Thread: Painful shaves

In my limited opinion, if the honing is not working, then you need to work with slurry. Some oilstones do not work well with water but do work with slurry. If there is a problem with the lapping stone then some thick oil can also work. Do try to create slurry with some linseed oil and observe the results. And once you get metal on the slurry, you have to work away at it until you get that particular sound of metal screaming away on the stone because it has formed the edge.

Originally Posted by Justino14

I was wondering if this is a good chance for me to try my hand at honing.

I take this to mean that the OP has not ever honed a straight razor.

Originally Posted by almond

In my limited opinion, if the honing is not working...

He has given no indication of any honing being done.

Originally Posted by almond

In my limited opinion, if the honing is not working, then you need to work with slurry.

I have no idea why working with slurry would be considered to be the first means of trouble-shooting for honing that is not working. Though in this case honing was not done.

Originally Posted by almond

Some oilstones do not work well with water

That's why they are called oilstones. If they ever have been used with oil, then water would simply bead up and be pushed off of the hone with the first stroke of the blade.

Originally Posted by almond

Some oilstones do not work well with water but do work with slurry.

I'm not aware of any oilstone that works with slurry. What oilstone have you used with a slurry?

Originally Posted by almond

If there is a problem with the lapping stone then some thick oil can also work.

What problem with what lapping stone is solved thick oil?

Originally Posted by almond

And once you get metal on the slurry, you have to work away at it until you get that particular sound of metal screaming away on the stone because it has formed the edge.

I have no idea what this means.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I take this to mean that the OP has not ever honed a straight razor.


He has given no indication of any honing being done.


I have no idea why working with slurry would be considered to be the first means of trouble-shooting for honing that is not working. Though in this case honing was not done.


That's why they are called oilstones. If they ever have been used with oil, then water would simply bead up and be pushed off of the hone with the first stroke of the blade.


I'm not aware of any oilstone that works with slurry. What oilstone have you used with a slurry?


What problem with what lapping stone is solved thick oil?


I have no idea what this means.

I too found this post odd. Did the OP mention he had an oilstone or something?

I connected painful shave to a poor edge. So gave him tips on honing.

honing is tough for the newbie. It doesn't always work as intended at the first go. this is my experience.

Originally Posted by almond

I connected painful shave to a poor edge. So gave him tips on honing.

honing is tough for the newbie. It doesn't always work as intended at the first go. this is my experience.

A painful shave can have many reasons.

ThIs is the conundrum every straight shaving beginner faces:
1.) Poor shaving technique dulls the edge prematurely, requiring more (e.g. chromium oxide) stropping
2.) poor stropping will damage the edge, requiring honing,
3.) poor honing will fail to restore a sharp yet smooth edge and may breed poor shaving technique - which brings us back to step 1.


One step leads to another and unless a beginner comes to grips with all three techniques (How often do you want to send a razor to be honed by someone else?) and breaks this vicious circle a close, comfortable shave will be impossible to achieve.

The Internet may help, but a beginner needs to learn how to tell good advice from bad one - often the best method is to look for ways that the majority of shavers agree on.


It requires patience, perseverance and resilience, but we all had to go through this and in a way this may be part of what makes straight razor shaving special: you have achieved something that quite a few men would find too hard (or scary) to even try - let alone master.



Good luck



B.


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