Thread: Why is this razor magic?

Originally Posted by jaswarb

Why does this rather ordinary Wester Bros. "Extra Hollow Ground" shave so well?

I have a few Wester Bros. razors and they are all good shavers and easier to hone than some. Most all my razors are good shavers but some weren't always that way. As my honing skills improved I found that putting the ones that were a lesser shave quality back on the hones improved the shaves a lot. Some didn't but putting them on different hones dialed them into my standards of a quality shave. It seems like some razors can be honed by a monkey (a metaphor) while others give the experts a challenge. A good way to improve our honing skills is to attend straight razor meets, watch others hone some razors, try different hones and possibly have someone else have at one or two of your lesser quality shavers. Don't give up on the razors that don't meet the grade unless you are settled in on your honing style and your hones.