Thread: Is it possible that absolute sharpness in not always best?

On my sharpest razors I have to hold then at a quite shallow angle. If I hold them out past 30 degrees or so they will dig into my skin like a TPT but on my face. Last night I was watching a video of Lynn's and noticed that he was holding the razor at what appeared to be a 40-45 degree angle. I know that I can't do this without risk of cutting myself with my sharpest razors.

This morning I took my dullest razor that will not HHT or tree top hair, stropped it and shaved. I shaved at a steeper angle than usual and got a very close shave without any tendency for the edge to bite in. It might be in my top 5 shaves.

Has anybody else experienced this? Just another case of YMMV? BTW I am not a Feather DE fan either more of a Voskhod guy.

I aim for the sharpest edge I can get within the limits of my gear. I also shave with the lowest angle I can use as that is the best for my face. The only time I even approach 45 degrees is doing the "swoop" under my nose and maybe a few spots under my chin. I don't like feathers either they seem to sharp and I get irritation.

I go for as sharp as I can get but usually have my most comfortable shaves after I have used the razor a couple times. I don't use paste or sprays to mellow the edge any.

The whole concept of "sharp" is misleading. A razor either shaves, or it does not shave. Parlour tricks (shots of the edge under magnification being a prime example) are no reliable indication of how the razor will actually perform.

Originally Posted by Brent375HH

On my sharpest razors I have to hold then at a quite shallow angle. If I hold them out past 30 degrees or so they will dig into my skin like a TPT but on my face. Last night I was watching a video of Lynn's and noticed that he was holding the razor at what appeared to be a 40-45 degree angle. I know that I can't do this without risk of cutting myself with my sharpest razors.

This morning I took my dullest razor that will not HHT or tree top hair, stropped it and shaved. I shaved at a steeper angle than usual and got a very close shave without any tendency for the edge to bite in. It might be in my top 5 shaves.

Has anybody else experienced this? Just another case of YMMV? BTW I am not a Feather DE fan either more of a Voskhod guy.

Everyone has a minimal level of sharpness that must be attained in order to be pleased with the shave. Depending on your beard type, that level will vary.

Some razors in my collection are sharper than others, but the difference in the end result is negligible, especially with good prep and shaving technique.

Originally Posted by Badgister

Some razors in my collection are sharper than others, but the difference in the end result is negligible, especially with good prep and shaving technique.

Truer words were never spoken in this context. I had much rather shave with a "dull, but shaves" razor and high quality soap, than with a "scary sharp honemiester[sic!] edge" and some pedestrian soap.

Yes, soap makes much more of a difference than edge, if your lather is right.

One of our long time hone experts kept touching up his edge after each shave. He found, after a not very long time, that the razor began removing the top layer of cells of his skin.
...that is what a microtome is designed to do in a laboratory situation.
That could also be a reason some new DE and SE blades are really unpleasant to use except at a very low, almost flat, blade angle. Too sharp or a bit of a wire edge that goes away in a short time.

~Richard

Absolute sharp? No such thing.

I don't consider the word sharp with my razors. I hone them until I get the shave I want and maintain them that way.

When a one pass WTG shave lasts until the next morning, I consider a razor the sharpest. It's all relative because that's the best that I've ever done and I can repeat it. I still get good shaves that are very smooth but they don't last as long. Still a good shave. Still sharp.

Originally Posted by RobinK

Truer words were never spoken in this context. I had much rather shave with a "dull, but shaves" razor and high quality soap, than with a "scary sharp honemiester[sic!] edge" and some pedestrian soap.

Yes, soap makes much more of a difference than edge, if your lather is right.

Another simple experiment Ive tried.
Use a razor that shaves well, dont strop it and use a runny or dry lather. The resulting shave was no where near as good. Next day back to proper stropping and a good lather. Hey presto! Back to a great shave.