Too sharp...Honing problem or Personal preference?

Hello all. This is not a new topic and it has been discussed many times. I have two razors I use most often. I have an old Joseph Allen and Sons that I have honed myself. I find it gives very comfortable shaves. It is my workhorse. I also have a professionally honed Keen Kutter from Phil at the classic edge. My razor is not as sharp as the one he honed. I am not professional but I find that the blade I bought from him is almost too sharp in a sense it is less comfortable then the razor I have honed. I know it is all personal preferences because he did an amazing job at honing. I just find it is too sharp. Which leaves me to use it only on special occasions. What are your thoughts on the matter. I don't know what he used to hone his razor but I used a Belgian coticule on mine using the Unicot method. I was reading through http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...tml#post263073 (I couldn't figure out how to get that into just the thread name) and found some people do think a razor can be too sharp. I also agree with some of them. To me at a certain point a razor is just too sharp. Could it be the coticule leaves a softer edge then synthetics? Could the softer edge just agree more with my skin? I also don't use Crox after I hone. What do you guys think, it is making me wonder...

I also have razors that are too sharp. I can use them every so often but not every day. My 2 Carl Schliepers, Zwilling Friodur and Mappin and Webb razors have this issue. I preferably use them on a 2 or more days' growth.

I think is also going to raise the different steels have different feels discussion also

my understanding is the Coti can get a smoother edge also than the synthetics, but this is only what I have read no personal experience here sorry never used or shaved of a coti yet

Edit: WOW never thought an edge could be too sharp

Although different steels is certainly a consideration here, the fact that the razors are not particularly similar leads me to wonder how much that also comes into play.

If you had Phil hone up the JA&S, and then found that it was uncomfortable, I might be convinced that his honing produces a blade that's too sharp for you.

It could be as simple as you are used to your blade which may not be as sharp as the edge Phil puts on and you use too much pressure with the one Phil honed. I am sure that would happen to me too as I am now used to my edges and I can remember how sharp Phil's were, much sharper than mine. IIRC Phil told me that he uses a natural finisher but that was a couple of years ago and may have changed now. In any case he does put a very good edge on a blade.

Bob

Too sharp only occurs to me when I get too many unexpected weepers. Harsh is generally something different (at least in my book). It's possible to have very keen and harsh at the same time, i guess.

If a razor is "too sharp" give it a few cycles on linen and leather.

I find that 0.09 micron iron oxide as a last step leaves me with a razor that cuts everything in its way, including every little pimple or imperfection you'd have on your face. And it does it without being harsh. It's just a little too much for me...too much paying attention to keep pressure super light.

+1 Bob. I have a TI Phil has honed and try to get others that sharp. I think razors should shave with no pressure. I find if I have to use pressure then against the grain is uncomfortable and the razor needs to be touched up or honed

All good information, Phil does put awesome edges on his razors no doubt about that. I can never get it that sharp. I don't use pressure with my Joseph Allen either. Maybe i'll never know the answer. I know they are different razors, as said above that probably has something to do with it also.

When an edge is really dialed in tight, angle and pressure errors are unforgiving. Having two razors at different levels of sharpness might be keeping you from getting into the right groove. When all of your razors are in the same category of blade prep, you adjust your technique around that. At least that's one potential theory. I have experienced what you described a while back. Now I have honed all of my razors to the same level and they are all finished on the same finisher. Not only are my shaves that much more predictable, but better. At this point, too sharp is not a problem.

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

When an edge is really dialed in tight, angle and pressure errors are unforgiving. Having two razors at different levels of sharpness might be keeping you from getting into the right groove. When all of your razors are in the same category of blade prep, you adjust your technique around that. At least that's one potential theory. I have experienced what you described a while back. Now I have honed all of my razors to the same level and they are all finished on the same finisher. Not only are my shaves that much more predictable, but better. At this point, too sharp is not a problem.

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Excellent response, this might in fact be my problem..

Honing an edge to ultimate perfection doesn't just mean it's "really sharp". It also means it gives a shave with ultimate comfort. When it comes to honing that is where you separate the men from the boys. I've always felt when folks claim the edge is "too sharp" what they are really saying is they got it real sharp alright but the comfort factor is absent. The two go hand in hand.

That's the way I see it.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Honing an edge to ultimate perfection doesn't just mean it's "really sharp". It also means it gives a shave with ultimate comfort. When it comes to honing that is where you separate the men from the boys. I've always felt when folks claim the edge is "too sharp" what they are really saying is they got it real sharp alright but the comfort factor is absent. The two go hand in hand.

That's the way I see it.

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Yes thebigspendur, maybe "too sharp" isn't the right way to describe what I'm dealing with. Less comfortable may be the better way to go about describing it.

There are so many factors that play into it from my honing. The three factors that make the edge is the steel, the stone, and the hand. There are more factors than that for the shave, but that also plays into it a bit. As my abilities have progressed in both shaving and honing my taste for edges has evolved too. I still have the bad habit of taking an edge too far though. It is not comfortable, I often call it prickly. I suspect that those edges also have a very short life span as well, although have never wanted to shave with one enough to prove that. I think our shaving and honing tastes evolve over very long periods of time and I suspect they are never really static.