Thread: Different shaving results from either side of razor.

This sounds goofy, but on several of my razors, one side of my face feels like it shaves different than the other (razor seems sharper).
I switch hands, so the razor side is switched too.
Can the quality of the hone be different on each side?

nope, it's the difference between your hands, try to figure out what you're doing differently with the hand that works

If it was happening to only one razor of several then I would say that the blade might be warped, but since you are saying that it is happening on several razors then it is probably technique.
I have one razor that is out of balance from right to left. One side likes to rotate into my face, the other side likes to rotate away from my face. It shaves great as long as I remember to pay attention to my technique when using it. Some day I'll fix its balance issues.

Sounds like a stropping technique problem to me. If you use a hanging strop, in the future try laying it on a flat surface. However, it sounds like you've rolled the edges, so the first thing will be getting them re-honed.

I have heard guys claim this, but really I think it is your hand.

I shave with the same hand, changing to a knife type hold on my left side, I am right handed. It does feel different, don’t know that it feels less sharp.

It also can be stropping where the thin edge is leaning in one direction, that might cause a different feel and possibly in performance.

The edge should be equally sharp on either side.

I myself am rather heavy handed with my dominant hand and it can cause me to use too much pressure and make the shave somewhat uncomfortable on that side if I don't pay attention. I would suggest paying close attention to the amount of pressure you are using and make sure you stretch your skin well. If your skin is stretched well and you see the razor deflecting the skin then it is too much pressure.

Some of this speculation could be sorted out if one question could be answered. Is it always the same side of the face that seems to be receiving the sharper edge?

Originally Posted by Utopian

Some of this speculation could be sorted out if one question could be answered. Is it always the same side of the face that seems to be receiving the sharper edge?

Although I did learn to shave with either hand, I just shave with my dominant right hand because I am so used to it, and didn't find using my left advantageous. That said, I early on found, using my right hand, I get the right side smoother/closer on my first down pass than I do the left side of my face. This is with any and all razors. I've come to the conclusion that it has to do with slight differences in blade angle and stroke.

Outside of some sort of really unusual stropping technique that somehow gets one side better than the other without other detrimental problems with the edge, I have found that I actually have to shave differently between my dominant and non-dominant hands to get the same results. My grip is slightly different between the two, as is the pattern of shaving that I pursue on each side. It took me a while to realize that I needed to take a different approach with each hand to get the same result on both sides.

Yes, it's the same side.
I don't think it is blade pressure or angle.
It is the feel you get when an edge starts to degrade and thinking of pulling.
Seems to need a little more effort (push) to cut through the first pass of whiskers.
It sounds different too, but my two ears hear different, and can't be relied on.
Could maybe be a slightly different bevel on each side, but on so many razors?
It's just one of those quirks that is there on most shaves.