Thread: what would expect a brand new shave ready razor to have had done?

The first razor I bought was a brand new boker king cutter off a reputable vendor and was sold as "shave ready". Now don't get me wrong I am happy with the razor and the service I have received so this is not a vendor bashing thread. It is just a query from myself, a newbie shaver.

Not long after getting that first razor I was struck down with the affliction know as RAD and have acquired several vintage razors off ebay .

The first razor I restored was a Krause (stay with me guys I'll get to the point soon I just need to lay a little ground work) and when I came to shave with it I was surprised at how much smoother the shave was compared to my boker. I put this down to the fact it was a thicker bigger blade than my boker and thus just felt different.

Since then I have restored 5 other blades, 2 of which are the same size and grind was the boker (full hollow though the new blade does seem to be thinner). Every single one has given me a smother more comfatable shave than my brand new blade.

With that in mind I began to think that I had maybe ruined the edge on the boker at some point (I have refreshed it on a 12k naniwa since I have had it but only 5 strokes or so which tbh I don't see it doing a great deal). I have looked at the edge through a 100x microscope and there is no evidence of a rolled edge but the scratch pattern is deffinatly rougher than the ones I've done!

I decided (as per the advice from here) to contact the vendor to ask if he had tapped the spine when the initial honing was done so that I could replicate it when I took the blades to the hones.

The reply I got back surprised me. "I never tape the spine when I felt a new blade". What this sounds like to me is that rather than having been honed the blade has its factory edge and has just been stropped with some sort of compound on felt.

Is my expectation of a full bevel set and subsequent edge refinement on a brand new blade unrealistic ? Or is it considered the norm to just strop with compound the factory edge of a new blade and deem it shave ready ?

I am going to be resetting the bevel and going through the stones on this blade just to see if I can get it shaving as well as my others.

Like I said at the start though this is not a vendor bashing thread, the razor does shave well and I am more than happy with it. It just doesn't shave as comfatable as my others do and was wondering what level of honing should be expected when buying a brand new razor sold as shave ready

The standard, is a razor is sold as shave ready as the vendor gets it from the factory. Nothing is done to it. Some vendors make a point of saying they hone a razor and then you usually know it is really shave ready.

As a rule a brand new razor would not have a bevel redo unless it really needed it. I know many members do that when they get a new razor. personally I do what the razor needs. if it need a bevel job it gets it. usually a more minor hone job is what it needs.

Yes this vendor makes a point of stating that all the razors "are honed and come truly shave ready".

I could certainly understand why a vendor would be reluctant to take a hone to a new blade and run the risk of scratching it. There are many out there who would reject a blade because of a scratch.

The reason I assumed that it would have been taken to the hones and had the factory bevel reset was because there are so many post here that say even if the blade is new it should be sent out to be honed. I understand each blade is different but I just got the impression a bevel set and edge refinement was the norm

Just so I understand correctly, on a new blade the only honing normally needed is a pasted stropping ? Anything beyond that is just down to a persons preference ?

It would be interesting to know what the pro honers who charge for their services normally do with a brand new blade

You'll get more informed answers, but I think they check it out under magnification, then do what's required to make it live up to their standards...usually a 4k, 8k, 12k progression, followed by CrOx and leather (or something similar).

You'll get all kinds of answers . When some folks sell a razor it's shave ready and shave tested. I know that I have about 30-35 different razors and they all shave a little different. the best shave I get are from the heaver larger blades. not to say the 5/8 blades don't shave ok it's just that there different. I usually shave with the larger and trim with the smaller. Also if your new to straight shaving you may just be getting better with some blades. I also have found that some razors strop easier than others. At any rate like I said you'll get a lot of different answers just pick one you like and go with it.

Every new blade is different. You need to evaluate it like an Eboy special. Then you decide what it needs.