Thread: Dull blade?

So I just tried to shave with a razor that I got from a seller here that was advertised as being shave ready. When I went to shave, however, it didn't cut the hairs at all. But this is the odd part that I haven't heard anyone else describe here when they've had a dull razor: the razor just glided over my face, it didn't tug at all. It just wouldn't cut the hairs. Does this razor need to be honed or am I maybe just too used to the razor I've been using?

Sounds like the razor has been over honed and needs to go back to something coarser. A few stropping or back hone passes on a Norton 8K might put it in good trim.

X

What's a back hone pass?

Originally Posted by KingHarvest

What's a back hone pass?

Edge trailing rather than edge leading is a back hone pass. A stropping motion. A reverse honing pass.

Ok, thought so, just didn't want to destroy my razor.

Two questions.

Have you contacted the seller about this? Not everyone selling razors has a clue what a shave ready razor is. There have been several instances of new members, who have no clue what they are talking about, selling what they believe to be shave ready razors. While this may not be the case with this razor, you should communicate some sort of feedback to the seller and see what he has to say about it.

Did you strop it before using it? I don't know your level of experience but maybe you rolled the edge during stropping. You got a decent shave from another razor so I think this is less likely.

Given that the razor isn't cutting at all, it sounds like it needs honing.

Originally Posted by KingHarvest

So I just tried to shave with a razor that I got from a seller here that was advertised as being shave ready. When I went to shave, however, it didn't cut the hairs at all. But this is the odd part that I haven't heard anyone else describe here when they've had a dull razor: the razor just glided over my face, it didn't tug at all. It just wouldn't cut the hairs. Does this razor need to be honed or am I maybe just too used to the razor I've been using?

I would not use a TNT on a "Shave Ready Razor" the TNT is to check for a correct bevel and/or an overhoned/ rough/ micro-chipped edge....
This razor is obviously not shave ready he tried the real test already for that TST "The Shave Test"
So then the "overhoned cat" was let out of the bag, so at that point the TNT is the proper test for an overhoned edge....
Also note exactly how I worded the test, as in very, very, lightly everything we do has to be done with a light touch for it to work correctly... So to really answer your question, if you use a TNT on a shave ready edge it will take off the extreme sharpness, but you could bring back that final little tweak pretty quick with a few laps on the right stone....

Personally when I hone a razor I stop using any of these tests at the 4k stage the razor is actually "shave ready" at that point, as in it will shave, after that you are just smoothing up the edge to make it shave more comfortably.....

Thanks for the advice, guys. After further testing, the thing is dull as a butter knife and needs to be honed.

Thanks Glen. No matter how much help is available here, there is so much to learn that it's a slower process than being shown. Must've been so much easier when the father taught the son!

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Thanks Glen. No matter how much help is available here, there is so much to learn that it's a slower process than being shown. Must've been so much easier when the father taught the son!

Ben:
OMG your not kidding can you imagine how much easier this whole learning process would be if you could stand next to an experianced person for a month !!!!!!
We do pretty darn good though, for just using the tools that we have on the internet....... GO SRP !!!!