Thread: What's your toughest razor to maintain?

I think most razors fall within a certain continuum from easy to hone to average to a little more challenging. In my experience there are a very small number of razors that seem to have very hard steel that can be a real bear to hone even for touchups. I agree the TI Damascus was one of the worst experiences I ever had with a razor but the TI Silverwing and the Le Grelot are also in that category though not nearly as bad. I'm told the Warner Customs are about as bad as the TI Damascus too. I'm sure there are others.

Originally Posted by goshawk

It seems I'm not alone in finding the wedges difficult.

Nope, not at all. When I quickly hone up a few nice full hollows into sticky-sharp marvels with little effort, and get overconfident, I go back to honing a wedge. Any wedge. Humbling.

My wedges usually take more time to put the first shaving edge on them. I don't think it's any harder to do.

For maintenance, I think the wedges are easier.

My toughest to maintain is an unbranded "made in USA", 7/8", 1/4 hollow.

No major problems getting razors sharp on the hones, getting them shave ready on the strop is another matter.


My problems lately are with getting and keeping certain blades butter(strop)smooth.

W&B 5/8's hollow, has uneven hone wear from a fellow user here, makes stropping difficult.

Jospeh Rodgers, I restored this into bloodwood scales, but the razor is tough steel and takes a long time stropping to get that "just right" feel. 50 strokes.

cheers
D

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If you're talking about getting them sharp to start with than the easiest I have encountered are your average Solingen or Swedish full hollows. The most difficult have been the TI Damascus, an ATS 34 and an S30V stainless. Sheffield wedges can be tough to get sharp for me as well.

Once I get them sharp maintaining is about the same for one as the other as long as I touch them up at the first sign that they need the TLC and don't let it go beyond needing a simple touch up.

A big plus 1 on the ATS 34 & Sheffield wedges .. Some of my old wedges really do have there own character probably down to the previous owners .. they all need there own little bit of variation on the stones ( I should keep a diary of stone type and angle etc ) ..
as the ATS 34 holds an edge for considerably longer than most ofmy razors I'm still trying to tame that lady

cheers Garry

i think that mine must be the c-mon. damn thing, I used it three times, after two times I noticed a bit of dark spot on blade, not rust just dark. came right off with MAAS, but I hope this isn't going to be a regular thing. I'll take it out of rotation if it is. I handle same way as all my others.

SORRY, were talking honing not other maintenance. I will say my torrey seems to be loosing its edge the fastest. wonder if it is because it was so bad off.

Framebacks are a cinch to hone.Wedges seem to take awhile for me.I think it is because of the bevel size being larger.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I think most razors fall within a certain continuum from easy to hone to average to a little more challenging. In my experience there are a very small number of razors that seem to have very hard steel that can be a real bear to hone even for touchups. I agree the TI Damascus was one of the worst experiences I ever had with a razor but the TI Silverwing and the Le Grelot are also in that category though not nearly as bad. I'm told the Warner Customs are about as bad as the TI Damascus too. I'm sure there are others.

I personally think carbon steel "Damascus" blades are for collectors and not shavers. If you want a Damascus look and a good shave you need to get one of the Damacine Damascus pattern razors. They look about the same but are stainless made from a powdered metal process.

In my very humble opinion the difficulty of honing is directly proportionate to the prior users honing ability

I think that Lynn makes a valid point when he talks about honing wedges, he has always said first you have to work around all the previous bevels down to a new even one....

I have honed a couple of old heavy wedges that had little to no hone wear and they were almost as easy as any hollow ground razor...

The easiest razors to hone and maintain IMHO are undamaged DD's, sorry but consistency counts in my book

I would say the closer to NOS or New the razor is, the easier it will be to hone and maintain.. Since you will be setting the bevel and maintaining that same bevel....

OK thats 2 pennies worth


Hmmmmmm just re-read my own post, and boy can you tell I hone a ton of restored razors hehehe add that grain of salt to my opinion

This is such a hard question for me to answer as I have more shave ready razors than days of the month. Once the razor is set up properly what is the difference from one razor to the next as far as maintanance is not apperent to me yet. All of the razors in my rotation get the same aftercare each time they are used so corrosion is not an issue. None of them that I keep in rotation loose their edge so fast that they need anymore bevel work than the next. I think if I had a razor that lost it's edge so fast it would not be in service. I have found that if a blade takes a good edge it has at least for me never become a maintanance issue.
Having said that there have been a few old razors that for whatever the reason do not get sharp no matter how much time and effort is put in them, they go to the scrap pile and I look for a better way to spend my time.
Mike