Thread: Like a n00b

Well I suppose in some sense I am.

I don't think I ever really learned to hone properly. I have only ever had one good hone and it's an Escher. And an Escher is a great finisher. It's fairly pointless though if you don't have anything hones between that and a dull razor.

So I recently acqured a Suehiro SKG27 1000/3000 ceramic combo and have put many a razor across it, resetting the bevels, It's a great stone! It cuts very fast and is well sized...

I also have an aloxite hone. I thought it was improving on the 3000 side of the suehiro but it wasn't. Well regardless I spent a lot of time on my fave shaver (6/8 Bengall Spike Point)
Really trying to get it nice and good. More time and effort than ever beofre when honing.

I gave it a good long run on the 3000 side, till the stria were uniform and very much hard to see, then the same with the Escher. I started with some slurry on the Escher and then water till the stria were very much uniform and some of the deeper 3000 marks were still visible but most of it was gone. I then stropped on leather and then felt with some CrOX on it. I have a loupe at 30x which I used in examining the bevel/stria at all points during the exercise.

I cut myself more than any other shave I've had... Is this because I've learned to shave with dull razors and went too hard on the pressure or have I mis-honed the razors or is it something else perhaps like soap (Momma Bear's Cedarwood)? Bearing in mind that I've only ever had these stones and I am aware that going from 3K to a finisher is far from ideal...

Your help is most appreciated especially since I've swallowed some pride in asking for help... Cheers lads

This should be in the honing section and I feel like I've already read this in another thread, but I thought the aloxite was an ahconite hone. Is this a repeat of the same issue you raised in another thread?

Nah son, I'm asking about my shaving technique, I guess the long story is somewhat misleading... I'm asking if I've learned to shave with a duller razor, using extra pressure to cut the hairs, will a sharper razor cause the amount of cuts I've experienced on my face just now?

Hmmm. That is an interesting question. Have any of your razors been honed by someone else? Have you been trying to learn to hone and shave at the same time? It is possible but of sort of feel like your question does not have enough parameters. Perhaps.

cheers Rez, I have had no one else hone my razors before, so maybe that's an investment well spent simply for comparison/experience. I could send them to Oz, he's not that far from me.

I also am only a week back into SR shaving after a 6 month hiatus due to a nice beard I was sporting. Perhaps my skin is a bit "softer" and not used to the regular shave. That coupled with a different approach to the honing?

I shaved with the same razor (pre-honing) only 2 days ago and had only 1 small cut (a pimpley thing) but the shave was no where near as close.

Originally Posted by andrewmurray86

Nah son, I'm asking about my shaving technique, I guess the long story is somewhat misleading... I'm asking if I've learned to shave with a duller razor, using extra pressure to cut the hairs, will a sharper razor cause the amount of cuts I've experienced on my face just now?

Andrew, if I was close to Oz I would definitely send it out to be honed. Would help give perspective to where you are at with the hones.
With just the strop you should be able to get 50+ shaves before you need to do anything on the hones. I have a couple of razors with well over 90 shaves, nothing but leather.

I think you addressed your problem in the op. My guess is the 3k stria you left are what's cutting you, they act like chips. You may try going back to the finisher and do another round until the bevels are as good as you can get them and edge is nice and clean.

Yeah, you are asking about shaving technique but this may very well be a honing issue.

The only way to sort it out is to shave with someone else's honed edge. This is like rebuilding your first clutch and then testing out the car when you never have driven a manual transmission. When you can't drive it, is it the clutch or your driving?

Originally Posted by andrewmurray86

cheers Rez, I have had no one else hone my razors before, so maybe that's an investment well spent simply for comparison/experience. I could send them to Oz, he's not that far from me.

I also am only a week back into SR shaving after a 6 month hiatus due to a nice beard I was sporting. Perhaps my skin is a bit "softer" and not used to the regular shave. That coupled with a different approach to the honing?

I shaved with the same razor (pre-honing) only 2 days ago and had only 1 small cut (a pimpley thing) but the shave was no where near as close.

Some variables are controllable, in this case the edge, so eliminating those first are the easiest way to start to solve this one. Honing is simple, but it is not easy. Getting started with the right edge is best. Once you start to get the hang of the shaving then it may be time to find someone near you for some honing lessons or perhaps attend a meet. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to learn face to face.

Originally Posted by andrewmurray86

I'm asking if I've learned to shave with a duller razor, using extra pressure to cut the hairs, will a sharper razor cause the amount of cuts I've experienced on my face just now?

Don't know about the cuts, unless your moving the razor lengthways as you shave a properly honed razor should not cut you.

I do think that people who shave with dull edges use too much pressure and too much angle. Then when they get a sharp razor they dull it prematurely which leads them right back to their poor shaving technique.

Note that too much pressure results in too much angle regardless of how close to the face the spine is held due to skin deflection.