Thread: 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

Originally Posted by Jack0458

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

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'

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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