Thread: Cyril Salter razor impossible to get sharp.

I do not know for certain but I think so. If the Shapton has a uniform sized grit then it should work.

When I set a bevel using a diamond 1200 grit it can cut hairs. That is how I know the bevel is truly set. If I try and go to higher grits without being able to cut hairs at 1200 the results are less than I would desire.

Did you hone out the frown? If the frown is still there, you're probably only honing the ends of the razor.

I would think that even a crap razor would cut hairs if the bevel was set, it just wouldn't hold an edge worth a darn. Even soft steel is harder than arm hair.

I wonder, Kees, if even though the bevels as viewed from the sides of the blade even under magnification appear to be proper, if the two planes of the blade are not intersecting yet (bevel not set). To that end, I'd love to have an extremely high magnification tool with great resolution for viewing the edge of razors "head on" to provide a true bevel setting visual aid.

Chris L

Ive worked on these Salter razors and shudder whenever I see one. I have had exactly the same problem - bevel ok, good-looking edge, sticky-thumb test passed, strop it, HHT bombs out, then it won't take forearm hairs off. I think they are just incapable of holding an edge full stop. That said, I've had some that hone up fine and take a reasonable (if not fantastic) edge. This to me points straight down the road of inconsistency in the quality of steel used and that usually means Chinese as they melt anything down to use they can grab, so you could get beancan steel or Russian KW2 tank armour steel. Frankly I don't know which would be best - or worst!

Thanks for all your suggestions. I followed them all up to no avail. I am afraid I have to agree with blueprinciple it is crap steel.

I had the same experience with a cheap master from china, I worked on it for over two hours and every time I got a edge it bombed out, just would not sharpen. Steel, if you could call it steel was so soft even when I did get a edge still would not cut arm hair, I am going to give this to my grandson to practice with, he is just learning how to shave and maybe I can pass on to him the right way to shave, but not with a master from china.

Cyril R Salter razors were definitely made by Dovo at some point in time. Quite a while ago I got a heap of Dovo blades that included a number of unstamped ones. From the looks (shape and grind) of the ones I had, they were going to be Edwin Jagger razors but they definitely made ones for Cyril R Salter as well.

Here's a tip that for some reason has worked for me a few times on razors that don't seem to want to get sharp. Strop them after each stone and recheck that they comfortably shave arm hair.

I had the same experience with a blade from Pakistan, it would not sharpen at all and I decided to strop it and it sharpened right up, not shave ready of course, but it got sharper. I would sharpen this razor and go up to another grit and do a couple strokes and it would go dull again. I know it is the cheap steel causing this but it was really weird.

I know this post is ancient but I had the same problem with a Pakistani razor I got for 9$. I knew it was trash and didn't expect to actually shave with it so I bought it to practice my honing on something other than a my vintage g&f. And after I set the bevel it would cut 4 arm hairs and go full as soon as I moved up a grit.

Originally Posted by SloppyFloppy

I know this post is ancient but I had the same problem with a Pakistani razor I got for 9$. I knew it was trash and didn't expect to actually shave with it so I bought it to practice my honing on something other than a my vintage g&f. And after I set the bevel it would cut 4 arm hairs and go full as soon as I moved up a grit.

Why don't you hunt around for an old Sheffield that needs some TLC? At least you'll get something that's worth your time learning upon and may give you a nice shave as a reward.