Thread: Which is sharper: Good disposable blad or well-honed straight?

I got a Weck hair shaper thrown in with a vintage straight purchase a little while back. I decided, on a whim, to buy a pack of Personna blades for it, which came in today. Maybe I'm crazy, but these things seem sharper than any straight I've seen, even those honed for me by a member here. I won't know until I shave with it tomorrow, but should my straights be as sharp as this?

I think my straights are pretty darn sharp, and they give me fine shaves. When I shave with my Feather DX SS with a new Feather blade in it, however, it does seem to be a bit sharper. The shaves may not be better with the Feather, but they do seem to be more effortless.

Technically, a well sharpened straight would be third in line after 1) chipped obsidian 2) computerized latest technology mass generated edges (razor blades, scalpels, etc). The problem with the first two is that the edges are more fragile and don't hold up as well or as long as a well sharpened straight razor. If they designed the first two to hold up longer, then they would be closer to the straight in actual sharpness. At least that has been my experience.

The actual Micron measurements on the edges are much closer then you might think...

The differences are in the Multi-bevels on the machine made blades and the special coatings on there after the sharpening...

With some time and talent and sub-micron pastes you can narrow the gap to really close, but you can't spray on a special teflon (or other) coating to enhance the smoothness like they can , you can only burnish the edge with careful stropping and hope for the best

Straight shaves are smoother and that's all that matters to me. When my blades pass the HHT they are sharp enough. Sharpness is a function of bevel diameter and hardeness and flexibility of the steel. And coatings in the case disposable blades.

All my razors less sharp then Wilkinson blades, and I can have more effortless shaves with Wilkinson blades... but after good stropping I have nice and smooth shaves with my straight razors and I understand that I have no need in more sharp edges.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

With some time and talent and sub-micron pastes you can narrow the gap to really close, but you can't spray on a special teflon (or other) coating to enhance the smoothness like they can , you can only burnish the edge with careful stropping and hope for the best

Why can't I dip my straight in ZMAX before I shave to add the magical properties? My thoughts are that the straight razor I prep on a daily basis has the same or very similar edge everyday. I don't use the str8 and wait for it to become so dull I cannot stand it anymore as most do with disposables. I don't know anyone who shaves one time with a disposable, and throws it away. They use it many times, each time the edge not as sharp as the previous time. So, my point is that with the first shave a disposable ( double edge, single edge or multi )may be a bit sharper but what about shave 2,3,4......With a straight, the blade stays consistent.

I use both the feather and an open razor. The main difference I see is in one spot under my chin. It's usually difficult to shave completely smooth with a traditional but is done in 2 passes with the feather. But it may just be the way the head is shaped on the feather that make it easier to use rather than just being that much sharper?

I don't think straight razors are as sharp as commercial razors. Personally, I am glad. With commercial blades, every shave I get good shaves, but bleeders. With straight, I might get one or two bleeders a month. And, shaves with straight razors feel better.

While the question you ask is interesting, it is not as significant as you might think. Let's say that a straight razor is as sharp as commercial razor blades. Let's say that, without stropping, you can get 2 shaves out of a straight razor before it is too dull for shaving. Let's say, with stropping, you can get 40 shaves out of a straight razor before rehoning is needed. That would mean that for the shaving life of the razor, minus 2 shaves, the edge in use during shaving is a STROPPED edge and not the HONED edge we are discussing.

And, again, because stropping sharpens, but rounds slightly I think it gives a better shave.

I don't think there is anything on this planet that is sharper than a Feather, however sharpness doesn't necessarily equal comfort and when shaving I shoot for comfort & enjoyment. Just my $0.02