Thread: How will I know when my bevel needs to be re-set?

How many times say in a year will I have re-set?

A bevel? Normally never

unless if you honed on tape and have to re-set it without tape, but once that bevel is set, you'll never have to do it again

I wonder why you ask this question, if you have a truly shave ready razor (and don't damage the edge) all you need is a "finisher" or a "refresher", one of the higher grit hones.

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

A bevel? Normally never

unless if you honed on tape and have to re-set it without tape, but once that bevel is set, you'll never have to do it again
i
I wonder why you ask this question, if you have a truly shave ready razor (and don't damage the edge) all you need is a "finisher" or a "refresher", one of the higher grit hones.

have a new razor that i got yesterday and i will attempt to shave with it this morning. in fact this is all new to me and this is the first time i have ever held one in my hands. so when i attempt to shave with it and i don't like the results does this mean i have to set the bevel?

Originally Posted by bigman

have a new razor that i got yesterday and i will attempt to shave with it this morning. in fact this is all new to me and this is the first time i have ever held one in my hands. so when i attempt to shave with it and i don't like the results does this mean i have to set the bevel?

If you have never shaved with a straight razor before and don't like the shave it could be the result of any number of things. First and foremost is not knowing how to shave with a straight razor. Give yourself about 3 months/100 shaves to start getting acceptable results.

The razor must be shave ready to begin with, some are some aren't. You did not dull the razor with improper stropping which is common when you first start out.

In the beginning you will need to have the razor honed/sharpened more frequently because of all that.

Bob

If it was shipped to you prehoned and shave ready, all you need to do is wipe off the oil if there is any and shave. If the shave is bad it is likely due to technique issues. Some pointer for a great shave
If you lather gets dry relather
Keep you skin stretched tight with both your off hand and face making
Keep your razor angle low, keep the spine one to two spine widths off your skin

To add to this ^^ NO PRESSURE!!! Just shave the lather.

Take it slow and easy and you'll get there

One other thing.
Shut the bathroom door and don't let anyone in while you shave. You need to pay close attention to what your doing and remember the direction of passes you made. If you ware glasses, put them on. Another reason to shut the door is so nobody makes fun of you for all the stupid faces your going to make in the mirror. Ha. Good luck. As was said, it takes time, time and more time before you start to get the feel for it. Dont rush it and dont give up! Some folks pick it up quickly and others it take a few months. Just keep at it and dont try to catch the razor if it slips from your grip!!!

BTW, If you are just learning to shave with a Straight Razor, DONT PUT IT TO ANY STONES! You need to understand the razor before think of doing this. Send it out if you need to. The cost is minimal!

Would help to know what make of razor it is and where it came from to establish if you have a true shave ready razor. Some of the cheap razors pedaled on ebay will never take an edge that you can shave with.

Sent from a moto x far far away

Aloha!

Unfortunately, none of us know the answers for certain because we aren't there to see what's going on. Razor not truly shave ready? Possible. Wire edge? (look this one up) or other blade edge issues? Possible. Poor shaving form because of not knowing how to handle a straight razor? Very possible. Best thing to do is have someone that KNOWS what they are doing examine that blade and make sure it is save ready and/or bring it to a shave ready state for you. Then SHAVE with it without stropping. This way you know what a freshly honed truly shave-ready blade feels like on your skin and beard. Apart from that it's learn as you go. You'll get there!

Keep at it and keep us posted. It takes a while to learn how to wield a straighgt razor correctly, but once you get it nailed, the results are worthwhile... BIG TIME!

Watch this intro video by Lynn Abrams if you have not already. It is an excellent intro to how to handle a straight razor for beginners:


Good luck and keep us posted!

-Zip

All of these things are great advice. These guys know how to help you get the best shaves possible, so listen to the advice and ask questions for any problem areas you run into. It takes a lot of time to learn to use a straight, but once you get good it's well worth it.