Thread: Does it get this sharp?

I hate quizzes, hey edhewitt, I'm here for fun.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Won't hair be just as tough whether it is a day old or a week old. A piece of 4x2" is still 4x2" whether it is a foot or ten feet long?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The Straight Razor Phenomena:

The newer a person is to this hobby,

The tougher their beard is
The duller their blade is
The weaker their edge is
The floppier their brush is
The harder their water is
The more cupped their strop is
Heck even their Aftershave stings more..

It always amazes me how these thing all seem to get better with time

I'm working through that stage as we speak. I refuse to buy hones until I'm sure that I can get decent shaves repetitively from at least one of my 3 new (in the last 6 months) razors from SRD. I have one that I'm best with...a 5/8 Ralph Aust; one that I'm ok with...a 5/8 Dovo Klang; and one that I'm awful with...a 6/8 R. Aust stainless. All were honed by you know who before I got them, so that isn't the issue. The common denominator among the 3 is ME.

I prep the same; lather the same; strop the same, but the 5/8 R. Aust still stands out, even though it has been used the most. It has to be my technique and confidence with it over the others. If I never get any better with the others, I'll use my re-hone certificates and sell them in the classifieds. If I do that, they'll be good bargains for someone.


The good news is I'm learning my beard (and face) with each shave, and I'm semi-confident that I'll find a routine, if I'm patient enough (big if) to last it out.

+ 10 to the above - I'm still doing exactly what you're doing and what Glen said I found to be 100% accurate. Walk before you run...

The farthest I've got is a lesson from a honemeister in Ontario using my Coticule to refresh my blades. So far, that's working from me, can't do much damage doing that. And I only use my Coti on several cheapies I picked up for that pupose and have done lots of practice. So far, with all my blades being honed professionally, and with proper stropping, my edges are fine. I think maybe I took one nice Dovo to a CroX pasted balsa board for 7-10 laps....

Originally Posted by Tim Zowada

I would love to see how well stropping repairs that edge...

Thanks for the great photos!

Tim Z.

I have a before and after shot of this feature:

After shaving:

After 50/100 linen leather:


The effect is subtle, but if you compare the two images you can see that metal has been drawn up over the broken edge and is reforming the keenness.

I did strop the blade once more before the second shave, and while it was not quite as sharp as the first shave, the blade was still sharp enough for the moustache ATG pass and very smooth, maybe even smoother than the first shave.

Originally Posted by fuzzychops

I have a before and after shot of this feature:

The effect is subtle, but if you compare the two images you can see that metal has been drawn up over the broken edge and is reforming the keenness.

(pics edited out)

I did strop the blade once more before the second shave, and while it was not quite as sharp as the first shave, the blade was still sharp enough for the moustache ATG pass and very smooth, maybe even smoother than the first shave.

Now - what about the idea that the blade must be allowed to, "fin" for 12-24 hours before stropping? I've read, that like a fin on a marine animal, a tilted or slanting fin is indicative of ill health, as in after a shave the blade "fin" will also look slanted and that it takes time to return to it's normal state. The marine animal was obviously used as an analogy, but there is a lot of stuff about allowing the blade to rest.

So, haha, the next question would be, we've got one pic before the shave. Now it would be interested to see a pic of the blade, no stropping, after 12-24 hours and see if anything has changed. Finally, then to strop and compare again.

Sheesh...isn't this fun!!

Originally Posted by Phrank

Now - what about the idea that the blade must be allowed to, "fin" for 12-24 hours before stropping? I've read, that like a fin on a marine animal, a tilted or slanting fin is indicative of ill health, as in after a shave the blade "fin" will also look slanted and that it takes time to return to it's normal state. The marine animal was obviously used as an analogy, but there is a lot of stuff about allowing the blade to rest.

So, haha, the next question would be, we've got one pic before the shave. Now it would be interested to see a pic of the blade, no stropping, after 12-24 hours and see if anything has changed. Finally, then to strop and compare again.

Sheesh...isn't this fun!!

I just solved two of the great mysteries of straight razors for you, and you still want more?

Originally Posted by fuzzychops

I just solved two of the great mysteries of straight razors for you, and you still want more?

Hello?!? This is SRP...we always want more!!

More razors, more brushes, more hones, more strops and MORE INFORMATION!!!

So when can we expect your results....we're waiting...

Thanks!!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The Straight Razor Phenomena:

The newer a person is to this hobby,

The tougher their beard is
The duller their blade is
The weaker their edge is
The floppier their brush is
The harder their water is
The more cupped their strop is
Heck even their Aftershave stings more..

It always amazes me how these thing all seem to get better with time

Glen, thanks for the perspective. As they say "a bad workman blames his tools". I'm getting to the point where I know what a great shave feels like, and if I have incomplete prep, or not up to standard hone job, or sloppy technique, I end up with a sub-par shave. No excuses, we learn and improve.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by jgjgjg

Can a blade get sharp enough that on the moustache and other difficult regions the razor 'glides' the whiskers off with barely a pull?

Yes it can!