Thread: Just can't get it sharp..

When I read these type of posts I always wonder what is happening to the spine with all that time on the hone with no sharpening, and what is showing up on the hone surface.

Actually, I think the 800 sandpaper is pretty aggressive for a new razor. I am not a fan of the sandpaper to begin with as I have seen so many edges destroyed by it and once that happens, you really do need to drop down and get all the sanding marks out and reshape a new bevel. At this point, I would need to take a look at the razor to see what it needs, but I would starting with 10 stroke pyramids on the Norton 4K/8K or using Glen's methods and this should produce the most benefit. A key is to make sure you are using consistent and light pressure in your honing strokes.

Alan's offer is very generous and worth taking him up on it. That way he can look at the razor and report to you what he feels you are doing with your current honing.

Lynn

Yeah, I thought that it was a lot of strokes too, but even after all those strokes, I can’t get it slice through my arm hairs….unless I actually shave them off at skin level. If I put the blade on the skin of my arm and shave, it will cut the hairs then. but I thought the arm hair test was that you don’t put the blade on your skin at all….but instead, just slice the hairs off it without the blade touching the arm at all.

I’ve done the TNT and the TPT. The nail test I’ll only do after the 4000 and its feels good. Digs in, doesn’t have any kind of stutter or hesitation, just slices in and glides through nice and smooth. But the blade never seems to pass the TPT. it feels pretty blunt on my thumb pad. I kind of have to press a little bit to get it to sink in. and the blade has never pass the HHT at all. (I do use my wife’s hair off her hair brush, and its very thin and fine hair, which I understand is harder to pass the HHT test with).

But most importantly is that it fails the shave test. seems that the blade doesn’t cut the hairs cleanly. There’s some grabbing and pulling, which leads to lots of little abrasions. Granted, I’m new to all this, and maybe it’s just poor technique, but to me the blade just does not seem sharp.

i’m probably going to buy a new razor, professionally honed and stropped, to compare with what I have now. If I’m still getting all these cuts, etc., then I’m going to have to assume that it’s my poor technique.

at first be patient.
second the best way get out from your situation i think microscope.my understanding you are confused now.use micrscope see what are you doing vision helps alot .good luck .it sholdn't be expensive one from radio shack etc you can find for a 10$.
hope this helps

i would, but i don't even really know what to look for.

my arm hair is really very fine. doesn't that make it harder for the blade, even if really sharp, to cut it. it cuts the hairs off a the base, when i'm touching the blade to the skin. but when i lift the blade off the skin, all it does it just fold the hairs over

Originally Posted by kaiser1498

my arm hair is really very fine. doesn't that make it harder for the blade, even if really sharp, to cut it. it cuts the hairs off a the base, when i'm touching the blade to the skin. but when i lift the blade off the skin, all it does it just fold the hairs over

The hairs should fall like rain when you just touch them with the blade. Get to know the TPT. If the thumb pad slides it is a dull blade. If it grabs it is sharp. If you use a new DE blade you will get the feel of a sharp blade and know what to feel for on your straight.

General consensus is that if the razor isn't getting sharp the bevel may not be correctly set. As hi-bud said, magnification is your friend and you cah look to see if the scratch pattern goes all the way from the edge up to the end of the bevel.

If the bevel isn't all one color from the edge up to the end of the bevel it isn't there yet. As Randydance told me this is the most time consuming part of honing a razor. With patience and persistance you will get there.

Once the razor passes the TNT don't use it anymore. From there on just the TPT. The arm hair thing should be with the razor not touching the skin. If you hone enough you won't depend on that for long because you will run out of arm hair. Take a new DE or single edge blade and get to know the TPT better.