Thread: Sharp blade: harsh v. smooth

Got a Mastro Livi loom strop and I am a believer. The chromium oxide on linen and the skin other side really give a very sharp edge that shaves smooth as silk. Watch his video where he takes the edge off a razor and restores it to shave ready only using his chromium oxide linen and skin. I tried it and it works as good as any stone or hones I have. I have Jnats, Escher, Naniwa's and shapton's but non do a better job faster then the Livi strop.

Thanks. Do you have the link by any chance?

Recently I took a look at an edge that was starting to feel a bit dull. I was horrified to see how ugly it looked magnified so I set about making it sharp, neat and clean. I took my time, checked the magnification often and ended up with a very sharp, great looking edge. But, the shave was on the harsh side - in fact it was worse feeling than when the edge looked ugly. I've been honing for three years and have made a lot of progress in that time (mostly thanks to what I read on SRP) but I still have a lot of room for improvement. Sometimes honing is a tough you-know-what. So, thanks for the explanations, ideas, and advice given here.

A harsh edge is usually a chippy edge.

Look straight down on the edge with a strong light and magnification, any shiny reflections are chips.

Thanks Euclid you were right on - it was chippy. After doing some investigating it seems the 8k side of my norton 4/8 is causing chips within 5 to 10 strokes. Like a chip with a streak up the bevel here and there, like a comet with a tail. I think it got dirty somehow or some tiny bits of crud into it. I'm always very careful to keep things clean but I will have to do some work to that side before I trust it again. The important thing I learned was what that looked like magnified matched with the way the shave felt.

Originally Posted by ibixon

It's was more kind of metaphor: Shaved today with Ralf Aust, new, 6/8 and it was rough. No idea about the finish. But yesterday it was Bengall and it was great. Both were sharp, but apparently it's not everything.
Ilya

I have two RA and both bought from Lynn here at SRD. Both came exceptionally honed and ran across my face like butter! Maybe it was a bad hone job from wherever you purchased it???? I say this because a RA is no shab of a razor.

Originally Posted by ibixon

What is "escher"?

The quintessential finisher in some circles! I use the subling called a Thuringian stone that came from the same quarry I believe but not same exact area as the Almighty Escher!

Well, not really…

Escher’s were/are Thüringen’s that were selected by or for Escher and labeled as such, but a labeled Escher can be exactly the same stone, from the same spot as an unlabeled Thüringen, and some can perform equal to or better than a labeled stone. Some were selected, some not.

It was probably just a marketing gimmick, though Escher stone were probably selected as blemish free. Interestingly some of those “Blemished” stones are most sought after…

Both Thuringen’s and Escher’s were mined in a variety of colors and can, like all natural stones perform uniquely different.

I don’t believe much is known about the ecxact, selection process, as mining pretty much ceased at the end of WW2, and probably had a lot to do with the advent of the Double Edge razor and blade.

I think a sweet shaving Bengall is a benchmark most new production razors should be measured against

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Well, not really…

Escher’s were/are Thüringen’s that were selected by or for Escher and labeled as such, but a labeled Escher can be exactly the same stone, from the same spot as an unlabeled Thüringen, and some can perform equal to or better than a labeled stone. Some were selected, some not.

It was probably just a marketing gimmick, though Escher stone were probably selected as blemish free. Interestingly some of those “Blemished” stones are most sought after…

Both Thuringen’s and Escher’s were mined in a variety of colors and can, like all natural stones perform uniquely different.

I don’t believe much is known about the ecxact, selection process, as mining pretty much ceased at the end of WW2, and probably had a lot to do with the advent of the Double Edge razor and blade.

Well I'll be! I know mine is a great finisher for sure and as slick as glass.