Thread: Japanese & Surgical Razors?

I am very interested in the assymetrical bevels on the Japanese razors and the fact that some users have said they can get sharper than Western style shavers.

In this line of thought - I have a British surgical razor like this (a present from Tony H ) which is similar - one side flat, the other hollow ground. I am tempted to use the Japanese way to sharpen a razor and a Japanese stone on this Western surgical razor.

Has anyone tried to shave with such an animal (a Western surgical razor honed like a Japanese one)? I'd be interested to hear impressions...

Cheers
Ivo

I don't know about that. Those surgical razors weren't designed for shaving they were made more for surgical use. I think its more than the asymetrical grind but the type of grind used on each side. If you look down the blade of a japanese razor from the toe end the edge is really canted towards the conave side and the difference in grind between the two sides are really radical. On the surgical razors I don't know that that type of honing would give you any advantages however I would certainly experiment with it. What do you have to loose? You'll just have to come up with the best honing medium and stroke ratio as well as whether to use pressure or not and the type of honing to use ie back and forth or western style strokes.

Thank you for the info - it is at my office, so I need to take a closer look at the grind. But yes - I do plan to experiment, when I get the time. I was thinking of using the Japanese approach to honing it

Cheers
Ivo