Thread: Getting a straight as Sharp as an DE blade?

I shaved off my 8k for almost a full year before i got any kind of finisher. You really want to get to know your blade and hone and how they work together to get the best edge. To really see what was going on there were 2 things i have found invaluable; a jewelers loop and the marker test. between the two of those you can learn a lot about what is happening or not happening at the edge.

Another thing is to remember that especially on older razors the bevel does not have to look good as long as the edge is where it needs to be.

You can definitely get a straight as sharp as a DE (and probably sharper because the steel is much better on a straight) but they definitely have a different feel.

The reason for that is the DE blades are sprayed with teflon to make them last a bit longer, smooth the edge out (because the makers of the blades obviously dont want to spend ages honing the edges to the Nth degree like us haha! They just get it 90% there and then teflon them) and provide an increased amount of "glide". Some folks have said this can lead to a feeling of being over-sharp, and the shaves can result in weepers.

I always find I get 3 shaves out of a DE blade. The first one is usually amazing, the second is ok and by the third the teflon is wearing off and the edge is starting to go. A straight will maintain the same edge for weeks and dozens of uses before it needs touching up - Testament to the better steel!

Its also worth noting that the DE has a built in guide to keep the angle correct on your face all the time, whereas with the straight you have to judge it yourself. So that can also lead to a feeling of the straight not being as sharp, but actually its just you got the angle a bit wrong.

I also think that, in the same way as some folks prefer Gillette blades to Wilkinson Sword for their DE, people prefer different steels on their razors!

For me, the best blades are Dubl Duck bar none. They feel way sharper than a DE, wipe the hairs away like a light sabre and look good too hehe I'm also a big W&B fan, and of the production makers I like DOVO and TI.

Some of the other Sheffields I've got are just as sharp but they dont have that smoothness and wow factor for me. So you might also find trying out a few different types of blade (feed the RAD haha) gets you something thats more akin to the feel of the DE.

I would also definitely get your blade looked at by someone who knows how to hone - You might find that makes a big difference too if its been a while since the last honing!

Good luck and keep us posted!

it really depends a lot on who is honing the razor too,, just saying tc

I have to agree with pixelfixed. S.R edges aren't as sharp as machined sharpened DE razor blades. A three pass shave with my 2011 Muhle R41 and a feather blade is closer than my straight razor shaves. It's much easier to shave ATG under the jawline with a DE razor verses a S.R. This includes S.R. razors I've purchased new from SRD.

This is all interesting,other than how any blade feels is the measure of sharpness.
I don't hone razors anymore (I have the pros do it).
I sharpen alot of machine tools (almost all Carbide) how they cut material,be it steel, brass, hardwoods to me is a visual,how the material comes off the workpiece,how it feels.
Is no measure of sharpness IMO.

Originally Posted by MTLian

Thanks, I'll try that. I've been using thin scotch tape, I'll switch to electrical tape. Also, when you say finishing hone, do you mean the 8k, or just the final touch on the 4k?

Electrical tape is better.

Finishing on a 4k??? I think you have mistyped, otherwise you need to go and read up on honing 101...

It would be the highest grit hone, known as you finishing hone or final polishing hone. In your case the 8k as you only have a 4k/8k - the 4k is 4000 grit, the 8k is 8000 grit.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Electrical tape is better.

Finishing on a 4k??? I think you have mistyped, otherwise you need to go and read up on honing 101...

It would be the highest grit hone, known as you finishing hone or final polishing hone. In your case the 8k as you only have a 4k/8k - the 4k is 4000 grit, the 8k is 8000 grit.

Regards,
Neil

I believe he was trying to clarify when to add the extra as on the 8k or just before moving to the 8k.

I have tried that method with good results. i did it as a last touch on my last stone.

Originally Posted by UAcowboy

I believe he was trying to clarify when to add the extra as on the 8k or just before moving to the 8k.

I have tried that method with good results. i did it as a last touch on my last stone.

could well be.

But typing "... by finishing hone do you mean 8k, or just the final cut on the 4k..." is a bit of a head-scratcher, isn't it?

As is your last statement in the thread above. I know (I think) what you mean, but I cannot be completely certain whether the "...method above..." you refer to is what you have typed above, or what the OP referred to, see what I mean?

I was not trying to be mean, but like Joe Friday in Dragnet, I just wanted the facts - laid out clearly in my case.

It is that funny thing again about typing replies and answers in a forum, they are prone to be misunderstood, you cannot put a 'tone' or inference in, you don't even know if the other guys are compos-mentis, trolls or in some cases even on the same planet.

Regards,
Neil