Thread: What is your sharpest shaver?

As I go through and rehone my 1/4 hollow and wedge (same steel, same maker) the wedge comes noticably sharper every time. Why don't we have any modern wedges being made?

One thing that seperates the wackers in my opinion is the steel is harder.

I have a friodur 8/8 inox and I love the way that steel responds to the hones. Hollow grinds just don't do it for me but oh how I love the steel on these clevers.

Keep it going, what else? I've not heard of some of these razors being mentioned and they are beauty's.

Originally Posted by ZethLent

Mine is a 6/8 Wade and Butcher Celebrated Fine India Steel Razor. It is a 1/4 hollow and is finished on a Chosera 10000 and a very fine coticule. The Chosera for keeness and the coticule for smoothness.

Next would be my Ellis Hybrid, which is probably a suped up wapi (1/2 hollow 11/16). What Bill does to them I do not know but it remains in the top few.

I thought the Ellis hybrid was a stainless offering? Which would then rule out it being a Wapi?

It's really a toss up between the first two:

Plain label Solingen purchased from and sharpened by Rasurpur. It's made of carbon steel and is a full hollow. He finishes with an 8k or 12k Naniwa and TI sharpening paste.

RasurPur Online Shop - The finest tools for a perfect shave

My Hess is a 1/4 hollow, stainless steel and sharpened by Utopian. Utopian said he usually finishes with, "20 to 50 strokes on a Nakayama Asagi."

The third sharpest is my 1/4 ground, carbon steel, Le Grelot sharpened by Rasurpur.

I've maintained them all with Chrome Ox.

My sharpest is the Filarmonica 14 Para Barbas Duras, honed by Max to perfection. My second most is a Puma 222 5/8 sharpened by some dude on eBay (sounds crazy, right?).

Interesting...

But you did say sharpest right???? Not what's you favorite shaver???

By far, not even in the same realm in sharpness are just about any of my USA's made in NY
The Kinfolks or the Geneva might be the tops of that bunch but it is a close group...

Oh all of them are carbon steel extra hollow grinds...

Like I said this is for pure wicked mean sharpness....

A Fillie 14 I honed, a Wonderedge by Glen, RW HCS honed by RW, and a TI 7/8 honed by Chris Ellison. All full hollows, with hard steel.

Not only are they sharp, but they hold the edge.

It's is a real tough call. I keep everything shave ready, but if I have to pick one razor, it's actually my Wonderedge's, Each are finished on a Nakayama. They are scary sharp....then my Livi.....

I've gotten razors honed by some of the leading honemiesters and I would say from the results of my shaves I am a fair hand at honing myself but there is 'always a faster gun' and many are faster than me. I would love to say that my sharpest razors are some that I have honed but, living up to my avatar, I cannot say that.

I bought two razors on ebay from a seller known as Cedarfurnitureman. He is a young man from Mississippi named Quinton. He is a forum member as well and his screen name is Razor Talkin. His vocation is making custom furniture out of .... you guessed it..... Cedar wood and his passion is restoring straight razors.

These two razors, bought in separate auctions, are the sharpest I've encountered out of somewhere over 150 that I now have. They happen to be a Shumate Tungsteel and a pre-Dovo Bismark but I'm convinced that it wouldn't matter what brand they were if Quinton honed them.

I was so impressed with the edges that I contacted him and I've spoken to him at length on his honing. I expected to find out that Quinton has many Eschers, Coticules, Nakayamas and such exotic stones and uses some secret techniques. To my surprise he uses a Norton 1k for bevel setting and follows that with the standard Norton 4/8 pyramid he learned from Lynn's posts on the old Yahoo SRP group. He finishes with diamond paste on Balsa with 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25.

I am fond of the expression that it ain't the arrow, it's the Indian. Quinton is the personification of that old adage. With all of our searching for the ultimate sharpening stones and trying this or that method he is getting razors as sharp IME as they can be gotten with that boring old workhorse the Norton 4/8 pyramid .... and a hell of a lot of skill.

Edit; Speaking of the skill, upon Quinton explaining his method I've tried to duplicate his results on my hones and I ain't there yet. I'm going to keep at it though.... you're not a loser until you quit.

That is neat Jimmy, thanks for sharing it

Too bad I can't trade hones for skill

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

He finishes on Balsa with 1.0, 0.5, and 2.5.

Just to clarify. Should the progression read, 1.0. 0.5 and 0.25? Instead of the 2.5 above? Also is this referring to Chrome Ox, diamond paste or both?
Thanks,