Thread: Wicked Edge - Sharpening a Straight Razor

Originally Posted by rcavazos1922

Have you guys seen this? Yes this has come up before.


What do you guys think? Personally I don't see the point. It kind of detracts from the whole simplicity of straight shaving but I'm a known luddite

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Luddites are good. If we were not all a little luddite in nature, we would probably be using laser facial hair removal or some other new-fangled whiz-bang contraption....I hear they use razors a couple times these days and then throw 'em away!

Regarding knife sharpening. These things are fantastic for turning a zero into a hero with regard to creating a knife edge that will split hairs...but they are true V-edges and therefore put less steel behind the apex than a slightly convexed edge. A well honed convex edge will perform most 'every day' tasks better and retain a crisp sharp edge longer in my findings. When you take knives to the woods for camping and hunting duties, convex really shines...and when you go to competitive cutting, I won't even consider V-edge any more.

YMMV, but this device (though VERY well thought out, highly refined...and constantly being refined further, and the company has fantastic customer service) is not something I would recommend (obviously)

Wouldn't begin to use that on a razor. you can do a lot of things to make a razor sharp, but just because you can do them doesn't mean they're better than a traditional hone and a strop.

The spine of the razor creates the proper angle for you, there's no freehanding and no jig, it's built into the razor.

Devices like this are all over the place in the knife and woodworking world, but even there, they ultimately make something slightly easier in the short run for rank beginners, but much slower and more tedious in the long run.