Thread: Getting better, but...

After taking a little break from straight shaving, I've gotten back into it. I have a razor that I've restored and have had trouble getting a good edge on it. I I'm using the Norton 1k/4k/8k stones, and just bougth a DMT8C so I know now that my hones are finally flat. I'm finishing with 1mic diamond and .5 CrO on hard felt.

I'm getting a little better at honing; worrying more about what the edge looks and feels like, and less about how many strokes I've made or where I am in a pyramid. I was able to finally get a good edge on this razor. However, the heels of my razors seem significantly sharper than the the toes. The heal easily passes the HHT, blows hair off my arm without me even feeling it, and shines like a mirror. The toes are very sharp, indeed; passing the HHT some times, and easily shaving arm hair. Just not as easily as the heal. With a little focus I can bring the toe around, but not quite as sharp as the heel. Any idea what I might be doing that would be causing this? I have the same phenomemenon with my relative no name razor, a 50's era Boker and a new Dovo Ebony.

Any help appreciated.

--David

I had the same problem when I first started out honing. I believe it is because I was putting more pressure at the heal during my stroke. This went away with practice, in fact I now often have the opposite thing happen where the heal is lagging behind the toe.

That's sort of what I assume is going on because my "fix" has been to make just a few passes on the 4k with just the front half of the blade. Uncoventional, maybe, but it seemed to work. So, not to sound sarcastic, but did you solve the problem by putting more pressure on the toe or less pressure on the heel?

Thanks!

--David

A photo might be helpful, as well as what razor it is you are having problems with. I think you've diagnosed the cause by just honing the toe a little bit. In your honing stroke, the blade is not quite flat, and the heel is getting more work than the toe. One cure is to hold the blade by the shank when you hone, get your elbow up as high as the hone and curl your last two fingers under the scales to keep everything flat on the hones. Good luck!

Thanks, ace. I'll see if I can get a picture, but I don't have a decent macro setup.

It's all three razors listed in the original post (that's my whole stable...for now), so i'm sure it's me. I've been using a two-handed method with a finger and thumb on the spine and using them only to push/pull the blade with no downward pressure. I may be letting the weight of the scales lift the toe without even realizing it.

I think I'll give your one-handed method a try and see if that helps.

--David

David,

I started with two hands because I was unsure of my technique. When I watched one of the members here honing, I noticed that he had his last two fingers UNDER the scales supporting them. I also noticed that that forced the elbow up parallel with the hone naturally, as the Founder here advises in his DVD. It made all the difference for me and has become very comfortable.

With practice my stroke evened out.

Ace and Dan,

Thank you. Great advice from both of you. I'll try to alter my technique as suggested.

Happy shaving!

--David

Raneyday,

Sounds like you and I are in exactly the same place in our straight razor lives. I also had a break (3 or 4 years) from straights and am now back into it. I'm now much more focused and patient with my honing. Like you I am counting strokes less and being objective about what I see, hear and feel on the blades and hones. Then I do just what the razor is telling me it needs. Biggest thing I am focused on is being even in my stroke from heel to toe. Every razor is different and most of them don't really want to touch on every part on every stroke. I keep two fingers on the shank, and curl two more under the scales. I can hone one handed but I most often use my left hand as a helper hand where I need it. If a part of the blade is not touching I give that a little more emphasis by using different strokes or some very gentle finger pressure. The rolling x stroke really helps me cover the whole blade. At the start of my stroke I have more pressure on the heel, then as I move down and off the hone I roll the point of pressure so that the end of the stroke I am ever so slightly emphasising the tip of the blade.

Good luck with your razor. Hope it works out.

Michael