Thread: Too Sharp

Ok I think I am going to loose any of the cred I had if I had any at all, asking this but...

Watching Lynn shave with his DE, he stated that the Feather Blade is better on the second shave. I for one agree 100%. I love my Feathers but man that first shave... Hence, I moved to Personas.

Anyway, it kind of set off a thought process that I have been mulling over for some time now. I know a well honed straight gives, or should give a buttery smooth shave, and on many of my blades it does but sometimes, well that's not the case. For me. Some of my blades act very much like those Feathers, and are seemingly just too sharp and produce a rather harsh shave on that first go. After a shave or two though... heaven!

Is this a product of bad stropping? Poor honing?

To be very specific; it happens on my Boker extra hollow, and my Revisor. I use my Naniwa's to hone, strop with Dovo Red then Black paste, then linen to leather - a quick 6 on the diamond paste and then back to the linen and then ultimately the Roo.

On my second and onward - I use the Dovo Black, Linen, Roo.

Be gentle, and thanks for any insights

If the edge is honed correctly then the "Too Sharp" feeling is in your stropping..

A straight razor's true advantage over the other forms of shaving has to do with your ability to infinitely adjust the feel to your face.. no other form of shaving allows all that adjustment..

Honing is often the culprit of the "Too Sharp" feeling there is a maximum sharpness that each razor is capable of attaining and holding on to, this is determined by Steel, Geometry, and Grind, the trick is knowing when you are there...
Some smart guy on this forum once said "Knowing how to hone is the easy part, Knowing when to stop is the hard part"
This has nothing to do with the stones/hones you are using, this has to do with using the stones/hones you have to the fullest potential of the match to the razor..

Myself reading what you are doing after the razor comes off the hone I would dial it way down, simplify, and see what happens.. Try just Leather, then try Linen and Leather, and keep adding until you get the feel you are after... JMHO

Dunno exactly. I'd have to see, feel the razor. In the past, before I began finishing exclusively with an escher, I had 'scary sharp' razors at times. I know guys that like that but I'm not one of them. The Feather DE first shave is a good comparison. I have found that 10 round trips on chrom-ox on my Livi loom will tame such an edge. If we're talking about the same thing.

Originally Posted by Lynn

I would be interested in what happens if you just do 2 strokes on chromium oxide on these razors following your regular regiment?

Originally Posted by jaswarb

It was too sharp. No surprise. Not damaging but I could feel the blade on my skin unpleasantly threateningly. Took the razor to 3 passes on balsa crox then 60 licks on the shell strop. Smooth as silk lingerie on her creamy white thigh.
Lesson learned 3 strokes on crox before the strop from now on.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I have found that 10 round trips on chrom-ox on my Livi loom will tame such an edge. If we're talking about the same thing.

After reading this thread and absorbing it, I decided to try making an old dog learn a new trick. I have a Henckels, large one and very thin concave. I had honed it alongside a similarly ground Engstrom and finished on the 12000 with 20 strokes each. The Engstrom stropped up and shaved great. The Henckels, however was a bit harsh. I backed off the angle too much as a result and got a decent, but less than stellar, shave. I figured what was up, but just for grins, went 20 on the finisher again and stropped and tested. Same, if not worse. Face irritated. In the past I would have started over or just stropped it into submission.
I have not ever fooled with CrOX , altho I had some on the shelf. I put a new piece of balsa on a suspended strop and pasted it. (wow, that powder goes on balsa nice!) and since Lynn said 2 strokes and Jimmy said 10 round trips, I went in the middle at 10 strokes.
I was skeptical as I raised it to my face and had a known-great Wostenholm waiting....just in case!
The change was remarkable! Literally like night and day! Smooth as a cat and twice as effective!
Great advise and I learned a great deal. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread and to Earcutter for pressing the question.
The old dog learned a new trick! Fast and easy!
Tom

Thanks Glen!!

Why I didn't think of toning it down is beyond me. I think it's a function of a noob having too many razors. I have been giving all my blades the same treatment here lately, and to be honest, it took me forever just to pin-point the razors that were doing that.

Every razor is an individual lol!! I'll give it a shot - though that might be quite some time from now as they were just honed

Thanks again!

Wow a few great responses as I was typing . Thanks gents!

Going to tone it down as Glen states, but I'll say that in the past Jimmy, chrom-ox has done the same for me. So yes I think we are on the same page.

Thanks Joe - the 12k is something - but being I am all cock sure and all lol - going back to the stone is counter intuitive to me right now. If it happens after I tone down the paste/diamond regiment, I'll certainly give it a go! Thanks.

And to think at one time I just wanted a blade or two, a coti, and a strop... Bahahahaha

Stropping on diamond paste can leave a harsh edge as well. The particles are jaggy and leave a jaggy edge. CrOx leaves a much gentler edge.

I too began the hobby with simpler hopes than I have realized. I'm hopelessly beyond the "It'll save money" excuse.

Originally Posted by earcutter

And to think at one time I just wanted a blade or two, a coti, and a strop... Bahahahaha

Originally Posted by roughkype

I too began the hobby with simpler hopes than I have realized. I'm hopelessly beyond the "It'll save money" excuse.

OMG you two are funny heheheheheheheheehe I just about spit my coffee from laughing at those two


The Big Lie: "Honest Honey, we will save money by shaving this way, I will only need one hone, and two razors for the rest of my life, and possibly our son's too" "And think of how we are saving the Planet too"

Originally Posted by roughkype

"It'll save money" excuse.

Ha Ha Ha Ha he said "It'll save money" ohhohohohoho hahaha

I will have to live for 216 more years for this to pay for itself and I haven't got it bad. I can stop anytime I want. Really I just don't want to stop quite yet.

Originally Posted by roughkype

Stropping on diamond paste can leave a harsh edge as well. The particles are jaggy and leave a jaggy edge. CrOx leaves a much gentler edge.

I too began the hobby with simpler hopes than I have realized. I'm hopelessly beyond the "It'll save money" excuse.

so true the past do leave a jajjy edge and in this hobby you have to have a strong will to be able to say NO in order to save anythign at all.