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Help! I can't get it sharp.
Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and it is great to be here. I have been wet shaving for many years using a vintage red tip and Dovo shavette with Crystal blades. I have been very happy until Christmas day when my wife bought me a gorgeous 'pre-sharpened" Dovo snakewood 5/8 stainless with Thuyawood scales from classicshaving. It was my first real straight. I stropped it 30 strokes on a paddle with fine leather then went to work, however it was an extremely uncomfortable shave and pulled very badly. When I called classic shaving to explain what happened, they told me to send it to their sharpening service for a complimentary sharpening. After I received it back, it was better but no where near the sharpness of a Crystal blade. I decided to purchase my own tools and try it myself. I refuse to use water stones because of cleanup, convenience, and I don't want to get into lapping stones. So, after much research, I decided on a set of Spyderco ceramic stones in all three grits (all extremely flat) and a balsa bench hone with Chromox. I also purchased a 4 sided paddle strop with 3 micron DMT dia-paste, 1 micron Amplex, 1/2 micron Amplex, and Chromox. No matter what I did, I could not get it better. I used the pasted strop exclusively with no improvement. I also used the stones exclusively, with no improvement. I used a combination of stones and pastes...no matter what I did, I could not get this thing sharp. Am I using the wrong tools? Every time I think that it is me, then I remember that the sharpening service couldn't get it sharp enough for me either. I am not looking for feather sharpness, just a standard DE blade sharpness. Here is an upload of my tools. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Ron