Thread: When is your Straight Razor Sharp

Originally Posted by Barry2

- - - Hi guys, I have tried a lot of things, except that I don't have a leather strop and refuse to invest any more money in a rabbit hole. I bought a piece of vinyl (much cheaper than leather) and then put a few drops of olive oil on it. The oil will cause a CrO2 crayon to create a green slurry and I have tried stropping with that. I had questionable success with that. The blade will pop hairs off my arm, but not my face; it is still almost impossible to shave with.

- - - I have a Geo. Wostenholm blade from Sheffield, Eng. with a combo 4000/8000 stone.

- - - My best success has come with lapping films and/or diamond pastes, but still cannot shave with it. For day to day, I rely on Gillette safety. . . . . Comments please .

Utopian is harsh, but has a point. There's no replacement for a good leather strop. If you want to be cheap about it, buy some leather and fittings and make one, but substituting faux material isnt gonna cut it. Also most people put CrOx on the back of their linen strop and keep the leather clean for final stropping after the paste.

Sounds to me like your bevel isn't set. Get hold of a jeweler's loupe so you can inspect the edge. You might also want to invest in a 1k hone, but the work can be done on your 4k provided you're willing to put in the time. All the lapping film and pastes in the world will do no good if the bevel isn't right.

What brand is your 4/8 stone?

Originally Posted by Utopian

You might as well sell off your straight razor stuff.

You are wasting time, effort, and money on the wrong things. Yes, vinyl is cheaper than leather.

This is also cheaper.

Attachment 239149

Seriously, use a decent quality leather strop or give up. Have you ever shaved with a razor honed by anyone else?

- - - Some guys claim to be able to strop with a piece of leather cut from the leather belt they are wearing, and they have the videos to prove it. I have tried that with added CrO2 and it doesn't work for me.

- - - Some guys use expensive 15 K and even 30K stones without leather, so I doubt that leather is the only route.

Originally Posted by Barry2

- - - Some guys claim to be able to strop with a piece of leather cut from the leather belt they are wearing, and they have the videos to prove it. I have tried that with added CrO2 and it doesn't work for me.

- - - Some guys use expensive 15 K and even 30K stones without leather, so I doubt that leather is the only route.

From your join date I would assume that if you ain't got it yet, you won't get it. Put your location in your profile and see if some one local can show you what your doing wrong, plus to get your razor honed, case it ain't honed is it? Tc

And quoting Sarah Palin, How's that workin' out for ya?

You cannot get a decent shave, yet you won't do the thing that is most critical for straight shaving.

Originally Posted by Barry2

- - - Some guys claim to be able to strop with a piece of leather cut from the leather belt they are wearing, and they have the videos to prove it. I have tried that with added CrO2 and it doesn't work for me.

- - - Some guys use expensive 15 K and even 30K stones without leather, so I doubt that leather is the only route.

So, who are these guys?

Have you asked them for help?

A video proves nothing. The only thing that matters is how the blade feels on your face.

I cannot imagine why someone would hone but not strop. Contrary to claims, it is the strop that aligns the edge and that is the difference between a comfortable and uncomfortable shave. It also is what makes the edge last. If you don't re-align the edge before the next shave, you end up with micro-foldovers that lead to chipping, which leads to an even more uncomfortable shave--kind of like what you have described as your shaving experience.

Have you ever shaved with an edge that someone else honed and stropped for you?

Barry2.

Eyow Barry2. Vinyl? I think a slice of old denims would have been better.
It is my understanding that if you get a straight razor too sharp it will just pass over the hairs. I have absolutely no idea how you judge whether a blade is too sharp. For me just because a straight might shave arm hairs you have to remember that face hair tends to be more course and tougher than beard hair. Hope someone can answer the question "How do you determine when a straight razor is too sharpe?"

