Razor 'Peaking'

Was a little undecided as to where to place this thread but decided on the 'shaving' forum as the basis for discussion is a combination of honing, stropping and shaving.


Anyway, my question is this..


When do you guys find your razor hits it's 'peak' after a fresh honing.... ?
(By peaking I mean, giving the best and ultimate shaves)


For me, it is around the 3rd of 4th shave when my razors hit their peak and not straight after honing when you would most likely imagine they would be at their sharpest.

I think this is a result of the razor slightly dulling from useage during shaving and further smoothing out the edge over this time. Then it's a process of a negative performance curve which we aim to slow down and delay using our strops.

Of course YMMV.

I am interested to see the informative replies sure to follow. I still don't understand this school of thought. If one has to wait for the edge to dull slightly, why hone it so keenly? Just hone it to where you want it. And I thought the purpose of stropping was to smooth the edge to get a great shave, so how should a lack of smoothness straight off a hone affect the first shave off of it if the blade is stropped first?

Please educate!

Phew! I thought for a second there you were going to talk about Peak Razor Theory, and that we are rapidly reaching a point where the supply of straight razors is going to diminish rapidly and for good (see "peak oil theory" on your favorite search pages).

Proceed (I have no real info to add... I rotate my razors and can't tell if there is an optimum number of shaves before a razor feels and shaves the best)

I would have to agree with poona. I do not know how or why(same guess as his) but I have noticed same thing. It seems to take a couple of shaves to mellow the blade.:shrug:

My razor peaks on the 2nd or 3rd shave after honing. Thereafter, I have to use the chrome oxide pasted strop every 3rd shave or I notice the deterioration in quality by the 3rd shave after the razor has peaked (that would be the 5th or 6th shave), and every 3rd shave thereafter.

I attribute the peaking phenomenon to all that stropping, but that's just a wild-ass guess, I don't really know.

I love a good wild-ass guess;)

The first shave after honing is the very best. If it wasn't I would hone some more. I've never had a razor too sharp for me to enjoy short of a DE blade.

I find the best shave is the one right after honing. The only exception with some razors is if I use .25 diamond and then the first shave is a little on the harsh side.

I may be wrong but I am thinking that your edge is just getting smoother and not sharper. I notice that too and like the shaves about 4 or 5 out. It might depend how many times laps you strop it also.


Later,
R

I'm going with the "straight razors are magic" theory i outlined in a separate thread. How else do you explain their mysterious qualities and magnificent performance?

Hmmm, well I took my daily razor with me to the Southern California get together. When was that? Back in March? One of the guys there confirmed that it was "sharp." Later that day I shaved with it for a BBS once-over shave.

I think the last time it was honed was back in June of 2007 or thereabouts. Shaved with it just this morning, once again, a once over BBS shave. Still hasn't been honed. Just stropped on a vintage linen/ leather un-pasted strop.

Not sure when, or if, it has peaked nor if it ever will?


Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by honedright

Hmmm, well I took my daily razor with me to the Southern California get together. When was that? Back in March? One of the guys there confirmed that it was "sharp." Later that day I shaved with it for a BBS once-over shave.

I think the last time it was honed was back in June of 2007 or thereabouts. Shaved with it just this morning, once again, a once over BBS shave. Still hasn't been honed. Just stropped on a vintage linen/ leather un-pasted strop.

Not sure when, or if, it has peaked nor if it ever will?


Scott

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I guess someone is stropping properly...Hmm:hmmm:,,,Maybe you could start a thread on stropping...Hmm, I got it! You could entitle the thread,"Stropping is king"...No, wait...I think thats already been done!?:rolleyes::D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JMS

I guess someone is stropping properly...Hmm:hmmm:,,,Maybe you could start a thread on stropping...Hmm, I got it! You could entitle the thread,"Stropping is king"...No, wait...I think thats already been done!?:rolleyes::D

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Ah, ah, ahhh....:nono:


;)


Scott

I have brought this up in the far distant past, and the whole idea was shot full of holes...
So until today I have never brought it up again, I just continued to do it, and enjoy close smooth shaves..
I noticed long ago that I could get to a "Second" level of sharpness, by re-stropping after the first shave with a pasted strop, then just using linen and leather from then on... How long do the edges last, you may ask, I don't know I haven't had to re-hone one yet, in fact I haven't had to re-fresh one yet either, and some edges are over a year old.. ( I have a 14 razor rotation)
So in essence I totally believe that the best shave that I ever get is the second shave after I have honed, stropped, shaved, and re-stropped..... The 1st shave seems to "break in the edge " that's my story and I'm sticking to it .......

+1 on what is suggested about stropping.

I always do a triple stropping session after honing (on leather only).
Thereafter I strop 15 on canvas and 25 on leather.
I don't notice any difference in performance during the subsequent shaves. As soon as I do, I touch up with 10 laps on the coticule and a triple stropping session.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have brought this up in the far distant past, and the whole idea was shot full of holes...
So until today I have never brought it up again, I just continued to do it, and enjoy close smooth shaves..
I noticed long ago that I could get to a "Second" level of sharpness, by re-stropping after the first shave with a pasted strop, then just using linen and leather from then on... How long do the edges last, you may ask, I don't know I haven't had to re-hone one yet, in fact I haven't had to re-fresh one yet either, and some edges are over a year old.. ( I have a 14 razor rotation)
So in essence I totally believe that the best shave that I ever get is the second shave after I have honed, stropped, shaved, and re-stropped..... The 1st shave seems to "break in the edge " that's my story and I'm sticking to it .......

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Sorry Glen mate,
Didn't meant to steal your thunder lol
It's your story and we're both sticking to it!! :D
It's so true though and I agree with your 'breaking the edge' theory.