Thread: Living up to my screen name

Well I've finished my rotation tests and it turns out that my straight razors need to be touched up after exactly three shaves. I get amazing results on the first two shaves only really needing one pass WTG to get the job done, but on the third things start to get uncomfortable.
I'm curious though how many shaves on a razor it takes for you all before it needs touching up on a stone. This three shave limit was with me when I used to use cartridge razors as well being able to almost fully blunt a mach3 in three shaves. At least with my straight razor I can just take it to a stone instead of losing a ton of money.
If there's anything that could help me get more shaves out of each razor I would like to know. I currently only go up to 8000 grit on my honing but I'm thinking about going even higher. Also since I dull them so quickly seven day sets are starting to look very tempting. I'm also thinking that it might be time to get a second strop for micron paste work to keep the edge alive longer before using a stone.

Something is a miss here. How long have you been doing the following: Shaving with a straight razor, honing? If you are relatively new, my guess here is that the culprit is poor stropping technique or not a finished edge coming off of the hones (or some combination there in). I can shave a razor for at least 30 days if not 90 days with just daily stropping, so 3 shaves points directly at something being wrong in your regimen. I would try your rotation test again with 2 professionally honed blades, consider not stropping 1 razor during the rotation test (unless you are 100% sure it is not your stropping technique) and see where that gets you. If the results are better, then it points to dulling the edge with your stropping technique. With the other razor, shave and strop as normal after completing the test with the other pro honed blade. If you are still good, then the issue was your honing and not your stropping. Where are you located? I'm sure we have members close by who can assist you. I hope this helps.
Glenn

I've been at this about a year or so, mostly self taught. My razors shave well after a good honing but they lose the edge quickly so you may be right that my stropping technique is off. I'll have to adjust that and run my test again. I'm fairly confident in my honing because of my large amount of experience sharpening knives; X strokes and circle strokes aren't really harder then knife sharpening just different I've found. It may be time though for me to stop being so stubborn and defer to those more experienced then myself for help. I think a year of banging my head against a wall may just be starting to get a hair silly.

Yea, I am thinking the same way as Sharp, something is not right. My stubble is not like steel and one pass won't cut the mustard. I do a 3 pass shave with touch ups every day and don't dull a blade in 3 days. Starting out with straights I could do that though. With me I think it was my stropping that killed the edges more than anything else.

Bob

I'm starting to think getting help in person may be the way to go. I'm a bit of a shy guy so I turned that down at first when offered to me. How would one go about doing a meet up and what not? I really hate travel so I could host at my own home myself if that would work.

My blades are good for 30 shaves minimum, but I strop 100 laps on leather every night.

The first step is to let us know where you're located.

Also, if you click on the "Community" tab and go to "Member List" and then do an "Advanced Search" you can search by location and it will pull up a list of members in your area. This can be a bit finicky though because it is a literal search, so try both spelling out the state (if in the US) and the postal abbreviation. Also, keep your eyes peeled for any upcoming meets (I know you don't like travel, but these are so helpful). It can be intimidating at first, but I've been to a few now and really look forward to them.

Originally Posted by Steelstubble

I've been at this about a year or so, mostly self taught. My razors shave well after a good honing but they lose the edge quickly so you may be right that my stropping technique is off. I'll have to adjust that and run my test again. I'm fairly confident in my honing because of my large amount of experience sharpening knives; X strokes and circle strokes aren't really harder then knife sharpening just different I've found. It may be time though for me to stop being so stubborn and defer to those more experienced then myself for help. I think a year of banging my head against a wall may just be starting to get a hair silly.

This is a huge red flag, combined with the fact that that 2 months ago you were honing razors and asking questions about lifting the spine while honing with stones you called Coarse, Med, and Fine... The references back in your past honing threads about raising a burr also are a red flag as this makes for a short lived fagile edge on a razor even if you do get it smooth enough to shave...


I think your idea about getting together in person might solve many of your problems...

There is nothing like hands on experience in this hobby, the Meets and Get Togethers have proved it to me over the years...

I have three straights that I shave with. With good stropping on linen and leather before and after every shave and rotating through them as well as my safety razor it has been almost a year since I have broken out a stone. I probably should have last month or so on one of them but I'm stubborn and just used CrOx.