Thread: Barely Hangin In There

You've been doing this for 3 months yet have been honing when you feel the razor is dull ? Personally I've been using my wapi for the last 2 months and it's not touched a hone or pasted strop since I got it shaving sharp and it has only got better with use. I shave every other day (I could do with shaving every day but never have the time) and strop about 25 laps on the cotton and about 60 laps on the leather before each shave. If you've needed several resharpenings in 3 months maybe you need to look to your stropping as Wildtim suggested.

Barney

Originally Posted by Lanzo119

To answer the question, of how am i using coticule, i am doing at most 5-10 laps when i feel the razor is really dull. I think the best thing to do is send it out and jump on board the honing train from there. And thank you to all you guys who took the time to give me some advice. It's greatly appreciated. Also the gentle touch could be part of it. Thanks fellas you have helped me realize it's not time to wave the white flag yet.

I doubt that is enough strokes on the coticle if the razor is really dulling.

Good idea sending it out.

There really are three completely separate skill sets you need to learn to get good straight razor shaves for life.

First you have to learn the proper shaving technique. Things like blade angle, skin stretching, and various strokes. Failure in these areas make you razor feel less sharp than it is.

Second you need to know how to properly strop. Proper stroping smooths the shave and gives a better feeling shave the not doing it. Though it doesn't 'sharpen' the razor it can dull the heck out of it if done wrong, or less incorrectly leave the edge feeling harsher than it has too.

Third is honing. The art of actually putting an edge on a razor, this encompasses many stones and various other equipment that abrades the edge in some way. When done wrong this step can actually ruin a razor at the very least it will get duller than it was or more harsh. This is the hardest step.

The order I have them above is the order in which I think they will be mastered too. It doesn't matter how hard you try to learn to hone, if you can't shave with good technique or keep ruining your edge on the strop you will never even know how well you did. Same with stropping, you can't tell a properly stropped edge from one not well done unless your shaving technique is consistent enough to let you feel it. Thats why Lynn recommends that guys do at least one shave with a newly honed blade from him before they try to strop it.

I think your on the right track to success, good luck and keep at it you'll get great shaves before long.

You've gotten good advice here. I would send out your razor for professional honing so you have a benchmark. Then buy one or two less expensive razors to practice your honing on. Try to get something without too much hone wear. Have fun with the process.

Jordan