Thank you Utopian. In my nearly forty years I have always stropped my razors. My first strop was a wide piece of leather, a belt that came off an old hay bailer. It worked for me and continues to work, however I don't use it frequently because I bought a Colonel Cronk strop years and years ago and it is still ticking. I have contemplated a new strop, but at my age I wonder if it is worth it. It may be, but I just have not made the investment yet.

Originally Posted by Glock27

I am Glock27 here. I am seventy-one and started using a straight razor close to forty years, there about. I started post Viet Nam Era. My first and only razors have come from antique dealers. In the beginning I had no idea how to sharpen a straight razor, so I connected with an alumni who was a barber. He sent me instructions, but said barber schools no longer taught the use of straight razors. H-m-m-m. I tried and tried to sharpen that blade, a Wade and Butcher. Today I still don't have the expert knowledge of sharpening. I have been having problems with some Joseph Allen & Sons bades. The edge and spine matched. Heavy toe grind, heavy spine top grind, heavy heal, heavy shank end grind. I finally used electricians tape recently and discovered that it only worked on water stones as oil loosened the adhesive.
My Joseph Allen's, after a lot of grinding never felt sharp to me. I gave up because they would not reach that feeling of being sharp. Today I thought-- Braugh! Try it any way. I never felt it cut the face hair which you know is more course than arm or leg hair. I am thinking, it is not cutting as I expected, but to my stunning surprise the face hair was gone. How does this happen? The blade feels dull to the touch, but it cut. How does that happen?
I shave once about every three to four days. My hair tends to grow slow. If I let it go too long it is tough to cut even with my best razor, you can feel it drag and scrape across your face. Ugh! Other razors I have will slice thin layers of skin if one is not careful, and I seem to be able to keep them sharp.
I have read and attempted the instructions, but for some reason my mind just does not want to cooperate. How have I been getting my razors sharp all these Years? I have no idea, but they manage to get sharp. How is that possible? Currently lapping film has been helping me in some way. How is that possible?
All of this is confusing. How can I possibly make it for nearly 40 years using a straight razor and not know how to sharpen it? It is probably the reason we see so many abused razors as most of these people had no idea how to sharpen the razor, but the managed to get by with a scrape and a drag. My hope is that this sight will be able to afford me the knowledge. I don't have a lot of time left to get it right.
Is it possible someone else here has had the same problem?
Before I stop I would like to thank everyone who have responded to my posts. Thanks.

If you want to send some of your razors out to be honed by a pro, we have a great company here in Michigan; Maggard Razors. They are located in Adrian, south east of Jackson. You can just mail it out and they will mail it back when it is done. The have more info about honing on their website, Maggard Razors - Straight Razor Restoration, Custom Scales and Wet Shaving Products Also an excellent source for shaving supplies(soaps,brushes,aftershaves, etc.)
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Originally Posted by Utopian

So, who are these guys?

Have you asked them for help?

A video proves nothing. The only thing that matters is how the blade feels on your face.

I cannot imagine why someone would hone but not strop. Contrary to claims, it is the strop that aligns the edge and that is the difference between a comfortable and uncomfortable shave. It also is what makes the edge last. If you don't re-align the edge before the next shave, you end up with micro-foldovers that lead to chipping, which leads to an even more uncomfortable shave--kind of like what you have described as your shaving experience.

Have you ever shaved with an edge that someone else honed and stropped for you?

I just did a simple experiment the other day. I took a razor that shaved well and didnt strop it. The resulting shave wasnt great, it cut the hair but wasnt as close nor comfortable. Next day, I gave it a good stopping on linen and leather- back to a nice close and comfortable shave.

Originally Posted by Barry2

- - - Some guys claim to be able to strop with a piece of leather cut from the leather belt they are wearing, and they have the videos to prove it. I have tried that with added CrO2 and it doesn't work for me.

- - - Some guys use expensive 15 K and even 30K stones without leather, so I doubt that leather is the only route.

It isn't that it CANT be done differently, but the most likely chance of success for the novice is to master conventional wisdom first.

You would probably do better to sell your hones and use the cash to buy a leather strop, and have someone else hone your razor every year.


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