Thread: Shave ready?

Shave Ready is relative to Shaver Readiness but comfort/smoothness is not always realative to sharpness.

Shave ready + Shaver ready + sharp + comfortable/smoothness is part of the equation. There may be more to it.

From my limited experience I feel there are varying levels of shave-ready...

My first razor in early January was a shave-ready razor from Larry @ whipped dog. I remember my first shave and thinking "wow, its amazing a piece of steel can be this sharp" and I shaved with it for a few weeks, and was very happy with it.

After that, I bought a W&B FBU via ebay, the seller turned out to be a member of SRP - magpie. It was also advertised as shave ready. When I took that blade to my skin, it was honestly like taking a hot knife to butter. So smooth and a brilliant shave, and a far nicer experience than my first razor.

Obviously there are other factors, such as the size/grind of the blade etc, but purely from these 2 experiences, 2 razors bth "shave-ready", I definitely preferred the latter to the first, yet would deem both as shave-ready.

In saying that, I have no regrets for the whipped dog purchase, I still feel it was a great starting point and didn't fear damaging the razor or experimenting with stropping technique, and I now have a spare razor to lend anyone wanting to try straight shaving.

Regarding definition, I feel that for a razor to be shave-ready, the buyer should be able to open the package, rinse it off and have a first shave, no stropping required. I would also recommend that procedure to buyers, as by doing it this way, you cannot blame a seller if you ruined an edge due to poor stropping technique etc. Its just a fair and safe way for a buyer to evaluate a purchase before complaining or leaving negative feedback. And for sellers, offering a razor stropped for evaluation by a buyer is good way to make them happy with their purchase, rather than risk them having to strop themselves and potentially ruin the fine edge created.

It's pretty simple really. It's ready to shave.
It does not imply "cuts like a dream" "soft buttery feel" "best scientific evidence proves" "may have micro chips" "Better than Jo Jo's"
That would all fall under "Honed to your specifications" :<0)
I honed all my razors to 8k for a year. "Shave ready" Now I can go beyond that and know the difference. That does not change the fact that I got BBS or DFS at 8k.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

It's pretty simple really. It's ready to shave.
It does not imply "cuts like a dream" "soft buttery feel" "best scientific evidence proves" "may have micro chips" "Better than Jo Jo's"
That would all fall under "Honed to your specifications" :<0)
I honed all my razors to 8k for a year. "Shave ready" Now I can go beyond that and know the difference. That does not change the fact that I got BBS or DFS at 8k.

IIUC, the razor is ready for "Joe Seven-Day Set" to shave with, and the results he obtains are up to him. Yes? Works for me.

I don't have to think when I can read and somebody once wrote 'The razor is shave ready, are you?'
Now, who would that be, har-har, or was that a hint-hint...

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Maybe shave ready is like what Justice Potter Stewart famously said when asked to define pornography ....... "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it."

Hmm, may be it is a good thing the internetwebs didn't exist in the days of the good judge - a lot of stuff to see there


Not that I would've seen it, or admit to have seen it, I was just told by one Mr. L and he is pretty good at what he does... OK OK he made me do it, I told you he was good at it!!!

As far as I can tell, advertised as shave ready is based on the honer, not the shaver. As stated each face and blade are diffrent. Shave tested is not even a trusted evaluation for me. I have found an 8k shave from my "MAB" to be better than a 12k shave from my goldedge. I am still experimenting with diffrent blades on diffrent hones to find the best edge for each razor. If it will "pop" hairs off my arm with out touching the skin, I consider it shave ready. The deciding factor is the shave. To each his own and for each something different.

"Shave Ready"=will shave,but maybe not to some of our expectations. some have exceeded the levels of sharp from days gone by. so with that said everyone will be different, my definition of shave ready= gssixgun just my two cents tc

Originally Posted by gugi

Hmm, may be it is a good thing the internetwebs didn't exist in the days of the good judge - a lot of stuff to see there


Not that I would've seen it, or admit to have seen it, I was just told by one Mr. L and he is pretty good at what he does... OK OK he made me do it, I told you he was good at it!!!

We trust you didn't inhale....

Having shaved with a Norton 8k, green & red paste stropped edge for 8 - 10 months I could shave WTG no irritation but not ATG. Now I have AJ's slate I have dialled in ATG without irritation. I believe shave ready is defined as out of the box ready to go minimal - no irritation depending on experience. If you can drag the edge across all parts of your face without pulling or burning from aftershave and then repeat the next day, the blade is shave ready (scything and other genius techniques not withstanding). This is my experience from comparing my "paid" for honed blades and my edges.