Thread: Edge comparison

Hey,

When I started i went from electric shavers to straight razors and jumped over disposables. Tried my first disposable last night in my grandfather safety razor. And i realized i wasn't getting that caliper edge from honing my own straights. So I was wondering should my straight razors be as sharp as the safety razors if i hone correctly? Should they even be compared? After shaving with a disposable i feel like my razor honing is not up to par...

Thanks,
Nathaniel.

I've found that razor blades are generally sharper, but harsher. A shave with a safety razor (for me) feels smoother at first, but 24 hours later I've got full-blown stubble, whereas with a straight razor I end up with just a heavy shadow. I feel like a straight razor should feel smoother but really the sharpness between the two, assuming they're used and maintained properly, is so close as to be negligible. Ideally, at least.

Originally Posted by 111Nathaniel

So I was wondering should my straight razors be as sharp as the safety razors if i hone correctly? Should they even be compared? After shaving with a disposable i feel like my razor honing is not up to par...

I will answer your question with a question in regards to your honing. Have you ever used a professionally hone razor? I ask this because most of us who have honed a while will recommend that you have a pro honed razor to reference, so you will know what a well honed razor feels like. This is what was recommended to me and it works...thus passing on the what I know works.

I agree - a reference point is always a good idea when embarking on anything new.

In answer to your question, I would say that a straight is as sharp as it needs to be - whether, or how, that corresponds to other shaving implements is important but by no means necessary to know in order to get a good shave off a straight razor. In fact, in my mind you cannot make a comparison anyway, unless safety razors are 3 inches long like a straight, or a straight is 1 inch long like a safety blade - the amount of edge-on-face has an impact on the perceived sharpness, at least in my mind.

But I guess, at a guess, that the safety razor blades would probably edge out a pro-honed straight in terms of absolute sharpness, given a standard definition of sharpness (whatever that might be). However, having used straights for a while I would suggest that the level of difference is not significant, and that for all intents and purposes they are as sharp as is necessary.

James.

Edge comparison, brings up a subject that's been going around my head for some time now.
The quondry in my mind is, if you start out honing your own razors and are honing a not so hot Str8 that at its best is just, well, not the best shaver out there, mediocre level steel. Then when your done, the best that razor has to offer with not impress the user and lead that person to suspect his or hers honing techniques.
Now if that person start honing with a very high end or for that matter just an excellent shaver, the kind that hone's right up just looking at a decent stone, then that person would be very happy with their honing skills from the get go.
This is assuming that both these wet shavers use good solid tools and techniques and all the petients need for good results.
These thoughts are just in theoretical ramblings, but that's what my brain does best, ramble.

Food for thought, tinkersd of SRP, your humble servant

I know that my last post was off thread, please forgive.

tinkersd[30]

No, I don't think it was off topic. Maybe slightly tangential, but I think you make an interesting point about beginnings and expectations.

Without getting too technical, I agree with you that the starting point will influence the trajectory one's honing and shaving experience will take, but I feel this will be a relatively short-lived period of volatility and divergence from the accepted equilibrium state. Indeed, this I think has been borne out here on these forums time and time again. There is a steady-state value of expectation to which we all tend to converge eventually - we read what others have experienced, we buy more razors, we get better hones, we improve our techniques (hone, strop, shave), and after several years we get to the point where we realise we are simply working within the margins of error of everyone else.

We say "YMMV", but what that really means is "YMMMV", where the extra "M" stands for "marginally". At least, that is what I think if you take a big picture view of the equilibrium state of experienced people. You could probably replace the "M" with a "W" for "wildly" during the early stages of gaining that experience.

James.

I recently have used a Feather DX SS with Feather blades in it. I have compared it to the straights that I have been honing and using. The best way to evaluate the comparison, I think, is to say that the Feather blade is sharper than my honed straight, in this case a W&B 17/16 near wedge. I would add, though, that while the Feather is sharper, it is not significantly sharper in terms of shave quality. Both are in the range of sharpness that results in great shaves. But if I had to place a bet on sharpness, I'd have to go with the Feather DX SS with a Feather blade in it. I think the Feather is the ultimate "shavette". However, if I had to pick just one to shave with it would be the W&B.

Thanks for your input guys. I have always struggled with ATG pass under my right jaw. Never comfortably did it with a straight, except once or twice straight off the hone with unusually long shave prep. But when i tried the safety razor it passed through with ease, with only little irritation. I've read many times here on SRP, or at least got the impression that Straights can compete and do better in such a case as a particually tough spot on the jaw. I admit even the disposable had a slight grab there, but that was nothing compared to not being able to push a straight through. Despite the advise that they are not comparable, it still makes me feel like my honing is sub-par, and a pro-honed razor might help me a lot as you said. So I'll look into that.

Hi Nathaniel

I will ask this since the head of the de razor is shorter than a straight, did you think about the direction of growth on that spot on your jaw?
The difference might be in the direction of your strokes de vs str8. Shave that area again with the de and try to see if you can get that area from the same direction with a str8. This will tell you if there is a true difference.

Have fun