Thread: Sounds strange but what side of the razor cuts

Just wondering, when using a straight, Is it ths edge of the blade touching your skin or the side not touching you skin that cuts off the hair? I've got a razor that appears to shave only one side of my face and I want to know what side to work on with the hone more.
I'd look rather stupid walking around with stubble on only one side of my face.

It's definitely not technique causing this as a razor I had Steelforge hone for me is perfect both sides.

That is an interesting question. I am erring towards the fact that perhaps your razor has unequal bevels. On the one side the angle of the bevel is such that when used with your normal shaving angle the blade is in the right place for cutting. On the other side, the bevel might be a greater or lesser angle, and therefore is not in the right direction for cutting.

Reading it back, did that make any sense at all?

Si

I think there's more to this than a bevel issue.

My sense is that either a razor will or won't shave - I have razors that have uneven bevels (in the sense that the bevel on one side is wider than the other).

Most razors are symetrical (Japanese straights excluding Feather razors being the exception) and there shouldn't be a difference in shaving ability between sides.

I'm not an expert - but I'm sure someone who has more experience will chime in.

Do you have other razors - if this is your only razor, it may be a shaving technique issue. If you get good shaves from your other razors, then there's obviously something amiss with the blade.

The razor cuts the hair with the same edge as on your knife when you cut the bread.

check your technique...

Nenad

I wonder if it's overhoned, and the curled edge only cuts from one angle.

or perhaps the edge was "rolled" slightly while stropping?

I have had many an Eboy special razor that would cut very well on one side and turn it over and it wouldn't cut anything. I think the problem assuming of course your technique is not at fault is there is a gross difference in the sharpness in the two edges of the razor. In my case some extra strokes on the poor side solved the problem. I have often suspected that these razors at one time in their lives were used for purposes other than what they were intended for and the one side was used way more than the other.

Actually i had this recently and Ebay razor, its most likely over honed so to speak, more of a rolled edge. If not the bevel could be very uneven. If you send it to a honemeister like Lynn it should be easily corrected. I fixed mine using 1000 grit stone and some barber hones.

I'd guess it's the extremely fine wedge of the bevel itself that splits your hair starting with the edge, so neither side. Or both.

Thanks all.
I'm confident it's not me technique as I say. I got Steelforge to hone my other razor and was able to finish the job off fine. It also only cuts the hairs on my are in one direction.
Hoping it is just overhoned I'm going to do a few backward strokes on the hone and start again.
I'll keep you all posted.