Thread: how sharp should it be?

There's all kinds of tests you can do, but the real test is shaving, go ahead and try shaving a small spot with, see how it feels..and go from there. You mentioned you have a shavette, Have you had good shaves with it...? If so, you technique should be good enough to make a sound judgement...Also, good advice given earlier, ask them there, (at the shop that sharpened it) if they tested it, or use straight razors to shave, questions like that...Also, ask if it has been stropped...If you still have trouble, I'd recommend sending to one of our Honemeisters...

I will try all of those, the shop I took it to has a full barber shop in the back... so surly they know how to use/sharpen razors..right?? as far as the shavette I have great shaves with it, I make two passes and have no nicks or cuts anymore (although I did give myself one hell of a nick in the start).

I am in NYC fairly often. I would be happy to take a look at your razor for you if you keep having troubles.

Thank you!! I have sent them back and am waiting for the second go around. I may call on you though if it still seams off.

Is this an AOS store? They do have barber shops, but they use Shavettes there. I looked @ the razors they sold (the shop in Philly when I visited there) once--the factory bevels ran the gamut... They did say that they sometimes sent razors to Howard (ThePerfectEdge & a member here) for honing, so that was good.

If its a chain knife shop (Excalibur or something like it), do not have them sharpen it. I learned that mistake the hard way--I found a nice old Dovo in an antique shop & took it to one of those places--they used a grinder & ruined it.
That was before I discovered SRP.

No the place is the New York Shaving Company, I have had a shave by them at the location I left the razors. They used a real razor and gave me a great shave. Everything I have gotten from them has been great thus far, that is why I was at a loss when the honing job came back so bad.

+1 on the Excalibur that was my intro to straight razor shaving 10 years ago. I couldn't find any info on wet shaving ruined two good razors and threw it aside for the next five years. You will absolutely find good people here.

Originally Posted by JohnG10

Several of the knive shops in my area sell straight razors, strops, and stones. They also offer knife and kitchen cutlery sharpening services (and do a lot of it). However, the stores are small, and none of the couple of people that work at the shops actually shave with a straight razor (I asked).

Also, I have been an "expert-level" sharpener of kitchen knives, woodworking tools, and fine carving tools for about 2 decades. I was suprised by the subtle differences in technique required to get a good edge on a razor. Freshening up the blade was relatively easy, but it took me several sessions to actually get it shaving well when I finally had to take it back to the bevel and start from scratch. Knife sharpeners typically raise a burr, and purposely don't form a fin at the edge. Razors are all about the having a fin, and no burr.

As a result, I'd also recommend only dealing with honers who actually shave with a straight razor on a daily basis. Most decent knife honers will proudly show how their pocket knives will easily shave the hair off their arm, sometimes a 1/8" above the skin. But getting a blade sharp enough to cut chin wiskers, and be "smooth" enough that shaving the same spot every day doesn't cause razor rash is an entirely different matter altogether.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Yes. Thank you.
Several knife sharpeners have come into this forum and insisted "sharpening is sharpening." It ain't.

I've been thinking the same thing for a year or so. I can sharpen chisels, gouges, and gravers, but a razor is a new beast!