Thread: "Smooth shave" - What is it?

So we all say things like "this razor is a smooth shaver" or "this razor shave sooo smooth" or "this hone produces a smooth edge", etc, etc, etc.

What does "smooth" mean to you? How is it different than sharp?

Does smooth mean that the razor glides around your face like a squeegee and the whiskers are completely effortlessly removed as if they weren't even there in the first place? Or is this sharpness?

Does it mean that maybe the razor doesn't glide as effortlessly as possible, but that the razor doesn't cause any irritation at all, even if you let your technique slip a bit?

Does it mean something else entirely?

Personally, I define the first statement as sharpness - that the razor just completely effortlessly removes hair, and I define the second as smoothness - that it is difficult to cause irritation.

I get the feeling, though, that everyone's definitions of the two vary. It's really difficult to interpret what people are really saying if they don't tell you how they define sharp and how they define smooth. The ideal thing here would be to make a "standard" for the two words, but that's probably not possible, so really I'd just like to hear how everyone else defines and uses the the two words.

Please note that I'm NOT saying that a razor cannot be both sharp and smooth. I've found that by my definitions, a razor can be either sharp but not smooth, smooth but not sharp, and of course, the best kind, both smooth and sharp.

I agree with your definition entirely. To me, sharpness means cutting hairs with no resistance while smoothness means no irritation.

Originally Posted by Chimensch

I agree with your definition entirely. To me, sharpness means cutting hairs with no resistance while smoothness means no irritation.

Throwing on some Osage Rub afterwards is usually a good indicator of smoothness too.

The burn, or lack of.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Throwing on some Osage Rub afterwards is usually a good indicator of smoothness too.
the
The burn, or lack of.

I've not used osage rub, but yeah, I judge my definition of smoothness by the burn or lack thereof caused by the alum block.

Originally Posted by Chimensch

I agree with your definition entirely. To me, sharpness means cutting hairs with no resistance while smoothness means no irritation.

+1 I guess I never defined the terms before, but this is what I always instinctually assumed sharpness and smoothness to be.

Perhaps a smooth razor is one that is polished and would give a good shave. Whereas, a sharp razor does not correlate to a good shave. A 1000 grit hone will put a sharp edge on your razor but would give a lousy shave. Using increasing grits (and a pasted strop or barbers hone) will polish the blade to smoothness. You maintain this smoothness with stropping.

As with most here, I define smooth as = irritation-free, or without burn. However, I believe an edge can be BOTH sharp and smooth. Some examples:

Shaving off diamond paste (0.5) -- v. sharp, but rough as hell to my skin and never fails to give me burn or stinging with alum bloc.

Shaving off CrOx (0.5) -- v. sharp and smooth. No burn, no irritation, maybe a slight twinge here and there with alum.

Shaving off coticule -- sharp and exceptionally smooth. Zero irritation, and no sting with alum at all.

I also think smoothness has as much to do with the person's skin type as it does with the edge of the blade. *My skin simply can't abide diamond pastes, but YMMV.

*(Or maybe "my skin simply cannot abide the shave I get off a blade finished on diamond paste", since I don't apply the pastes to my skin, per se.)

This is one of those definitions like Pornography "I don't know how to define, it but I know what it is, when I see it"

When A razor stands out it just does...

I have always said "Anyone can get a razor sharp, it takes talent to get it smooth too"

Certain razors are more prone to the "Smooth as silk" definition...

Right off the top of my head, many of the older Boker's some of the Begall's the older Filly's, the older C-MON's some of the older Genco's
These are just a few that I have come across recently and by no means is a definitive list..
When the perfect combo of sharp and smooth comes out it is obvious, the razor is exceptional.... Now some people think that it is in the hands of the honemiester to bring that out on every razor... I used to think the same, but after doing more and more razors I have found that there truly are exceptional razors....It is the Honemiester's job to bring each razor to it's full potential but sometimes it really is the razor that shines....

+1 on Glenn's comments. My smoothest shaving razors will sometimes cause me to reach up and touch my face after the first WTG pass, because I don't feel any resistance and the blade simply feels smooth against my skin, and I wonder if it cut any hair at all. What a pleasure to feel BBS skin instead of whiskers, with no tugging or irritation! Only two razors in my rotation are that good; a Paul Kohl Fisher Works, and a John Heiffor.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

It is the Honemiester's job to bring each razor to it's full potential but sometimes it really is the razor that shines....

And that is the Quest that fuels our disorder.