Thread: Can a razor be too sharp?

First of all, I am not talking about being over-honed. I'm quite clear on what that means. I'm just speaking in practical terms.

The reason I ask is that I'm a little over a month into shaving with a straight, and my razor is therefore not quite as sharp as when I received it. It still passes the HHT, but isn't quite as aggressive in the way it pops a hanging hair.

However, I find that I'm getting a much closer, and much more comfortable shave.

It goes without saying that the better shaving is largely due to increased skill on my part, but I can't help but wonder if a lot of folks simply get their razors a little more sharp than what is really practical.

Unless I'm very much misinformed, 100 years ago nobody would have honed up to 16,000 or polished the edge with carefully refined diamond strop paste. They would have had the razor honed up on a coticule, and left it at that, using a barber hone (around 12,000 according to the wiki) for touch ups.

Also, just thinking in terms of geometry, it seems to me that if you hone an edge up to 16,000 or 30,000 and then strop it with a pasted strop, what you're really doing is simply rounding off the edge you just worked so hard to create, probably taking it right back down to barber hone level.

So, thoughts?

Someone here said a razor should be sharp enough to pass through hairs with ease, but not so sharp it cuts into the skin. I agree with that.

Imagine a theoretically perfect edge, with a flat bevel whose surfaces meet at a point one molecule wide. It would be something to be proud of, but would it be fun to shave with?

I have 2 razors right now that I would not call sharp, following an experiment. They shave OK with multiple passes. They aren't how I like a razor to be, but I have to say something. They seem incapable of causing irritation or cuts! If I wanted to shave someone else I think they would be perfect.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Imagine a theoretically perfect edge, with a flat bevel whose surfaces meet at a point one molecule wide. It would be something to be proud of, but would it be fun to shave with?

I certainly wouldn't think so. A 1-molecule edge, if someone created steel that could hold such an edge, would sink right into your skin. lol.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Someone here said a razor should be sharp enough to pass through hairs with ease, but not so sharp it cuts into the skin. I agree with that.

Imagine a theoretically perfect edge, with a flat bevel whose surfaces meet at a point one molecule wide. It would be something to be proud of, but would it be fun to shave with?

I have 2 razors right now that I would not call sharp, following an experiment. They shave OK with multiple passes. They aren't how I like a razor to be, but I have to say something. They seem incapable of causing irritation or cuts! If I wanted to shave someone else I think they would be perfect.

Not my expertise, but I've always heard that dull blades cut skin, sharp cuts hair since hair is tougher or did I

Originally Posted by paco

Not my expertise, but I've always heard that dull blades cut skin, sharp cuts hair since hair is tougher or did I

Well you certainly need a minimum level of sharpness, the edge must be thin enough to pass between the scales of a hair's cuticle. After that point you get diminishing returns, more sharpness will make it only a little easier to cut hairs, while the risk of cutting skin keeps rising.
Not an expert here either, just reporting what I've seen/read.

NO, it can't get too sharp.
A razor is not getting any sharper with a higher grit hone.
It would only get sharper with a lower ankle of the bevel.
So based on what you got, a razor with a spine determined ankle,
you can safely work for the best results.
The higher grit hones will polish out micro teeth and you'll get a smoother shave.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Well you certainly need a minimum level of sharpness, the edge must be thin enough to pass between the scales of a hair's cuticle. After that point you get diminishing returns, more sharpness will make it only a little easier to cut hairs, while the risk of cutting skin keeps rising.
Not an expert here either, just reporting what I've seen/read.

I fully agree with you. I used to shave off of a barber hone and now I shave off of a coticule. When I read about some of the very fine hones that people have, it seems unnecessary to me.

Think of your blade, Chimensch
Anything nicely polished will be dry faster and not put on rust as much.