Thread: Soft blade?

Ive got an old sheffield blade, I bought it from Ebay a while back. Its almost a wedge shape. It was polished but not sharpened when I got it and I bought some scales to finish it off.

Its sharp before I start shaving but about half way through a shave it seems to start dragging a little, in fact I just managed to nick myself with it thanks to it seeming to grab.

I know nothing about straight razors although I am trying to learn. I'm happy I can get it sharp as it will cut a hanging hair no problem and it shaves just fine until like I say about half way through. Unless its something wrong with my shaving prep I wondered if the blade could be just soft? Is this possible at all?

Im not sure what heat treatment is carried out on blades where they hardened in the old days?

Thanks

Well, that is possible, especially if someone over heated the blade while polishing it on a buffer.

Unfortunately, a HHT is not an indicator of how a razor will shave or even if it will shave, because the sample size is so small. Most probably the bevel is not fully set.

Have you look at the edge with magnification, and what did you hone it on? A good rule of thumb is, to look at the edge with magnification, at the first sign of a problem.


Posting some photos of the razor would help advising you.

Apart from the razor if you lather was not good, not slick enough, you would experience a degradation of the edge feel on the skin

Guys thanks for the replies.

I honed it on 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 then canvas then strop both with paste one them. If the bevel was not right would i not shave right in the first place though? Like I say I know nothing

Ill try and get some photos but not sure how to get a picture of the edge.

Mainman I was wondering if that was the problem as well as im new its taking a while to shave although the lather feels slick enough and I used oil first.

When they heat treated blades in the old days did they do the entire blade or was it just a portion of the cutting edge? Im guessing with something as small as a blade they would have done the whole lot.

Originally Posted by Bonio

Guys thanks for the replies.

I honed it on 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 then canvas then strop both with paste one them. If the bevel was not right would i not shave right in the first place though? Like I say I know nothing

Ill try and get some photos but not sure how to get a picture of the edge.

Mainman I was wondering if that was the problem as well as im new its taking a while to shave although the lather feels slick enough and I used oil first.

When they heat treated blades in the old days did they do the entire blade or was it just a portion of the cutting edge? Im guessing with something as small as a blade they would have done the whole lot.

the whole blade was treated .
If your bevel was not completely set and you polished it on the higher grits, you could have masked that shortcoming initially. In general shaving with the grain with duller edge will work for most folks, the issues reveal themselves on the XTG and ATG passes.

I never got any further than shaving WTG

You NEED to visit with someone that knows , in person, ASAP. You jumped into the deep end with pockets full of quarters.
If this is your first shaves with new razor, and you honed it, you have 6 major learning curves going on at once. YIKES.

Yes, you are way ahead of yourself, shave ready is something it needs to be and chances are it isn't, also take in the account you haven't learned to shave yet, many a razor didn't perform when a guy is new that will shave when you learn how, lather like was mentioned, but your edge as most find out is probably not right. It's tough to hear but almost all guys who try to hone will not be successful at getting it right till they have some experience with a truly shave ready razor, I would send it out to be honed, or put your location in your profile so someone can reach out if they are close. Tc

Hello and welcome. Have you tried the hanging hair test right after your attempt at shaving? If it still passes that might mean that the edge didn't degrade from that shave. Does it pass the entire length of the edge? What brand stones do you have? I would watch a couple of videos on bevel setting and honing in general. Take it to the 1k stone and make sure its set before moving on. There are a couple of videos on how to check the bevel. You will be shaving in no time.

Wedges and near wedges can also suction to your face if you have the spine against the skin. Although a 'wire edge' could be as likely.