Thread: Disappointment with Hart steel

Hello everyone,
I've got a Hart Steel 6/8 straight razor that has been nothing less than a disappointment. It shave well when I received it and then no matter what I've done as far as sharpening or maintaining sharpness, I can't get it to shave any at all. I've tried everything I know how. Add electricians tape, scotch tape, no tape. Progressive Norton stones 1000 to 8000 grit then Naniwa 12000 grit. I've tried Belgium Blue Whetstone, and Coticule stone, and combinations of all. I've tried resetting bevels and work to finishing with chromium oxide. Then I look at it with my 400x usb microscope and see straight edge and clean bevel and think I've got it. I take it across the hairs on my arm and all it does is aggravate the skin some and pluck a couple of hairs from the arm. Tried shaving with it to see if it would work. Of course not! Not even along the ears where the face is flat.

I've got 14 other straight razors of various makes with no problem maintaining sharpness or adding some sharpness with the stones that I have and methods that I use. Is there something special about honing this razor that I'm not seeing? Any assistance and suggestions would be greatly appreciative. At this point I'm liable to heat the blade, take a hammer and shape into the most expensive butter knife. I'm not sure it would do that right. Otherwise everyone, have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend next week and take care.

First you may want to ask a moderator to move this to the honing forum. Might not get a lot of views in this forum.

Next you have fourteen other razors but what type of grind are they. As far as I know all the hart razors are near wedges or 1/4 wedge. These grinds take a little extra time at each level of honing.

What type of sharpness test are you using at each level?

I find that finishing my hart after bevel setting on diamond on felt x20 followed for crox on linen x 20 really makes it pop. Coming straight of the stones left it king of meh. Sharp but not keen.

Welcome to SRP. I've moved this to the honing forum. I've only had one Hart (since traded) and it was decent. No problems with improving the edge on the hones. YMMV.

I suggest, before you get out the torch and the hammer, send it to a pro and have it honed back to shave ready.

They are hard razors, I suspect non fully set bevels.

They are prone to chipping, especially if too much pressure is used. Fully set the bevel before moving on in the progression.

Make sure your stones are lapped flat and edges beveled or rounded.

I would suggest getting in touch with the maker and give them a chance to make all good.
Anything we could do is bitch...or not?

I have one Hart and it needed work when I got it. After that it has been a good shaver.

I would suggest you send it out for honing. It seems you have already given it your all.

I have three in my regular rotation - 2 7/8 SP and one 6/8 Baxter SP that is a just great.

My understanding is that the early models (noted by the lack of jimps) could have chipping issues - that the (West Coast?) would resolve.
(Heat treating I believe)
One of my Hart's came from a member of another forum. He had acquired it used, noted the chipping and West Coast replaced it.

I've found them to be easy to maintain both with diamond spray and Crox when I was starting out and now with hones.

Since they have a Zowada history I've been using his method (or some slight variation) with excellent results. (Search "tweaking the edge with tape" for a lively discussion on the process)

I have to keep good notes - Like Glen/gssixgun the razors and stones speak to me, unlike Glen most of the time I think its Farsi and I don't speak any Farsi - so I have to have notes. And I make a point to note how the razor was honed by the pro, previous owner, maker - and start there.

And even though I am very happy with my edges, every once and a while I can't get it to come together and I send it out.
A fair number of times those send outs turn out to have "issues"
Temper (chipping) or a geometry issue that had to be fixed with multiple layers of tape for instance.

Hope you can work this out.

I've honed several of them, all were good steel. I have seldom come across razors that have had the HT damaged. They are a hard razor.

Learning to hone can be frustrating sometimes & it's easiest to learn to touch up a razor and work backwards.

My Christmas gift to you is this: Send it to me, I'll evaluate the razor, get back with you via PM, hone it, teach it to dance properly, and send it back to you ready for a proper waltz. All it will cost you is return shipping of about $6 via usps priority flat rate box.

I see you are interested in a coticule edge on another thread. I could hone the razor on my synthetics and finish on coticule, this way you would see what an edge from one feels like. I personally prefer a thuringian edge on some good hard steel like the Hart, but it's an option for you.