Thread: Light Touch Sounds Right?

Okay, this could be my imagination totally but here goes.

I'm a newbie, and so it has taken me 3-4 months to get the idea of no pressure, light touch, etc.

Last week a made a discovery and have tested it all week, with great results. It applies mainly to 5/8 full hollow ground razors, though it likely works on others too.

I notice that when I have a really, really light touch and the razor is cutting nicely, there is a very distinct sound the razor makes. It's kind of a crispy, crackling sound as it cuts the whiskers. Someone has compared it to the sound made by buttering dry toast! I really like to hear it, and I notice that I only started hearing it distinctly recently, and I have noticed I really hear it when my touch is very light, but still steady enough for the razor to shave well.

Could it be that excessive pressure dampens out the sound? Anyhow, I have started calling it the "Music of the Shave" since I seem to get my best shaves when I hear that little musical crackly-crispy sound.

Am I totally nuts?

Hi M. Lawson,

It sound like "Victorry!!" to me :P I hear the same sound when i shave my neck and thats honestly the only place i get a great shave with no pressure for now.

J-P

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

Okay, this could be my imagination totally but here goes.

I'm a newbie, and so it has taken me 3-4 months to get the idea of no pressure, light touch, etc.

Last week a made a discovery and have tested it all week, with great results. It applies mainly to 5/8 full hollow ground razors, though it likely works on others too.

I notice that when I have a really, really light touch and the razor is cutting nicely, there is a very distinct sound the razor makes. It's kind of a crispy, crackling sound as it cuts the whiskers. Someone has compared it to the sound made by buttering dry toast! I really like to hear it, and I notice that I only started hearing it distinctly recently, and I have noticed I really hear it when my touch is very light, but still steady enough for the razor to shave well.

Could it be that excessive pressure dampens out the sound? Anyhow, I have started calling it the "Music of the Shave" since I seem to get my best shaves when I hear that little musical crackly-crispy sound.

Am I totally nuts?

No you're not nuts, your post is music to my ears as I have experienced exactly the same scenario when I first started SR shaving in Feb.
I also recently decovered that very little pressure is needed, thurs almost totally eliminating redness, I started by thinking that a certain steady pressure against my face was required to cut through the stubble.
Strangely since changing that one aspect my shaves also seem slightly closer

I find it depends on the razor. Of course wedge class razors make no sound no matter how much pressure you use or don't use and even among full hollows some make that sound alot, some barely and some not at all. As you go to larger heavier razors you have a built in pressure factor and sometimes you have to apply negative pressure in cases.

I don't think you're nuts (at least not anymore than anyone else in this crowd )
When you use pressure your face is dampening the vibration of the edge, when you use no pressure the edge is free to ping and oscillate as it released by each hair.
To use an analogy, to shave with pressure is like playing a piano with a drunk homeless guy sleeping inside on the strings. To shave without pressure is to give the homeless guy a sandwich, get him out, and then play the piano.
Speaking of nuts.

I've noticed the same sound but for me I wouldn't call it a light touch, for me it's more firm but fair if you will.

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

Okay, this could be my imagination totally but here goes.

I'm a newbie, and so it has taken me 3-4 months to get the idea of no pressure, light touch, etc.

Last week a made a discovery and have tested it all week, with great results. It applies mainly to 5/8 full hollow ground razors, though it likely works on others too.

I notice that when I have a really, really light touch and the razor is cutting nicely, there is a very distinct sound the razor makes. It's kind of a crispy, crackling sound as it cuts the whiskers. Someone has compared it to the sound made by buttering dry toast! I really like to hear it, and I notice that I only started hearing it distinctly recently, and I have noticed I really hear it when my touch is very light, but still steady enough for the razor to shave well.

Could it be that excessive pressure dampens out the sound? Anyhow, I have started calling it the "Music of the Shave" since I seem to get my best shaves when I hear that little musical crackly-crispy sound.

Am I totally nuts?

Nuts is good, I'm nutty as a fruit cake and proud of it.
All these sensory nuances help our brain encode the difference between a good shave and average. It's the way you're learning to get better at finley tuning those skills.

This sounds promising, Lawson. Always good to listen. I mentioned this the other day too:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...tml#post644733

As for calling it music - a couple of weeks ago I had my hands on a Stradivari and to be honest I did sound a little like my hollow ground razor!

Neat idea. Makes sense to me.

Originally Posted by deadpass

I've noticed the same sound but for me I wouldn't call it a light touch, for me it's more firm but fair if you will.

For me its the same, firm but fair touch will produce the sounds you mention. Sounds like you're on the right track to me.