Thread: Level of sharpness *help*

Gentlemen I need your advice and help.

My problem is, that I cant seem to get my fixed straights to be as sharp as my Disposable straight Feather.

I am not a total beginner in honing, but by all means I am no expert.

I set the bevel on a 1 K, then move to a 3K, 8K, 12 K, then I do 10 laps on 1 Micron diamond spray on hard wool felt, then 7 laps on 0.5 micron, then 5 laps on 0.25 micron. The I do laps on unpasted linnen, and then strop on plain leather.

I check the bevel all the time in the process, on do the thumbnail test and the light test, and everything looks fine.

I can shave with the razor after i honed/stropped it, but its just not the same as with a Feather. The level of sharpness is be all means not the same.

I would like to know, wether or not a fixed blade can get to be as sharp as a disposable feather blade. I might be wasting my time with this.

My razors are Dovo renaissance/Micarta/Bismarck and a Thiers Issard.

I am getting really frustrated.

Do I need to get another brand razor for more sharpness?

What I will do now, is send one razor to Glenn, and one razor to gssixgun, and have them honed. Then I will assume, that they will reach their full potential in sharpness.

To my knowledge, any type of Feather blade is going to be sharper than a fixed straight. I highly doubt a fixed straight can be brought to a Feather level of sharpness.

The Feather's are sharp!!

I've bought something like 85 straights this last year, most of them professionally honed before they where shipped to me.
In addition, I've honed most of them myself several times.

My conclusion on this subject is this: (and YMMV most def. applies)
The Feather's feel sharper and more aggressive.

My straights are more than sharp enough, and so much smoother to shave with.
I can, and usually gets, a BBS shave from both types, but most definitely prefer the fixed blades.
However, for my daily head-shave, I actually prefer the Feather with a Super professional blade.
Going against the grain with a straight on the back of my head works, but it sure takes a toll on the edges.
I'm sure more knowledgeable members will chime in with there views on this.

Originally Posted by The_Pastor

Gentlemen I need your advice and help.

My problem is, that I cant seem to get my fixed straights to be as sharp as my Disposable straight Feather.

.

I did read above statement by op and i would say JUST STOP in here please.
you will not get your blades as sharp as Disposable Feather .

There is only very rare exception.
May be 4 or 5 blades will take that sharpness and that is it. even they will not last as long as straight edge suppose to.
if you are looking for this Sorry.
what you can do is using properly honed your straight razor and using right shaving method and have better shave then Fearther blades?
question you will ask how?
answer is use
Scything motion

Hope you don't think i am missing some screws in my head.
gl

How does the razor shave without the .25 at the end??

A regular straight razor's edge will feel completely different than a disposable razor blade like a Feather, you won't get the same result from honing on a straight. You can and will get awesome shaves in time that are much more gentle to the face and leave very nice smooth results.

The question is in your honing techinque, use very slow strokes, make sure the water rides the edge of the blade through the ENTIRE stroke. Use very gentle touch with this to make sure you're not torquing the edge and messing it up during the stroke.

Use straight strokes and then X strokes too, mixing between the two helps with bevel consistancy.

Thx for all the answers guys.

Originally Posted by Lynn

How does the razor shave without the .25 at the end??

Hi Lynn.

I couldnt say really, do you think there is a big difference?

What I ment to say earlier was, that I will send a razor to LYNN and gssixgun. So Lynn I will send my Hermes to you, for polishing and honing, I dont know if you remember, but we have talked about you polishing and honing this razor before. It you would be so kind as to comment on the razors sharoness as it is when you recieve it, I would be happy. Because when you receive it, it will be as sharp I as can get it know.

I really dont understand that people say a fixed blade feels smoother. I just dont have that experience. Admiditly the Feather is überaggressive, but it does not drag or pull or run unsmoothe.
I must admit that even a DE shave feels smoother and sharper than my fixed straights.

But I look forward to getting my razors honed be true pros, and see what they will feel like after that.

FWIW, I have a disposable blade straight, too. I use Derby blades.

As others mentioned, you just won't get a regular straight as sharp as a disposable/replaceable blade. There's a reason you only get a very few good shaves out of replaceable blades or DE blades: those edges are thiiiiiin. Just a few uses out of 'em, and they're toast.

When you compare how your feather blade feels to your regular straight, you may have noticed that the feather blade seems to glide through hair much easier than your regular straight, yet it might also leave you with more weepers and irritation. Yet your regular straight seems to tug a bit through the whiskers, but doesn't irritate your skin as much. So the hard part is hitting the "sweet spot" with your regular straight: you want it sharp enough that it doesn't tug or pull on your whiskers as it shaves them, but not so sharp that it's leaving you with weepers. Going against the grain with a regular straight that's not quite as sharp as it should be can also be very irritating.

Your idea of sending one blade to Lynn and the other to Glen is right on. I highly recommend that you *do not strop* either razor when you receive it back. Both Lynn and Glen send their blades back in *shave ready* condition. Not strop ready, SHAVE ready. Pick up the blade and start shaving. Often, improper stropping technique will dull a blade. To truly get the most out of your honemeister honed blade, don't strop it first.

One last thing... Stretching your skin as you shave can not be stressed enough. It will *greatly* reduce irritation, pulling, tugging, discomfort, and also tends to decrease the odds of you nicking your face. I know that in some spots of the face, stretching is really inconvenient, and many guys don't bother with stretching the troublesome spots. Take the time to stretch all parts. Your face will thank you for it.

After receiving a blade back from a honemeister, I'll immediately shave with it, taking close note of how it feels. Then it goes in the drawer. I'll use one of my self-honed blades, and shave with it, comparing how it feels. If it doesn't feel as good as the honemeister blade, I work on it til it does.

Eventually, you'll get to the point where you won't need to have a honemeister blade as a reference; you'll develop a good feel for what it should be like.

Gents, I really want to share this with you!!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/729295-post36.html

Originally Posted by The_Pastor

Gents, I really want to share this with you!!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/729295-post36.html

Congrats buddy! All you've gotta do is embrace it and enjoy it I've been able to get a better shave with my straight over the DE on everywhere but my chin and even that's coming along..the joy is I feel much more comfortable after. And gosh darn it...it's fun!