Thread: Carbon Vs Stainless - Sharp questions

Hello everyone,
I know this question has been posted hundreds of times, which one is better... thankfully, this is not that kind of post again.

My question is more about how sharp they can get.

I have a Dovo EnVougue Ice tempered stainless steel and a Thiers-Issard Carbon Steel.

When I shave with the TI I get great shaves, not BBS yet but I'm getting there. Whereas with the Dovo I feel it's sharper and I can feel it burning my skin while I shave.

Is it possible that the SS gets so much sharper than the Carbon Steel? Any advice on this topic?

Cheers.

E.

IME depending on the steel, the honer, the edges can be equally sharp. Same with smooth ....... IME. If your Dovo is not as smooth as you like try 5 round trips on chrom-ox on a flat bed. Has a softening effect on harsh edges IME.

I have the same set - a stainless Dovo and a carbon steel TI. Both are equally sharp, but I feel like the TI gets a closer shave with less effort than the Dovo. I've also touched both blades up with a barber's hone, so their equally maintained. These days, I'm liking my TI more, but that changes, seasonally.

I don't have a Dovo stainless or a TI carbon steel razor but I do have several razors in both types of steel and they all shave equally comfortably. I would say your problem is what Jimmy said, a matter of edge smoothness not sharpness. I would try what Jimmy suggested for starters.

Bob

I'm rather new at this, so the only thing I have is a Strop, Leather and Canvas sides... I think it's cotton but I'm not entirely sure.
Every day after my shave I strop the blade with the canvas side to dry them off and I strop them at night to have them ready for my morning shave next day.
At night I strop it on the canvas a few passes to heat the blades and then with the leather side for at least 60 pases. I do this every second day as I try to alternate the blades.

But as Kyriaco says, I'm also liking the TI better, I feel it's smoother and more forgiving than the Stainless blade. When I shave with the Dovo I feel like it's burning sharp and I start feeling some irritation if I do anything over 2 pases. The problem is that I usually have to do some touch ups as I can't get the shave as smooth as with the TI

Both were honed properly as I haven't got my hands into that yet.

I am going to take it that razors were both pro honed by whomever you bought them from. It could still be that the stainless did not get along with whatever finish hone was used as well as the TI did. The other possibility that I can think of is that you may have rolled the edge on the Dovo while stropping it. That could also lead to a harsh irritating shave. Like I say Both types of steel shave just as smoothly for me.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I am going to take it that razors were both pro honed by whomever you bought them from. It could still be that the stainless did not get along with whatever finish hone was used as well as the TI did. The other possibility that I can think of is that you may have rolled the edge on the Dovo while stropping it. That could also lead to a harsh irritating shave. Like I say Both types of steel shave just as smoothly for me.

Bob

Yup...the old rolled edge.

After 6 months thought I was an expert at stropping until I visited a honemeister in Ontario, brought all my blades with me, think I had 8 at the time, 5 of them had rolled edges!!

That was a back to the fundamentals experience, put away everything else, back away from thinking of honing, paste's etc...and learn to keep the darn spine on the strop and properly roll the spine during the strop...speed kills, take it slow, and practice, practice, practice...as BobH says, a rolled edge is a complete buzz kill in regards to a comfortable shave!!

Thank you everyone for your answers!

Is there a way to know... or more accurately "see" a rolled edge? Could I see it with a magnifying glass or something like that?

Straight Razor Sharp Tests - YouTube