Thread: dull blade!!!

how many strokes should i take on my strop after honing on an 8000 grit? my razor is dull and i cant seem to get it sharp. how do i tell when my razor is sharp enough? it seems like when i strop it doesnt do anything at all. what do i need to do different? i'm getting frustrated!

Originally Posted by nicwaymire

how many strokes should i take on my strop after honing on an 8000 grit? my razor is dull and i cant seem to get it sharp. how do i tell when my razor is sharp enough? it seems like when i strop it doesnt do anything at all. what do i need to do different? i'm getting frustrated!

ps
do i maybe need to use a stop dressing to get it sharper. my strop has some minor scratching and nicks in it. will that effect anything? and finally do i still need to do an x pattern when i hone if my hone is as wide as the blade?

Trying to "sharpen" a razor with a leather strop could be an exercise in futility especially if the bevel is incomplete. The razor should be sharp before it goes to the strop.
Really hard to imagine what's happening without seeing the razor but if you want to fix it yourself I suggest lottsa research. Start here Straight Razor Place Wiki
Best thing you could do is get someone to hone it for you or buy another razor that is shave ready. It takes time to learn honing & having a 2nd backup razor that works will give you time to practice.

nic, listen to onimaru, sharpening with a strop won't happen!If this is the same razor you asked about before, you might need to reset the bevel. You would need at least a 1000 grit stone for that. A 250 if it is really bad. You can do it with the Norton 4k, but that would be way to long. strops, and any stones 8K and above are really for finishing the edge. If you need it done, I'd be happy to do it for you.

this sounds like a very reasonable offer, especially if he will give you tips on what happened and how it was corrected.