Thread: Are all blades the same?

Are you able to get most blades to the same level of sharpness (excluding junk blades) or do you have some that you can just never get as sharp as some others?

I can shave with all of my blades but I have a few that I can just never get as sharp as most of the rest of my blades.

It's mainly just smaller blades and one 6/8 Henkel although I can shave with them all.

It must just be something that I'm missing on a few of my blades but I guess it's possible that some blades are just harder to hone than others.

I don't know what differences there are in the various steels used in vintage blades and thus the reason for my question.

No. there are a few factors that can make one blade sharper then another. The main ones are blade geometry and the properties of the particular steel. Another thing to consider is your honing/stropping technique. One thing you said that sticks out is the smaller ones are not getting as sharp. It's pretty easy to keep an 8/8 blade flat on a hone. Narrower blades take a bit more skill to hone and strop. It could be that you're not yet consistent with the smaller blades. Ive honed and stropped a few blades in the neighborhood of 3/8 and they can be tricky. I also notice a difference when I strop a 5/8 vs. 6/8.

I think if you understand a blade , which comes from familiarity, then you can get it special sharp and comfortable.
Apart from that 5/8th Dovo SS I have.. Hate that blade

If your 'problem' blades are full hollows, it could be that you are applying too much torque while honing.

Some blades take more work to get a good shaving edge on them. Most honing issues relate to the bevel set. A good loupe makes all the difference in the world. Also where the blade is at before you start is a big one too. Honing and restoration honing are not the same. Sometimes it takes a lot of time to get a good, solid, clean bevel, and that is the foundation of which the rest of your honing progression sits. There are quite a few subtle things to honing as well, which either take a long time to figure out on your own or you can pick them up at a meet a little more easily.

can't seem to get wedges as sharp as hollow ground. also have a Spike and a Wilbur cutlery that i can't shave with. even after honing lessons with Lynn.

Bevel angles matter, IMO

I have found size of the blade, blade material, grind and of course what you are honing on makes a difference. I find some steel likes a Naniwa, others JNats, cuticles others a combination. Also consider technique. Factor all that in and at some point you will get a razor that just doesn't shave worth a damn no matter what is done and you'll go nuts real fast. I sent out a razor custom made by one of the top artisans to at least 3 honemeister's and it still didn't shave worth a damn. One of the honers said it wasn't me, he really didn't like the steel used and he owned one. Bluesman7 is right on, without a good bevel, your dead in the water.

Ok, so if the steel is good, they will all shave. But some makes and some blades, just take an edge a bit better. And some blades, prefer some hones.

I have a guy whom I have honed for a few years, he has an old French tipped, 5/8, D. Peres, that just takes a smoking edge, and is a pleasure to shave with.

I have several razors of different sizes and make, that are like that, those… are the keepers.

Now, if they are not shaving… that’s technique.

Every blade, like every natural stone, is unique. From steel composition, to heat treating, quenching, grinding, they all have a tiny difference from one model to another.
Since we are talking about good razors and the stones in question are not too fine to cause micro-chipping or other unpleasant stuff, to a degree, all blades are the same, in the sense that, honing them with a nice, reliable finisher, all will shave nicely.
Otherwise the razor in question does not belong to the good blade category but the "junk" or close to junk blade category.
I'm not referring to anybody specifically, but it's usually the honing and/or stropping, not the razor that's at fault.