Thread: How sharp is sharp?

This morning I had a shaving experience I want to share.

I use a straight razor for about three months now. It is the Prima Klang from DOVO which a bought new. In my opinion the razor was sharp and from the start things went on pretty well. Sometimes a cut, sometimes a razor burn, but in general I was satisfied with the results, although a real smooth face was not in sight yet. I knew that would require many more months practice.

Last week I considered my straight getting dull so I decided to use a so-called Tension Mounted Cowhide Leather strop with DOVO's red pasta. An example can be seen on the website Razor Strops , article 56-195011. I applied a very little pasta with a cotton cloth. After that I gave the razor about 10 passes.

I cleaned the razor with a tissue and gave it 50 passes on the canvas and 100 passes on the leather. The shave I had this morning with this razor was the best so far. The result was incredible. More smooth then ever before and even the hair on my chin was chopped off without any problems.

Oh yes, now I know what a sharp razor is. And now I understand what you people mean when saying that a new factory straight razor is not really shave ready.

The DOVO Prima Klang is a great razor, but it is definitely not shave ready by this forum's standards when received from the manufacturer. You did well to use at all for your first shaves. The additional pasted strop and leather stropping would make all the difference. Well done and enjoy.

Originally Posted by strtman

..... Sometimes a cut, sometimes a razor burn, but in general I was satisfied with the results, although a real smooth face was not in sight yet. I knew that would require many more months practice.....

After three months you should be getting smooth shaves at least once in a while. One of the major things to learn once you have learned to use the razor is how to hone and care for a razor. Everybody needs are not the same because of beard, skin, and personal preferences. You do not mention how you maintain your razor.

Originally Posted by strtman

..... Oh yes, now I know what a sharp razor is.

This seems highly unlikely.

This is just me. If you have been using a razor for three months without using a barbers hone or some other process then you no longer have a "sharp" razor. If you are using a factory honing the chances are extremely low that you have use a razor that is properly honed. I can only go about a week without at least a barber's hone touch-up and most of the time I do it every couple of shaves. I have a very tough dense beard and I like "uber sharp" blades. In general if you are using a razor and it tugs very much it is in need of at least a touch-up. One way to judge a razor's keenness is to see how low you can lay down the razor and still have it cut well. I find that a properly honed razor will cut almost till the spine hits my skin.

That said, if you do not wish to get into honing a razor then buy another razor. There are some outstanding razors at a very fair price on the BST. Send the razor out and have it honed properly. You also need to figure out the maintenance scheme that you wish to pursue. Face it, you are hooked on this straight shaving thing!I will stick my neck out and just say it.. you have probably not had a proper shave yet! Now that you probably have the mechanics down pretty well get a keen razor.

Thanks for your input, both Gammaray and riooso.

In response to riooso: my regular method of maintaining my straight is 30 passes on the canvas and 60 passes on the leather before each shave.

Using my Tension Mounted Cowhide Leather Strop last week was the first time.

As far as I understand the information I extracted from the stropping and honing topics is that honing is necessary when a straight is damaged or totally blunt. My Prima Klang was not suffering from one of these so DOVO's red pasta should do.

If I buy a second brandy new straight, let's say another Prima Klang, do you consider it wise to directly giving it some passes on the leather impregnated with red pasta, followed by the passes on the canvas and the plain leather?

I simply cannot imagine that honing a new quality razor from DOVO is needed. Input from other users about this statement are welcome.

Brandy. Pasta. You are one hungry and sober dude. Yeah, well, strtman, YMMV and all that but factory edges have wound up in the hands of various pro honers in various states of shavereadiness, or "shavereadiness". Some do not pass muster. You've used yours for months. Due to the rounding nature of pastes (not pastas) it will be necessary to re-hone the razor at some point. We don't know the original factory edge of your razor and your description of the shave after the pasta doesn't tell us enough because it was so long after you got the razor. (your razor may knead to go on a low-carb diet, I would suggest chromium oxide to maximize weight loss! (helps with glucose management issues)).

Good to hear your growing success. Don't be too resistant to honing, it'll only help you to get even better shaves more easily, more efficiently and with even less irritation if you do it right!

Your assessment is correct that the Dovo paste and strop are sufficient if you are getting good shaves. However, having seen the factory honing process done by hand at Dovo I would eventually prefer a professionally set bevel which is wider, sharper and shimmers like a mirror with an edge that is invisible even with a 20x loupe. At least that is what mine look like.

Dovo puts on a quick, barely shaving edge on at the factory within the time and cost constraints of production. In fact, it is a pretty good edge when you consider how fast they do it. A professionally honed edge may take an hour or more to coax to perfection. Few manufacturers can afford to do this. This is why so many experienced users on this blog encourage new or used purchases from a reputable vendor that includes a professionally honed, shave ready razor. You are thinking in the right direction with your hobby. Enjoy the journey.

Originally Posted by strtman

....snip....

I simply cannot imagine that honing a new quality razor from DOVO is needed. Input from other users about this statement are welcome.

Dovo and other makers have improved their edges in recent years but one of the
things that they commonly do is hone with the spine lifted just a bit. This
keeps the spine and associated gilding, etch and file work a bit shinier. A shave
test will tell you if your edge is sufficiently sharp and to your liking.

Because of this lift maintaining the edge starts out more difficult
than it needs to be. Hand honing by a practiced hand will improve the edge and
also reset the bevel so it can be maintained at home with modest
tools like a Norton 4k/8k combo hone, a pasted strop like yours, finishing hone
or even a barber hone.

Honing a razor is not difficult but takes practice, a kit of quality hones and some hints
to get it right.

A pasted tension mounted leather strop used the way you are using yours
is a good tool! I am not surprised that your shave improved. When
and if it fails to restore the edge to your satisfaction try one of the
more famous honemasters here and you will learn what folk are talking about
without making a big investment in hones and a lot of false starts.

I am with you -- razor makers have improved their process but
a well honed and polished edge is a joy and often a real improvement
over a factory edge.

niftyshaving, thanks for your helpful information. Due to this I am in doubt.

Does my Prima Klang has a perfect edge or not? Does it have the right bevel? This I do not know.

I am satisfied with my shaving results right now. But if this result is achieved with an edge that is not perfect, how great will the result be if my straight has the correct edge?

So the remaining question is: can I check the condition of the edge? Or should I just send my straight to a honemaster? And if so, which one do you recommend?

Shave as long as you can with what you have, but I would send it out to be professionally honed at least twice per year.

Originally Posted by strtman

niftyshaving, thanks for your helpful information. Due to this I am in doubt.

Does my Prima Klang has a perfect edge or not? Does it have the right bevel? This I do not know.

I am satisfied with my shaving results right now. But if this result is achieved with an edge that is not perfect, how great will the result be if my straight has the correct edge?

So the remaining question is: can I check the condition of the edge? Or should I just send my straight to a honemaster? And if so, which one do you recommend?

You said you were satisfied and that is all that matters.

Use your razor in good health and if in the future you have trouble keeping it sharp send it out.
As long as you are not getting a razor burn and are getting a good to go shave
the blade and your face are a fine pair.

You can also compare and contrast with the shave you get from an inexpensive
tossable like the yellow handled BiC for sensitive skin.

Like I said today razor makers have kicked it up a notch so you may have
a deluxe shaver that will continue to respond to your strop for many months
perhaps years.... Keep watching the forum and you will pick up some names
of folk that hone well.... You will find most of them in the "classified" section
above. Others are vendors...