Thread: How sharp is sharp enough? What let's you know when a refresh or honing is needed?

I have some small lay flat whiskers at the bottom of my chin. When the blade doesn't cleanly slice those off going WTG, it is time to refresh the blade. If that doesn't work it is time to get out the stones.

I found early on I probably did the most blade damage with bad stropping. Now the stropping will materially improve the edge I have.

But definitely figuring out some place on your face where a sharp razor does the best and then paying close attention to how that area works? Best test!

Today I even go as far as switching to the rotation razor if the current one doesn't do those whiskers well, and then I do some blade maintenance. Definitely the best reason to have more than one SR.

Good luck!

Ed

Originally Posted by Crackers

Hey Guys, I know that my blade needs a bit of a touch up when the stroke on my philtrum (yes I did have to look it up) gets a bit tuggy.I find it is one of the most sensitive parts of my face to shave and I can use any part of the blade to take the stroke.

Yep, the philtrum is the best sensor/indicator for me as well!

Originally Posted by Jack0458

I'm wondering how people decide not to just strop and decide to refresh with a coarser strop prior to the leather final strop. Also, when do you decide not to use the coarser strop and go right to stones, basically starting over?

I've been learning to hone and strop for a few months so up til now all I have been doing is just keeping the edge as sharp as I could. Good news though. Approximately 3-4 weeks ago I began being able to cut hairs on my arm above the skin and cutting hairs consistently using the hanging hair test. I consider this the beginning of being able to create shave ready edges. Just the beginning. I still have improvement and better edges to look forward to. For now, to learn how much sharpness is lost on one shave I try the hanging hair test after I shave. I can never cut a hanging hair after I shave. Then I have done up to 100 passes on a leather strop. At that point when I drag the hair over the edge the hair vibrates significantly but seldom cuts. But if I do 20-30 passes on a poly-webbing strop with .5 micron CBN on it the edge will cut hanging hairs some but not that consistently. Add 50-70 passes on the leather strop and then the edge is back to cutting the hair on every attempt. Sometimes I may drag the hair about 1/4" then it cuts. Sometimes it cuts immediately. That's when I put the razor down considering it ready for the next shave. I'm thinking I should just shave then do 100 passes on the leather strop to get ready for the next shave and see how it goes. I think what I'm doing now is refreshing the edge after every shave by using both strops. After I shave and then strop 50-100 passes on the leather strop and it won't cut a hanging hair, is this razor still considered shave ready? I have been shaving for months now with a razor that won't cut a hanging hair. I guess that answer's my question. I'm not sure that counts though because I was shaving with non-shve ready edges only because I couldn't get them any sharper.

I don't think most of you guys go through all this between every shave and I don't want to do it either. Not for the rest of my life anyway. I may be an odd-ball. Has anyone else gone through trying to learn how much sharpness is lost on one shave on your face? I'm sure this loss will be different per person based on any number of things like thickness of a beard, whiskers and other stuff. Maybe the type of steel the razor is made of will effect edge retention. Since I don't want to be cutting hanging hairs much longer I am wondering how you decide it's time to either refresh or completely re-hone the razor. Do you start cutting yourself? Does the razor try to drag your skin off your face because it won't cut the whiskers?

When do you consider your razors NOT shave ready and in need of more than an every day stropping? I guess if I just do a simple stropping between a few shaves I'll learn how the razors I hone hold up on my face. Maybe I should try doing nothing to the razor except drying it between shaves to see how long the shave stays comfortable.

Hey Jack. I used to do the same thing as you as far as testing the blade with a HHT and in fact still do if I have the time. This is such a personal thing and very subjective that you will have to find your own way through experimenting. Once a razor is "shave ready" there is a long way to go before it is as sharp as I like it. Sure it shaves without tugging or skipping but it's a ways to go before I get effortless BBS shaves with that same razor. In order to maintain this level of sharpness it takes about 30 seconds more for me by doing 10-15 laps on FeOx and then stropp and once a week I use CrOx. If I am in a hurry I accept a "less than" which is still way above the "shave ready" mark. Then again I guess it's how you define shave ready. Back to the subjective thing. So my advice would be to find what works for you by experimenting for yourself.

Originally Posted by Steel

Hey Jack. I used to do the same thing as you as far as testing the blade with a HHT and in fact still do if I have the time. This is such a personal thing and very subjective that you will have to find your own way through experimenting. Once a razor is "shave ready" there is a long way to go before it is as sharp as I like it. Sure it shaves without tugging or skipping but it's a ways to go before I get effortless BBS shaves with that same razor. In order to maintain this level of sharpness it takes about 30 seconds more for me by doing 10-15 laps on FeOx and then stropp and once a week I use CrOx. If I am in a hurry I accept a "less than" which is still way above the "shave ready" mark. Then again I guess it's how you define shave ready. Back to the subjective thing. So my advice would be to find what works for you by experimenting for yourself.

