Thread: Probably overdone subject

My impulsiveness got the better of me and recently purchased a Thiers Issard straight razor from AOS. Anyway, the salesperson insisted it was shave ready, and I gave it a shot. It seemed to cut adequately although the bevel looked even and it also passed the HHt. I can't remember the last time I've had any kind of irratation on my face or neck, but the following morning my neck seemed irratated. I've had a couple of new razors honed by Glenn and used one of them this morning. No comparison. My question is if I hone the razor myself would it require setting a new bevel or just do some finishing strokes on a Norton 4k-8k? Over the last two months I've been honing some ebay razors and they shave much better than the new store bought TI. Any suggestions?

It has been my experience that AOS razors come with the factory edge. It has also been my experience that not all factory edges from TI are the same. Some have required a fair bit of work on the 1k while others took very little at all. But you won't know what the razor needs until you try.

You could start on the 8k and then test, and if it's not there go to the 4k up and test, and if it's not there go to the 1k and up and test. Personally, I prefer to just go to the 1k to save all the time and testing; worst case is you do 10 strokes on the 1k that you didn't need to do, but how much metal does that really remove? Not enough for me to care, is my answer.

The difference is what much of the Brooha was about in many of the Honing threads lately...

Razor Sharp -vs- Shave Ready and what the real difference is for a persons face, you just learned what that is.. An edge can actually be hair cutting razor sharp at as low as a 1k stone (that has been proved) _BUT_ not many of us want to shave at anything below 8k at the least... The actual quality of the polishing at that level comes into play also...

You are going to have to find the Factory bevel angle that they used, probably 2-3 layers of 3m tape is going be about right from my experiments some time ago. They hold the spine off the stones when they hone at the factory, so you have to find that angle try a magic marker test starting at 3 layers and see what you find using your 8k...
Most of us just re-set it but it can be "tamed" with some high grit re-touching once you find the angle...

Edit: Dylan was typing faster

Thanks Glenn
Would you suggest that I do find their angle and polish a bit "tame it" as you say, or would I be better off resetting the bevel to a smaller angle?

Good question, I have no answer other than opinion, in your shoes being sorta new, I would use it as a double learning experience, try to find the angle first and re-fresh it... Then see how good you can get that edge, later when it starts to degrade then learn the bevel set and hone from there that way you learn two things with one razor...

Glenn again thanks for your suggestion. I put 3 layers of 3m 700 tape and marked the bevel used the 8 k norton and hardly any marker was removed went all the way to one layer and it was still there. Guess their angle is very acute Ireset on a 1k king and did some 4k and 8k passes. I'll shave with it tomorrow. Also used a pasted strop

Let us know what happens after the shave. The current TIs like pastes quite a bit.

I'm a bit concerned about your marker test - no matter how much tape you put if any, some of the marker should be removed. If you've overdone the tape you'll be creating a secondary bevel at the very edge, so that's where the removal will happen. If you've underdone it, you'll be creating a secondary bevel on the other end, i.e. where the bevel ends and that's where you'll see the removal.
If the angle matches the whole bevel would be lying on the hone at the same time and you'll be erasing the marker from the whole bevel. (Of course if there's a rounded bevel something that pasted stropping can create there may simply no bevel plane and no way to erase the marker from the whole bevel at the same time, but it still should be erased from some part of the bevel).

I'll give it a shave if there's an issue the razor will end up say in Idaho. Thanks I'll let u know