Thread: Does weight or grind matter?

Originally Posted by Pithor

I tend to disagree. When I notice it's time for a touch up it's usually not so much because the razor feels dull, it's because it starts to feel harsh and leaves my skin irritated (with coticule/Thüringer edges).

I have felt that on a few razors as well.

From my research of that counters-intuitive result, I have found that when it does happen, it stems from micro-chipping.
Some razors are more proned for that than others, especially when stropped on too harsh a linen/cotton/webbing stropping material.
Most my razors though, starts to go dull without that effect.
They simply feel dull.

Originally Posted by Birnando

I have felt that on a few razors as well.

From my research of that counters-intuitive result, I have found that when it does happen, it stems from micro-chipping.
Some razors are more proned for that than others, especially when stropped on too harsh a linen/cotton/webbing stropping material.
Most my razors though, starts to go dull without that effect.
They simply feel dull.

The microchipping effect from stubble impact usually comes with some dulling in my experience as well, but I find the microchipping more noticeable (and troublesome).

I have relatively dry skin, so it irritates easily, which might have something to do with that.

Regards,

Pieter

Originally Posted by onimaru55

......
Sharp razors feel smooth to me but YMMV.

One of the more difficult lessons can be learning the difference
between sharp, perfect and dull.


When I fly I bring some durn plastic tossables. With a good lather I can
get a shave worthy of a wedding and do not risk the TSA inspectors wrath.
They then teach me lessons...

They go dull quickly but it is easy to compare with a fresh one...
easier to compare fresh and dull than even a DE. Both tossables
and DE blades allow exploring sharp, perfect and dull. Yes perfection
is impossible but there is a sweet spot for each of us.

The famous "Feather" blades are unkind and sharp for one or two shaves
then about the third shave are perfect for long enough that I end up with a
dull but smooth shave inside a week. The first two harsh shaves and the
last couple 'dull but OK' shaves never happen on a less expensive DE that
I now have half a lifetime supply of cached ;-) and yes I only get three shaves..

Open edge str8s with quality stropping sit at all stages of comfort a lot longer than
a DE or Tossable will. As a result I hone too soon or postpone it for too long and have
evolved a maintenance honing style where I hardly hone the razor from time to time
with a 10K/12k or finer hone. Splash and go with five hone stroke pairs and strop.

The darn 18K and 30K shapton glass hones are often just too sharp even with the splash+5 maintenance
touches. But I have not given up on my quest for the ultimate hone.

Stropping... and lathering... do not discount these.

Originally Posted by Birnando

I have felt that on a few razors as well.

From my research of that counters-intuitive result, I have found that when it does happen, it stems from micro-chipping.
Some razors are more proned for that than others, especially when stropped on too harsh a linen/cotton/webbing stropping material.
Most my razors though, starts to go dull without that effect.
They simply feel dull.

Microchipping that develops a couple shaves after honing sounds interesting.

I cannot tell from here what qualifies as harsh stropping material but I am partly of the
opinion that stropping work hardens the edge and straightens it.

If I bend a wire coat hanger it gets hard then breaks. For a razor edge that breaks it will look chipped.
If insufficiently work hardened a whisker can crumple and crush the edge and then a strop will catch
on that crumpled bit and pull it smooth or off.

Strop lightly with constant tension. A hundred laps on a strop is possibly too many.
A medium to light draw feels good to me.

Go with what works...