Thanks Steel. What are BBS shaves? I didn't know I was going to learn acronyms to be able to shave. It seems that 90% of shaving with a straight razor is all about what works for you (or me). I don't think I've asked one question and someone said "whatever he says" and I had my answer. Makes me wonder why anyone would go through the trouble to learn this way of shaving. I am enjoying straight shaving though including finding what works for me.

Originally Posted by Jack0458

Thanks Steel. What are BBS shaves? I didn't know I was going to learn acronyms to be able to shave. It seems that 90% of shaving with a straight razor is all about what works for you (or me). I don't think I've asked one question and someone said "whatever he says" and I had my answer. Makes me wonder why anyone would go through the trouble to learn this way of shaving. I am enjoying straight shaving though including finding what works for me.

Sorry. BBS stands for baby butt smooth. I enjoy the challenge of learning my way through. It is not a quick learn but has a big learning curve but the results are MORE than rewarding and worth the effort.

Originally Posted by Jack0458

Makes me wonder why anyone would go through the trouble to learn this way of shaving.

The first time you have a few phenomenal BBS shaves in a row. You'll be hooked. When I nail a perfect shave? It feels like I'm running wet fingertips across smooth wet glass when I touch my face. And the shave stays like that until late that night.

Every shave isn't that way, but the best shaves are unbelievably good. Better than any other way I have ever shaved. And personally I got really tired of the five blade fusion system including the costs: $28 for 8 cartridges just seemed excessive. The soaps are better. The results are better. And this might sound bizarre but I actually like doing the blade maintenance. I buy one tool and I keep it sharp. It just keeps working. I don't throw it away.

my .02,


Ed

Originally Posted by Jack0458

Thanks Steel. What are BBS shaves? I didn't know I was going to learn acronyms to be able to shave. It seems that 90% of shaving with a straight razor is all about what works for you (or me). I don't think I've asked one question and someone said "whatever he says" and I had my answer. Makes me wonder why anyone would go through the trouble to learn this way of shaving. I am enjoying straight shaving though including finding what works for me.

That is certainly a relevant question. I wondered early on at times why I was bothering with it too. It is worth doing, but early in the process it is difficult, takes time and patience, and it takes time, taking me a month or two to get even decent shaves. After you pay your dues, which are unavoidable, you will find that you get great shaves and have learned a skill that you can be proud of.

Jack-As you get better at both honing and stropping, you will find that your shaves just keep getting better and better. I actually enjoy doing what you are describing, trying the HHT before the shave, then stropping 50-100 laps and checking again. I also strop about 20-30 linen and 50 leather immediately post shave, and then usually another leisurely 50 after the razor has sat and dried for the day before finally putting it away. I actually enjoy stropping in a mindless, zen sort of way, and my edges and face both approve. Once every few shaves, I'll make 10 passes on CrOx linen if the edge needs it. As you have noted, whatever works for you applies, as does less is more (though we extreme stroppers ignore go the opposite route).

Hey, Extreme Stroppers sounds like a reality show idea.

Originally Posted by Jack0458

Thanks Steel. What are BBS shaves? I didn't know I was going to learn acronyms to be able to shave. It seems that 90% of shaving with a straight razor is all about what works for you (or me). I don't think I've asked one question and someone said "whatever he says" and I had my answer. Makes me wonder why anyone would go through the trouble to learn this way of shaving. I am enjoying straight shaving though including finding what works for me.

That's funny. It wasn't until I started to listen to what others said that I started to really get things working. Took me a while to actually start listening vs taking in what I wanted and ignoring everything else lol. It's all a package really.

Anyway - this was kind of a timely read for me. Today just for fun, I honed a blade on a stone I was only going to use on my knives. An Arkansas black.

After I honed it up, I lathered up my face and let it set as I stropped the blade. Just before I put it to my face I noted I hadn't once taken the blade to my arm. I was shocked. I mean I had looked at it under the loop - I knew it would shave, just wasn't sure how smooth it would be. When did I stop "testing my work" on my arm lol??

That's all to say, in time it will not be anywhere as complicated. For me that took a while as am a little bull headed. But you know, being bullheaded has taught me a great deal!!

And yes - I agree, less is more. When you are ready, you'll see it. Or maybe you will not. Doesn't matter if your face is happy.

Happy shaving!! It's fun to use a straight

Hey, Extreme Stroppers sounds like a reality show idea.[/QUOTE]

Tonight on Extreme Stroppers, will ScoutHikerDad just go to the linnen and then to the leather or will he go to the CrOx???
Does he need to do as many passess as he does???? find out tonight on EEEEXXXTTTTTREEEMMMMMEEE STROPPERRRSSS ers ers ers....