Thread: True or False

If you take the time and effort every razor can be honed to a point where they will all shave equally good as to shave closeness and comfort given of course it is a quality razor.

I say false. At one time I used to think every razor was potentially equal however I now realize though I think all quality razors can be honed so they will shave equally close there are some that are harsher than others especially with repeated strokes over the same area of your face. There are some razors you can pass over your face 10 times with no irritation at all and some after the second pass your starting to feel irritation and no matter how much honing and tweaking you do they will not improve past a certain point.

What's your take on this issue?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

If you take the time and effort every razor can be honed to a point where they will all shave equally good as to shave closeness and comfort given of course it is a quality razor.

I say false. At one time I used to think every razor was potentially equal however I now realize though I think all quality razors can be honed so they will shave equally close there are some that are harsher than others especially with repeated strokes over the same area of your face. There are some razors you can pass over your face 10 times with no irritation at all and some after the second pass your starting to feel irritation and no matter how much honing and tweaking you do they will not improve past a certain point.

What's your take on this issue?

I would try a different hone! I do however suspect that you are right to a degree!

I only have about 15-20 different brands of razors, I will give with the opinion anyhow:

False: even when honed with the same hones, some razors feel better on da face. Some have what I would call a "sharper" feel, some have a "smoother" feel. Even if they shave effortlessly, some still feel smoother.

I think that there are many variables.

The type of steel. The type of hone. The blade shape. The blade weight. The blade size.
The shape of the face. The type of beard. The amount of ware on the blade.

But I agree there are some real dogs out there.

I always find it interesting that when you see a used full seven day set, there is inevitably one or two razors that seem to be used more than the rest of the set. Me thinks the reason is that the most used were the most comfortable.

I have a set of two matching razors and the one is more comfortable than the other.

Shaving is not a precise science in the way Gillette would have you believe.

Maybe each batch of steel was different and this could have a major effect on the finished product. I think that in by gone days, some razor manufacturers would purchase their steel in from third parties whilst some of the more famous makers would make their own blanks to try and ensure the steel quality.

I have to vote false. Even when I manage to hone a razors to scary sharp level they do not feel the same on my face. Yes, they cut whiskers very well but my skin tells me that something is different. It might be the steel, or the grind etc. But there is definitely a difference in feel.


Just my two cents,

I'm gonna say 'false' too. Just thinking of the Zeepk alone, even if it;s excluded because it's soooooo bad, still there has to be a difference in quality that's acceptable.

X

False.

Given good steel and good heat treatment, it would be true. Wapi's are the perfect example of that.
But there are lots of razors of less reputable name, which do not have the best steel, and which did not get the best heat treatment. I can usually identify them from the amount of metal they leave on the stone while honing. Luckily there aren't too much of those.

False: not all steels are created equal. And like Randy I have had some razors that were scary sharp but not all that comfortable.

I would have to agree to false as well even with my nominal experience. I think that the differences in steel can be frustrating and or satisfying depending on how your day is going. Also I have noticed as of late that the much older steel, at least on the old shavers I have procured lately, tend to be both easer to hone and are more comfortable as well.

Sean

Undoubtedly false. I say false not because of letter openers like Zeepak etc. I would exclude those from this. Only the well know brands. Even among the well known brands the type of steel that is used is different. I can distinctly tell the difference between a Dovo a TI and PUMA and how they shave.