Thread: Razor passes HHT before shave but not after.

I've recently run into this problem after honing my last two razors. Before this point I have honed plenty of razors successfully and I've probably been honing my own razors for at least 7 years now. I've even honed a couple of old warped wedges which would require good honing skills to achieve a shave-ready edge. But I've suddenly run into this problem which I've never had before and I can't for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong as I haven't changed from my usual method that has worked previously. I'm using the dilucot method with tape on a coticule and then finishing on some natural slate. Unfortunately I don't have a loupe to inspect the edge. Has anyone else had this problem before? The only thing I can think of is maybe I need to re-lap my hones, I'm not sure if that would cause this problem but I wanted to ask here first before I take that step.

But how does it shave?

I apologize for dodging your question (for which I have no answer other than normal edge degradation during a shave), but are you honing to achieve HHT success or honing to achieve a great shave?

The shave is ok I'm not getting any irritation or redness from it but it the razor starts to struggle once I'm onto my second pass. I tend to have to go over the same spot multiple times to cut the hair and it doesn't seem to be cutting it right down to the root either. Then when I try to shave with it the next time it won't cut the hair properly and it starts tugging.

Originally Posted by TheLateralEdge

Then when I try to shave with it the next time it won't cut the hair properly and it starts tugging.

Am I correct in assuming that you are stropping between shaves? Not stropping or improper stropping could cause this.

Is it one particular razor?
Seems like razor is not holding an edge which suggests poor heat treat or steel.
The only other thing I can think of is a wire edge, but I doubt you could over hone on a coticule.

The same thing has happened to the last two razors I've tried to hone which is weird, maybe it's just those two razors, I will have to try hone another and see if I have the same problem. I think I might lap the hones as well anyway as it's been a couple of years since I last lapped them.

If the edge seems to be breaking down after one pass, the razor may be a candidate for a layer or two of tape. Try that and see if that solves the issue.

I agree with gadavier. It could be bad steel or temper; however, it could just need tape. I was surprised a while back when I couldnt get a razor to take and hold an edge. I was using a single layer of tape and the edge would dull out after a single shave. While talking to someone they mentioned to add an extra layer of tape and try. I did but had the same results. I had pretty much wrote off the razor as garbage. One day while honing one of my other razors, I noticed this razor sitting there where it had for a few months with two layers of tape on it. I figured what the heck and added a third layer of tape, hit the 1000 grit and ran it to all the way to 12000...and wow. now it is a great shaver. The only thing I can think is that the angle was so thin that it would chip or bend the edge before, but the added angle must have done the trick.

Originally Posted by gadavier

If the edge seems to be breaking down after one pass, the razor may be a candidate for a layer or two of tape. Try that and see if that solves the issue.

I'll give that a try although I've never had to use 2 layers on a hollow ground razor just on wedges, I ordered a 30x loupe so I'll wait for that to arrive and check the edge first like Euclid440 said.

If the edge is breaking down, it usually is, the bevel was not “Completely” set, too much pressure or defect in the steel caused by Cell rot, aggressive low grit honing or too thin a grind angle.

Since you have shaved with the razor, I would suspect, the edge got wiped and was not completely re-set. When you hair tested, it cut hair on a part that was set, giving a false positive test.

Most problems of sharpness are probably due to the bevel set.

Develop an absolutely positive bevel set test technique, looking at the bevel straight down on the bevel with magnification is the quickest, complete test of the whole edge.