the old lady uses when you have been in the bathroom for 2 hours shaving

I teach music for a living, so if anything, I think we need some more subjective words to describe our edges..... hhmmmm lets go with 'creamy' .... yeah that's it, isn't it awesome when you get a great shave from a creamy edge

Might create some conflicts with the lathering language.....

Originally Posted by ecormier

I teach music for a living, so if anything, I think we need some more subjective words to describe our edges..... hhmmmm lets go with 'creamy' .... yeah that's it, isn't it awesome when you get a great shave from a creamy edge

Originally Posted by WW243

Might create some conflicts with the lathering language.....

Ok so a musical term for smooth is 'legato'.... that edge is sooo legato

Buttery as defined by some on-line dictionary: "Marked by effusive and insincere flattery."

So buttery as I see it should be a nice smooth shave where the blade passes through your whiskers as though it was a hot-knife going through butter... all the while your blade is whispering sweet nothings to you in effort to have you use said blade again tomorrow.

.

I only have two descriptions

Honed Correctly
Honed Wrong

I like the first one