Thread: Does weight or grind matter?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

That you say it "feels sharper" than other razors may/may not mean there are microchips in the edge. Sharp razors feel smooth to me but YMMV.

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).

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 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...