Thread: How does Wootz shave?

Any enablers out there?

Saving up for my next purchase... Those of you who have shaved with a wootz steel razor:
how does the shave compare?
edge retention?
honing ease/difficulty.

Thanks in advance.

My opinion would be...like Sheffield steel of ol'. Very smooth, yet crisp.

Never honed one, though.

Judging from Bruno's blade I have, it shaves superbly. Edge retention is definitely not any worse than other top quality carbon blades. Probably better then most, but I haven't used it enough time to arrive to definite conclusion. Honing was easy enough, but I guess it depends more on the specific blade's hardness, so YMMV.

I have two Wootz razors.

My first thought is that it depends who honed the razor, and with what stones.
I hone mine with a Shapton Glass progression and finish on a True Hard Ark.
They both shave very smooth and comfortable.
They do have the unique feel of Wootz, which is due to the characteristics of the steel. It is known to always have a little bit of a serrated edge microscopically.

Pete <:-}

Do you all find that you reach for the wootz razors more than the others.

No. I Have between 125 and 150 razors and always use them in rotation.

Pete <:-}

I do have lots of blades, but this one is constantly in my rotation - which consists of a dozen straights.

I have a Wootz also. It gets out about as often as my other blades. I do not do a dedicated rotation, it is whatever I’m in the mood for. It shaves well, and I have never had to hone it. They are unique in appearance and shave. If you are curious, buy one, I think they retain their value better than any manufactured razor.

I used to have a few. I still have one. I thought they shaved equally well with my other quality razors. Nothing special really other than the hype over them and of course they look cool.

Maint was another story on one.

Originally Posted by RezDog

I have a Wootz also. It gets out about as often as my other blades. I do not do a dedicated rotation, it is whatever I’m in the mood for. It shaves well, and I have never had to hone it. They are unique in appearance and shave. If you are curious, buy one, I think they retain their value better than any manufactured razor.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I used to have a few. I still have one. I thought they shaved equally well with my other quality razors. Nothing special really other than the hype over them and of course they look cool.

Maint was another story on one.

Thank you fellas for the feedback. This is what I was looking for

I am not really interested in the look, but mostly the shave. I tend to like the Swedish steel, and I hone on film. My best shavers are some of my cheapest. But if wootz has that magical shave quality... then it might be worth it.