Do some razors just irritate you?

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09-29-2010, 10:26 PM
Johnny J

Do some razors just irritate you?

I have two wedges, a JW Allen 37 Strand 6/8, and a W&B "for barbers only" 8/8. Since I sharpened both razors myself on the same set of hones, I assume we can remove me as a variable. They both do a good job, but the Allen does it with less irritation. The Allen is actually the only one I still use. I might sell off all my other razors to finance a Robert Williams--but I digress.

Are there some razors your face just doesn't like no matter what you do to them? The W&B actually looks very crude & primitive compared to the Allen, but IDK whether that means anything.
09-29-2010, 10:52 PM
thebigspendur

The brutal truth is if the razor is a quality piece there is no reason it shouldn't give you a great comfortable shave. In your case it probably needs some more work. Some razors can be a bit finicky and take a different approach with the hones to get them at their best or maybe just a bit more time.
09-30-2010, 12:43 AM
Joed

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The brutal truth is if the razor is a quality piece there is no reason it shouldn't give you a great comfortable shave. In your case it probably needs some more work. Some razors can be a bit finicky and take a different approach with the hones to get them at their best or maybe just a bit more time.

+1 Send it back to the bevel setter for some circles and laps. When you think you are where it needs to be give it one more set of circles and laps. Then work your way up the hones again. Let us know what you find in performance.
09-30-2010, 01:31 AM
northpaw

I had a razor that confounded me for two years - ever since I got it. It looked beautiful and seemed to hone up well, but I couldn't get a comfortable shave out of it for nuthin'.

Then, about a month ago, I finally solved the problem and was rewarded with wonderful shaves. Have to admit, I was so happy/relieved that I put my rotation on hold and have been solely shaving with that razor ever since. :D

Keep at it!
09-30-2010, 02:13 AM
Ryan82

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny J

Do some razors just irritate you?

Yup, the ones I can't afford....
09-30-2010, 02:52 AM
thorxes

There might be some micro chips on the edge that you're not getting rid of on the 4k+ stones.

Are you honing on a 1k equivelant?
09-30-2010, 03:05 AM
nun2sharp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Yup, the ones I can't afford....

LOL! Me too, there are a few that have been irritating me for quite awhile now!
10-01-2010, 01:47 PM
Mr. Scruffy

I had a Livi regrind that never felt good on my face. I sent it to three different honemeisters with the same result each time. It was like shaving with a rake. Finally sold it.

It was a good looking razor, though.
10-01-2010, 02:27 PM
zepplin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Yup, the ones I can't afford....

Now, that was funny...
10-01-2010, 03:14 PM
johnmrson

Not really. Some take alot more honing than others but I eventually get them right. Last week I honed a 7 day set. I've shaved with 6 so far and 5 have been great and one was very average. Same honing process for all 7 razors but Wedensday is no where near as good as the others.
10-01-2010, 03:26 PM
basil

Yes..... It's called a Mach 3.

Or is it Mach 500 now?
10-02-2010, 01:35 PM
Johnny J

Update:

I took the advice offered here & went back to my Cushioned Strop hone (a coarse, fast bevel-setter), then the Swaty, then green-pasted hard paddle, then denim strop, then leather (exactly the same routine I use on the Allen).

The results are pretty much the same as before. It's not that the W&B is a bad shaver--it's actually a good shaver--it's just that the Allen is better. All razors produce some irritation for me when going ATG, but the Allen produces less than the W&B. (Though I must admit I have more tendancy to cut myself with the Allen when it's freshly honed than I do with the W&B, for God only knows what reason).

I stress again, the W&B was my favorite razor before I discovered the Allen. There's nothing wrong with it, per se. Maybe there's some special hone magic that would make it as good as the Allen, if I had a wider array of hones to play with, who knows. But so far, the Allen is my favorite razor.

I'm beginning to suspect that crude, misshapen meat chopper wedges that look like the shank Vin Diesel was using in Pitch Black are just never going to be as good as blades that were shaped with more precision. I also suspect that steel making was more art than science 100 years ago, and different razors have wildly different properties. But who really knows. All this is just a wild-ass guess.
10-04-2010, 03:15 AM
Pabster

Its tough to say why one isn't performing as well as the other. I find that after a good stone honing, the razor will shave well, but feel a bit rough. After some passes on my 4 sided pasted paddle strop, it smooths out the edge alot and the shaves become smoother.

Good Luck!

Pabster
10-04-2010, 03:26 AM
deadpass

Quote:

Originally Posted by northpaw

I had a razor that confounded me for two years - ever since I got it. It looked beautiful and seemed to hone up well, but I couldn't get a comfortable shave out of it for nuthin'.

Then, about a month ago, I finally solved the problem and was rewarded with wonderful shaves. Have to admit, I was so happy/relieved that I put my rotation on hold and have been solely shaving with that razor ever since. :D

Keep at it!

Care to reveal what the problem solver was? It might help in this situation

OP, if you wanna get rid of that w&b send me a message :)