Hi,

I had won a stainless steel Filharmonica in the give away at SRP (sweet), and have 20+ shaves on it. I'm noticing recently that, although the shave is comfortable (less irritation than other blades, and not pulling too much, but is pulling some), it doesn't seem to be quite as close, and the next day, it seems like I'm close to needing another shave (instead of every other day).

I tried (twice) stopping with Cr-Ox, but it didn't seem to improve.

Questions...

  • Do I need any special steps in the honing process with the stainless steel blade?
  • Will it be harder or easier to get an edge?
  • I have Norton 1k, 4K, 8k, Naniwa 2k, 12k stones. Should I try 12k and then step down if it doesn't work, or go to lower grit and come up?
  • I'm assuming I don't need to go to a bevel set?
  • should a stainless steel blade hold an edge longer than a traditional steel blade (Dovo, Boker, etc)?


I was assuming the stainless steel blade would hold an edge longer, but I'm not seeing that with this blade (I usually get 60 or so shaves, before needing to touch up a blade).

Not having dealt with a stainless steel blade, I'm curious to hear what people think.

Thanks in advance!