Hello. I'm still fairly new to SR shaving. I feel like my angle is correct, my lather is on point. The razor cuts but it isn't comfortable to shave with. It was shave ready when I started. I may have rolled the edge or something while stropping, it seemed to get more unpleasant after each shave. If I'm only shaving my cheeks, how much should I be stropping after each shave? Also my facial hair is very coarse, is it possible that the razor dulled quickly because of that? I'm shaving with a 6/8 Ralf Aust. I have a few other vintages straights that I guess I might have to send out for honing so I have something to compare it to. My stropping has gotten a lot better I feel, but I'm still unsure of how many laps to do as I only do partial shaves with my straight, and finish with a DE. I've been thinking a lot about grind, as I only own mostly full hollow razors.
It cuts but not smooth
- Thread starter justino_14
- Start date
I would send out your 6/8 Aust to doc226 for a honing .He produces awesome edges .I love how my Aust shaves .Sound like your edge needs a refresh .I usually do 30 laps after I shave with razor and 25-30 laps before use .
An affordable and effective option is to learn to hone your own razors.
I am certainly glad that I learned to hone my own razors it is very satisfying to shave with my own edge. No doubt it would have been a good deal cheaper to start honing on films but alas I have only just heard of that method, which sounds very interesting. So I have to admit to having spent rather a lot of money on stones over the past three years and an equally large number of hours watching the tube, still it has been very worthwhile.
Newbie Honing Compendium
Get a pack of film off of eBay and follow the instructions exactly and you will be honing your on in a week. Believe me, it works as advertised. I’ve been doing it for months with phenomenal success. If you want, I’ll hone it for you.
Get a pack of film off of eBay and follow the instructions exactly and you will be honing your on in a week. Believe me, it works as advertised. I’ve been doing it for months with phenomenal success. If you want, I’ll hone it for you.
I have same issue - it shaves but not close nor comfortable. I have 2nstraights, one I honed myself with lapping film and one from a member here that was finished on coticule(?) and neither feel sharp when I shave with them. Tugging, pulling, and generally not pleasant. I tried both today and ended up just using my Feather AC SS and finishing with a DE. DE with a 3 week old blade is way smoother so somethings wrong.
when you honed on the lapping film, did you start from scratch with an edge that doesnt shave or did you try to just touch up?
how did you determine the bevel was set?
how did you determine the bevel was set?
One big tip for all new shavers that have gotten a shave ready razor. DO NOT strop your razor before you shave! This way, assuming the razor was honed perfectly, if your next shave sucks after stropping you will know that you need to improve your stropping technique.
Mike
Mike
The one I did was an eBay find. I set the bevel with the burr method using 1k or 1.2k wet sand paper on marble tile. Then progressed through 9u, 3u, and 1u film.
The other should be shave ready and I haven’t touched the edge on it. Second time I tried it after a strop and same results.
I think it’s my angle/pressure or skin stretching or something.
could be angle/pressure. ahould be low angle and depending on the size/weight of razor could require some push. there are some many thinhs to consider and going on with straights.
but your honing. this was your first time? you felt the burr along the entire edge?
was your lather pretty wet? dry lather could cause some of what you described.
send them out to someone you trust to hone. make sure you’ve felt what sharp enough is.
but your honing. this was your first time? you felt the burr along the entire edge?
was your lather pretty wet? dry lather could cause some of what you described.
send them out to someone you trust to hone. make sure you’ve felt what sharp enough is.
To hone with films you need a complete set which includes a 30, 12, 9, 3, 1, .3, .1 sheet. Follow the burr method. Anyone can produce a shave ready edge using this process, but you cannot take short cuts.
could a film honer not stop at 8K or 14K grit equivalent? that wouldnt shave pretty smoothly? I routinely stop at chosera 10K iirc (light blue) or 8k (snow white) and i’d characterize those as pretty smooth.
got this chart from jende ind. doesnt look to far from other charts ive seen.
i also think the binder and particle shape may have an effect but thats beyond my scope of what i know/remember.
Grit Mesh Micron
100,000 0- 0.5 1/4
60,000 0-1 1/2
14,000 0-2 1
13,000 1-2 1.5
9,000 2-3 2.5
8,000 2-4 3
5,000 2-6 4
4,500 4-6 5
2,800 5-10 7
1,800 6-12 9
1,400 8-20 14
1,200 10-20 15
1,050 12-25 18
800 20-30 25
600 20-40 30
500 30-40 35
325 40-50 45
285 50-60 55
240 60-80 70
225 80-100 90
160 100-120 110
100 120-160 150
Grit = Micron = Mesh Conversion Chart
This is the micron/grit comparison I use. I have no interest or time debating grits and microns if some don't agree.
I've stopped at 3 micron or 8000 and proceeded to Coticule and Thuringian. I've gone all the way to .5 micron.
If I was advising a new hone person, I would suggest they follow the full packet of films. I base this on my own success on a first and subsequent attempt to get to shave ready.
Op - you say that it gets more unpleasant after each shave. Did it start off smooth and comfortable? If so, there’s your answer, a refresh on the edge is in order.
Also, being relatively new, it is easy to be making a slight error in technique that could mask itself as edge problems. Does the edge treetop arm hair at a quarter inch? An eigth? Not at all? Will it hht 3, or maybe 5? If the razor treetops armhair at a quarter inch and can HHT 4 I would suspect technique, but if you have to scrape your arm to make it shave there then the edge is too dull to shave with.
For what it’s worth I have a similar recurring problem with both of my razors. When I hone them fresh they shave beautifully. Stropping only seems to keep them shaving well for a half dozen or so shaves each. By the time I get 8-10 shaves out of a blade, it needs to see abrasives again. Apparently I have steel wool growing out of my face.
Also, being relatively new, it is easy to be making a slight error in technique that could mask itself as edge problems. Does the edge treetop arm hair at a quarter inch? An eigth? Not at all? Will it hht 3, or maybe 5? If the razor treetops armhair at a quarter inch and can HHT 4 I would suspect technique, but if you have to scrape your arm to make it shave there then the edge is too dull to shave with.
For what it’s worth I have a similar recurring problem with both of my razors. When I hone them fresh they shave beautifully. Stropping only seems to keep them shaving well for a half dozen or so shaves each. By the time I get 8-10 shaves out of a blade, it needs to see abrasives again. Apparently I have steel wool growing out of my face.
I had similar issues when I first started straight razor shaving. For a good shave, you really only need good technique and a sharp blade.
Good technique comes from practice and correcting what is wrong when it happens. There is no quick fix for technique.
As most newbies to straight razor shaving, I made razor maintenance more complicated than it actually should be. I have a stack of stones that I don't really need since I have learned to keep my blade sharp. Below is what I do to make straight razor shaving enjoyable.
1. Always start with a shave ready straight razor. You can check by seeing if it will ping a hair on your arm. ie hanging hair test
2. Use a good leather 3in strop. Strop after every shave and don't get in a hurry as you may roll the edge or cut the strop.
3. Buy some CrOx similar to the green bar. Use it to coat the back side of your strop. Coat it until you can't hardly see the leather.
4. When the razor starts to tug, run it across the CrOx pasted strop about 100 times. I do this about once per week because my whiskers are very tough.
That is all I do to keep my razors sharp. I have two razors in my rotation that I purchased about 3 years ago from Lynn Abrams. I got the razors from Lynn shave ready and I use one of the two razors everyday. I have never sharpen either one on a stone.
