The sound of shaving

Been working on my stropping and honing. I can get my razors sharp enough to give me pretty good shaves but the Dovo I bought recently from SRD has one major difference when I shave. It is LOUD. Months ago when I started watching videos of people shaving (sounds goofy doesn't it? :)) I would hear the scraping sound as they shaved. Since I didn't hear that when I shaved I thought it was an audio thing that the mic was picking up and recording really loud. Now with the new Dovo that Lynn honed I hear that LOUD scraping sound when I shave. So, I'm wondering if the sound is an indication of sharpness. Occasionally, my honed razors produce a little bit of sound when I shave but it's not LOUD and it's not consistent. I've been meaning to ask this but keep forgetting.

1. Is the LOUD sound when I shave an indication of the sharpness of a razor?

2. I"ve had the new Dovo that Lynn honed since the first week in November. By just stropping it I have kept it sharp and it still makes the LOUD scraping sound when I shave. The shaves are very good also. Does this indicate my stropping skill is getting pretty good? That's what I'm thinking.

3. I'm also thinking that since I can't take a razor I hone on stones and then strop to make this LOUD sound when I shave that they are not as sharp. I'm thinking that indicates my honing on stones still needs significant improvement. An edge needs to be at a given level of sharpness before stropping would improve or smooth it. This also, is what I'm thinking.

Can you guys let me know if what I'm thinking sounds accurate? Thanks for any help.

Jack

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Originally Posted by Jack0458

1. Is the LOUD sound when I shave an indication of the sharpness of a razor?

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I think that's more an indication of the thickness of the razorblade - some razors are so hollowed they've earned the nickname 'singing hollow'

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Originally Posted by Jack0458

2. I"ve had the new Dovo that Lynn honed since the first week in November. By just stropping it I have kept it sharp and it still makes the LOUD scraping sound when I shave. The shaves are very good also. Does this indicate my stropping skill is getting pretty good? That's what I'm thinking.

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Your shaves being good are an indication nothing is going wrong (yet?)! Your stropping must be working if you've been shaving regularly with that same razor for a month and a half and still happy with the edge - again I doubt it has anything to do with the sound the razor makes during shaving. If anything I'd expect the blade to be a little quieter if it's cutting more effortlessly, but I mostly shave with wedges that are pretty quiet already

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Originally Posted by Jack0458

3. I'm also thinking that since I can't take a razor I hone on stones and then strop to make this LOUD sound when I shave that they are not as sharp. I'm thinking that indicates my honing on stones still needs significant improvement. An edge needs to be at a given level of sharpness before stropping would improve or smooth it. This also, is what I'm thinking.

Can you guys let me know if what I'm thinking sounds accurate? Thanks for any help.

Jack

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Don't worry about the sounds, I don't think they're going to be an accurate litmus test for much of anything relating to shave quality. Different blades make different noises regardless how well you hone or how well you maintain them. Your results ("the shaves are very good") seem to be indicating you're doing just fine so far

Thank you.

I'm enjoying straight razor shaving more and more. Now that I'm more comfortable with the shaving portion I am seeing a difference in using different soaps or creams, how they feel, etc. Wife went in the bathroom yesterday and was asking about the fragrance. I had used some Proraso menthol pre-shave and cream. She didn't care what I smelled like but the bathroom she liked. :D

Jack

Hi Jack

I have a Garibaldi, 6/8 extra hollow ground, made by Wustoff, that is very loud.
Well, it is loud compared to the rest of my razors. I have other blades ground similarly and they do not make near the noise.

It is a good shaver and stays in the rotation.

I have a Dovo Bismarck and also find that it is considerably "louder" as you describe as compared to my other razors. I believe, as was mentioned in an earlier reply, that this has to do with the thickness of the blade. By Dovo is considerably thinner from the midsection of the blade to the edge, than, say my TI (though both are considered to be "full hollow." My stropping of the blade is also louder, and if I mins-strop....even more so. I rack it up to just being the nature of the blade, as the shave I get from it is still very nice.

I don't guess the sound matters then. I'll just forget about it. I have been thinking the razors I hone weren't as sharp and I still know they aren't but maybe they aren't as dull as I was thinking. :) The shave of the new Dovo is smoother but the others do ok. But the sound was the only REAL difference. The Dovo is loud enough to wake the neighbors. :)

Jack

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Originally Posted by Jack0458

I don't guess the sound matters then. I'll just forget about it. I have been thinking the razors I hone weren't as sharp and I still know they aren't but maybe they aren't as dull as I was thinking. :) The shave of the new Dovo is smoother but the others do ok. But the sound was the only REAL difference. The Dovo is loud enough to wake the neighbors. :)

Jack

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The shave test remains the *best* test :)

I have a few that sound like you are scraping toast with a knife and the rest not so much. I attribute that to a grind the may be extra hollow and/or bellied hollow not just hollow ground. They all shave the same for the most part.

