Thread: Is this edge toast?

Hi everyone. I am new to straight shaving. I am new at this, but I have never seen an edge like this. I picked this up for $20 CAD. Might be due to over honing. I would like to know if this was a stupid purchase.

Yeesh,It aint good.Might be you could get one of the pros to grind it flat and re-work the bevel,but it's a major job.

Welcome to SRP. That is known as a frown and it doesn't lend itself to smooth shaving. It looks too far gone to my eye but some of the more experienced restorers will no doubt chime in shortly. Check out the SRP Wiki here for tons of great info on all things straight razor related.

A month or so ago there was a guy on the 'bay selling a bunch of straights that he said he bought from a barber (IIRC he was selling 10 or so). Each one was honed with a very large frown. It got me to thinking that these were honed like this on purpose. Perhaps the large frown assisted with maneuvering around the face when shaving another person?

Originally Posted by rsrick

A month or so ago there was a guy on the 'bay selling a bunch of straights that he said he bought from a barber (IIRC he was selling 10 or so). Each one was honed with a very large frown. It got me to thinking that these were honed like this on purpose. Perhaps the large frown assisted with maneuvering around the face when shaving another person?

More like too much pressure applied when honing. Check out this barber manual chapter on honing and stropping here in the SRP Wiki for good info with illustrations on how to avoid creating a frown.

Originally Posted by rsrick

A month or so ago there was a guy on the 'bay selling a bunch of straights that he said he bought from a barber (IIRC he was selling 10 or so). Each one was honed with a very large frown. It got me to thinking that these were honed like this on purpose. Perhaps the large frown assisted with maneuvering around the face when shaving another person?

Its for shaving chins, the blade is placed in a North/South direction and moved East to West or vice versa depending which hand is dominant.

Man, that has to be the biggest frown Ive ever seen, and on such a beautiful piece of steel!

There are not of us that do stuff like that, I would take it on, but would never, ever, Guaranty success on the outcome.... That is one of those, well, lets see what happen type of projects....

Seraphim and Spazola have the knowledge/talent to do that work also but I don't know if they do that work for other people... You would have to ask them yourself...

Another thought just stuck me upside the head , do you guys realize just how picky we are when it comes to our razors??? Somebody was shaving this razor, at sometime, in that shape!!!!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

More like too much pressure applied when honing. Check out this barber manual chapter on honing and stropping here in the SRP Wiki for good info with illustrations on how to avoid creating a frown.

Not saying that honing a frown is proper, just found it odd that the guy was selling so many from purportedly the same "retired barber" and all were honed with a big frown (I tried to find the original set of listings but haven't come across them yet). Made me think that this particular barber honed them on purpose that way (or just didn't care how the blade looks as long as he could shave someone with it).

Originally Posted by rsrick

Not saying that honing a frown is proper, just found it odd that the guy was selling so many from purportedly the same "retired barber" and all were honed with a big frown (I tried to find the original set of listings but haven't come across them yet). Made me think that this particular barber honed them on purpose that way (or just didn't care how the blade looks as long as he could shave someone with it).

Just because the guy was a barber that doesn't mean he knew how to hone properly. I am a professional tattoo artist and I know a couple that have been earning a living at it for thirty years that can't tattoo a lick.

Point taken.

From a copy of a barber's manual I have saved (Jimmy - I didn't check the link you provided .... I suspect it's the same manual):

"The average barber has a tendency to hollow out the cutting edge of his razor, due to the fact that as he takes the honing stroke he instinctively exerts pressure along the center prtion of the cutting edge and unless this tendenct is corrected the edge will soon take on the shave illustrated [frown]"

So I guess the prior owner would be "average".

{Sry Matz, didn't mean to take your thread off topic .... }

Cheers,