Thread: Not sharp enough? story

My family has a family reunion "Christmas in August" that my mother has because she can get our spread out family together at that time of year. The adults bring a gift for the same sex and we draw out of the pile. My nephew showed disappointment that he has missed a straight that was my contribution for a few years. This last August I strongly hinted to him and a few others that I wanted him to get my gift.

A Carbo Magnetic that I found on the way to the Texas meet last February. I donated it for a honing demo that Lynn put on. Free professional honing! I used it a few times before I gave it to him.

I wrote my sister that I wondered if he had ever tried it. I don't have his contact info but told him to let me know any questions and referred him to SRP. He has been working in North Dakota and is from Nebraska so I don't know where this barber was but her is her reply.

" He actually took the straight edge razor to the barber in town, and it wasn’t sharp enough. The barber ended up using his own blade. But it is a cool reminder of his uncle Tim."

I need to find out if there is more to this story and if he tried honing it himself on the sidewalk but there was nothing dull about that blade when he got it! I am thinking that the rules where he brought it to the barber require the use of disposable blades but if that is true what a poor excuse.

I think that I do a fair job of honing and have no desire to hire myself out and this is an example of why. My sympathies to anyone that is a professional and tries to satisfy so many people that they do not know.

Any number of things could have happened to that edge before the barber tested it & the barber is probably using those disposables.
My barber uses them & I never feel the edge, they are beyond sharp,,, they are +P+ Sharp !! That's dang sharp.

More than likely, he stropped it.

For some reason, folks cannot help themselves, I always send a note exactly what was done to their razors and expressly tell, them Not to Strop for the first shave, and just wipe the blade and shave.

Many do not follow advice…

There is also the possibility that he strummed the edge over and over wowing about how sharp it was. One shift my regular deck partner was off and I was working with someone I had never worked with before. Intrigued by my straight razor he ran it over his thumb nail and said wow that is sharp, is it shave ready. My response was well it was but I will have to redone it now. He was taken back by that. I said the very edge is very delicate, it is made for cutting hair, not nails. He said he often checks knife sharpness that way. I had to tell him that this was clearly not a knife and knife shape dent shave well, razor sharp does. So it is hard to say what could have happened to that edge. I'm sure there will be other amusing stories to follow. If you don't know any better it is easy to ruin a shave ready edge.