Bob

Some razors (singing razors) can be pretty loud. It's a function of the grind and the geometry of the blade. The more hollow the more of a tendency to sing and the thinner the blade also makes it more likely to sing. I have a vintage 7/8s Dovo Diamond Steel which is so loud when I shave the dog runs out of the room-har har.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Some razors (singing razors) can be pretty loud. It's a function of the grind and the geometry of the blade. The more hollow the more of a tendency to sing and the thinner the blade also makes it more likely to sing. I have a vintage 7/8s Dovo Diamond Steel which is so loud when I shave the dog runs out of the room-har har.

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Don't you have a story about a talking razor?

My first thoughts on the sound I hear when shaving was an indication of sharpness. Now I've learned the sound comes from different razors at different levels and the volume has nothing to do with sharpenss. I still like hearing it though. Sometimes I can shave and when I'm done I'll rub my face or neck and feel spots that still have stubble. I can re-shave that spot and then it's smooth. The thing is when I use the Dovo from SRD which is the loudest razor I have I can tell when the stubble is gone. If any stubble remains I can still hear the "knife on toast" sound. I like that. Just now noticing this in the past week or so. I don't know if this is a long-term method of knowing, or think I know, how close the shave is. Time will tell. The area I notice it most is on both sides of my neck. The whiskers there grow in a different direction I think. When I'm done shaving and rub my neck downward it feels smooth. But if I rub my neck up towards my jaw the stubble is easily felt. I haven't spent any time learning to shave ATG or XTG yet. It's very awkward feeling to shave up or sideways on my neck. Does anyone else have any thoughts on the sound being an indicator of smoothness?

Jack

Yes, I think when you no longer hear the scritch, scritch of the blade you are pretty much done shaving in that direction, say WTG. If you try XTG or ATG the blade will be able to pick up more stubble and you will again hear the scritch, scritch of the blade. Possibly not as loud as before but it is there.

Bob

My regular rotation is made up of 1/4 grind / beefy razors.
When I pick up something in the "full hollow" range it is always a shock at how much louder it is.

A little more time into straight shaving and I've become so fond of using the sound to let me know when a spot is smooth I almost never use a razor other than the Dovo 5/8" I got from SRD. It provides a very loud "knife on toast" sound. I have another razor I got off ebay that is almost as loud. It has a blade edge that is 2.5" long. I cleaned the blade up a lot (not mirror) and made a handle for it. I love that razor too. I did see a little "miniature" razor on ebay that I wanted but missed the final bidding time. I wanted to try it just because it was little. When I bought the razor with the 2.5" blade I didn't realize it was a half inch shorter. The only other razors I have than the Dovo are ebay restores I've done. They all shave good though. But the thing I like most about any razor so far is the louder the better. I can shave one pass and then if I do another pass even with the Dovo it's almost silent except for any spots that need just a little more. But when I shave silently I know I'm done. Don't need to feel my face. Even the two spots on my neck on each side are smooth when it's silent. I thought I was going to need to start shaving ATG (up in this case) to get those two spots really smooth. But now they are smooth just shaving down. This may be improved by my stropping improving. Maybe the edge is getting sharper. Hope so because trying to shave up a time or two was incredibly awkward.


Jack
PS
I forgot about a Boker razor a knife forum friend gave me. Love that one too but it's not very loud. :( :D

Which Dovo is it? I have the Prima Klang, which they describe as a "singing" razor. It is extra hollow ground.

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Originally Posted by Jack0458

I don't guess the sound matters then. I'll just forget about it. I have been thinking the razors I hone weren't as sharp and I still know they aren't but maybe they aren't as dull as I was thinking. :) The shave of the new Dovo is smoother but the others do ok. But the sound was the only REAL difference. The Dovo is loud enough to wake the neighbors. :)

Jack

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Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Which Dovo is it? I have the Prima Klang, which they describe as a "singing" razor. It is extra hollow ground.

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The one I got was under $100. I think it had a handle they called "blonde". It looked more brown to me. I replaced the handle though. I think it is a high hollow grind. It says SOLINGEN BEST QUALITY on the blade. Here is a picture of it. It sings though.

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdda6a524.jpg

nice! Glad you're happy and enjoying it...that's what it's all about!

I discovered my Othello can be pretty loud as well. For me, it seems the sound is determined by the angle I have the razor set at. When I first started, I kept the razors angle very shallow, the sound was rather quiet, and I needed several passes to get a fair shave. Last night, purely by accident, I had increased the angle of the blade (probably 2 or 3 times the width of the spine from my face), and the scritch sound you describe appeared. I also noticed after one pass that my shave was much better. For me, I guess the sound is the feedback I needed to find that better shave. It is kinda cool though.

Attachment 196172

When I hear the sound these razors make it always reminds me of the internal working of a music box.

I have every a near wedge and an extra hollow, and everything in between. They definitely get louder as the grind gets thinner.

All mine are full hollows (very noisy) one sings the flight of the bumblebee,When I use it I can get thru a great two pass shave in 30 Secs flat:)