Your experience appreciated: passes HHT but tugs and pulls and hurts

ffarouki

Have you looked at the edges of your razors using something like a jewelers lope to check their condition? I know my bevel is set when I can get arm hairs to pop off of either my 1K or 3K naniwa hones, which I use depends on how bad the blade is, but I would not want to shave off of them.

Maybe eddy79 has the best idea, send on out for a pro honing and see how it shaves compared to the one kept at home. If the pro honed one shaves a s badly as the one kept at home you could almost bet the problem is operator error.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

ffarouki

Have you looked at the edges of your razors using something like a jewelers lope to check their condition? I know my bevel is set when I can get arm hairs to pop off of either my 1K or 3K naniwa hones, which I use depends on how bad the blade is, but I would not want to shave off of them.

Maybe eddy79 has the best idea, send on out for a pro honing and see how it shaves compared to the one kept at home. If the pro honed one shaves a s badly as the one kept at home you could almost bet the problem is operator error.

Bob

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Very well put Bob :tu


I can only add one thing, many times I will get a razor in for honing, that the Owner has attempted to bring to shave ready, I ask them to include in the note to ask me to test the razor BEFORE honing it..

What I have learned is that I have to test two ways, first I take the razor out and without any other testing or looking I simply try a shave, rarely does the razor shave well.. Then I stop and strop, I will do 50/100 and re- test shave the razor, often times this changes the razor from a no/go to a passable shave...

This gives me a chance to test not only the honing but also the stropping of the owner..

There is also no doubt in my mind at all, that an Experienced hand can shave a much lower level edge then a Newb hand can, the Prep, Lather, Angle, and ability to use Scything strokes change the equation

So what do you know.. In a way, it DID turn out that my technique was partly at fault. Right before I sent it off to get honed, I decided to try a different angle in shaving, ie making the razor almost completely flat on my face and to my surprise it cut better.

Something to do with wedges or bigger razors I guess. I didn't know that bug I'm excited to try out again.

That being said, thanks to all your advice I sent my razor to Gary Haywood (separate post full of gratitude to soon follow) to get honed. Can't wait to see the difference.