Thread: First few attempts with SR

My first, out-of-house honing was for a man who is semi-retired from the BIZ of sharpening scissors/shears and cutlery.

He was unable to shave with the gift razor. I'm not sure it he tried to sharpen the razor himself or not, but it did have a bit of a rough edge (low grit) with 3 nicks IIRC. Maybe he was wise to the fact that razors ain't quite the same game.

He was satisfied by my work.

I'd advise to never (attempt to) shave with a razor honed by someone who doesn't shave test their work. ever.

(shave test is on face, not arms or hanging hairs or microscopes.)

I travel so much for my work, that it's hard for me to ship somewhere to have them honed. It'll take me a month to get back home to pick them up once they are done. I'm currently stuck near the black hole of roadways that is Atlanta, GA. Know of anyone in the area who does honing? I didn't see anyone on the list in GA. Maybe I should try to get a set of hones, and learn another skill.

Yea, I see where you would be caught between a rock and a hard place the way you have to travel for work. All I know is I never want to be cut open by any Doc using an medical instrument sharpened by a company that specializes in those and mower blades, shudder. I agree with Ryan that you have 3 possible problem areas, a blade that may or may not be honed shave ready and a beginner's lack of technique in shaving or stropping. Most of us have been there too.

I would try to get the blade honed shave ready by a known reputable honer to take care of the first possibility. If you do that do not strop the blade before first use and that should eliminate stropping as a problem source and give you a bench mark as to what a shave ready razor is/feels like. Strop it before the second use and if it feels different/duller then you know your stropping technique is off and needs improving. I would no recommend that you get hones to learn honing until you can get consistent comfortable shaves with a straight and can maintain an edge for a decent amount of time just by stropping properly. Just too much to learn at once and yet another variable thrown into the equation of why are my shaves so ugly. It takes time to get a consistently good shave.

Bob

Ok Bob, thanks for your suggestions. I'll see about getting them sent out and honed properly. I may be stuck with my DE for a while longer.

Originally Posted by poboy975

Ok Bob, thanks for your suggestions. I'll see about getting them sent out and honed properly. I may be stuck with my DE for a while longer.

DEs aren't so bad. Good luck to you.

Bob

No, they aren't bad, and I'll be using one for my head for a while, I just was kinda...eager, I guess would be a good word...to get to SR shaving.

Yea, know the feeling. Was eager too and did the usual one step forward and two steps back because of it, normal normal.

Bob