A razor so sharp that it will shave with the spine against the skin

[leighton]

Anyone have any experience with a razor that sharp?

I mean, literally, no angle other than very little pressure on the edge side so the edge makes contact with the skin. Just wondering.

 

[Bertilak]

I have three straights. I use each of those in that "flat against the skin" position to shave ATG in the moustache area and parts of the chin. The whiskers are so tough in those places that any steeper angle is begging for a nick. It requires patience and a slicing stroke and I can only work very small areas at a time.

 

[chess1]

if you you go ATG you will need to lower the angle.now if you are WTG then you can shave with almost touching your face two things will happen.
1 you will not get close shave
2 who sharpen blade used tape on the back of the blade

 

[mparker762]

Anyone have any experience with a razor that sharp?

I mean, literally, no angle other than very little pressure on the edge side so the edge makes contact with the skin. Just wondering.

Yes. That's how I shave most of my face. I control the pressure by controlling the torque on the shank with my fingers.

I've also got a NOS old Sears & Roebucks razor that has instructions printed on the inner envelope, and it says that you should always shave with the spine resting on your skin. So it seems possible that at one time this was an unexceptional technique.

 

[AFDavis11]

That is kinda strange to me.

Just as a general question, how was it decided that a razor that shaves flat is sharper?

 

[Bertilak]

That is kinda strange to me.

Just as a general question, how was it decided that a razor that shaves flat is sharper?

I don't think it was. I think the point was that the flatter you hold the blade the less likely you are to get razor burn or nicks.

There is a "best" cutting angle depending on conditions. Here is a picture from http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Shaving_passes#The_finer_points_of_cutting_angles to help:

.

 

[northpaw]

I also do many/most of my ATG passes with the spine flat against my skin - especially on the upper lip. I think my whiskers grow very flat to the skin there.

As for the question about shaving flatter = sharper blade: it's definitely what I've observed in my experience. It may have something to do with the scaly nature of the hairs. Or perhaps with the fact that the hair either compresses or resists stretching when it's cut at an angle - providing more resistance and allowing the blade to "bite" better.

Not entirely sure it's related, but when I do a "treetopping" swipe above my arm or leg, it seems to pop far more hairs if the edge points a bit towards the skin rather than being perfectly parallel.

 

[Bertilak]

As for the question about shaving flatter = sharper blade: it's definitely what I've observed in my experience.

I am confused by that. Are yoy saying one of the following?

1. Holding the blade flatter actually improves the edge making it sharper. (Seems like nonsense and I include it here only in the interest of covering all bases.)
2. Holding the blade flatter makes it cut better because flatter is always a better cutting angle. (I don't believe it.)
3. The sharper the blade the flatter it can be held without compromising effectiveness. (Possibly.)

Only number 3 seems to make any sense at all but doesn't it just mean "a sharper blade cuts better in any reasonable circumstances"? If so, that seems to be a trivial observation.

Maybe there is a number 4 that I am not getting.

 

[northpaw]

My fault, it was worded poorly. I definitely meant #3. It should have read something like: "As for the question about whether a blade's ability to shave at that low angle indicates a sharper edge..."

I agree that it's basically the same as saying that a sharper blade cuts better. Trivial? Maybe. Then again, not much of what we talk about here is exactly earth-shattering.

 

[Bertilak]

My fault, it was worded poorly. I definitely meant #3. It should have read something like: "As for the question about whether a blade's ability to shave at that low angle indicates a sharper edge..."

I agree that it's basically the same as saying that a sharper blade cuts better. Trivial? Maybe. Then again, not much of what we talk about here is exactly earth-shattering.

Excellent point!

 

[leighton]

That is kinda strange to me.

Just as a general question, how was it decided that a razor that shaves flat is sharper?

Poorly worded original post on my part.

My logic was: a higher blade angle = compensating for duller blade; therefore lower blade angle would prove a blade is sharper.

Trying to come up with a test to tell whether one honing method is sharper than another. I think there gets a point where your face cannot tell the difference, and I think my razors are at that point.

Story behind the question: in my quest for a better honing method, after trying out an experimental method, I tried popping a superfine hair on the back of my hand by laying the razor completely flat and seeing if it would shave the hair. And it worked! I was really surprised. What I should have done was to get another razor honed using the normal methods and replicate the test.

Anyway, long story short, I tried the same test on the other razors and they also shaved the superfine hairs when laying flat. However, I needed to use a scything or guillotine motion to cut. The shave test seemed to be slightly sharper as I got some irritation and I didn't get a 5 o'clock shadow yesterday.

Conclusion:
Clearly the razor needs a certain level of sharpness to shave with the spine flat against the skin. However, thicker hairs are a lot easier to shave with the spine against the skin. Thus, its not a very good test.

 

[cityjim]

Anyone have any experience with a razor that sharp?

I mean, literally, no angle other than very little pressure on the edge side so the edge makes contact with the skin. Just wondering.

Mods ,

please move this to Shave Clinic & Newbie Check-In .





cityjim

 

[AFDavis11]

I can understand your thoughts that your face can not tell. I find that stropping the edge up properly and learning the TPT test will provide a more finite view of sharpness based on how sticky the edge feels.

This takes a few years of insightful study, after you've learned all the factors that contribute to edge performance.

You are probably at that point in your straight studies so I would recommend you consider that approach as well.

Lynn Abrahms once also told me that he shaves with a razor ATG to determine sharpness, that made some sense too.

I have to agree that a razor that is sticky to the TPT will also shave effortlessly ATG (with a little lower angle of course).

 

[leighton]

I can understand your thoughts that your face can not tell. I find that stropping the edge up properly and learning the TPT test will provide a more finite view of sharpness based on how sticky the edge feels.

This takes a few years of insightful study, after you've learned all the factors that contribute to edge performance.

You are probably at that point in your straight studies so I would recommend you consider that approach as well.

Lynn Abrahms once also told me that he shaves with a razor ATG to determine sharpness, that made some sense too.

I have to agree that a razor that is sticky to the TPT will also shave effortlessly ATG (with a little lower angle of course).

Its a little hard to tell whether a new honing method produces a sharper edge when every razor shaves ATG effortlessly, passes all the tests, and does all the parlor tricks.

I really am splitting hairs.

 

[SavantStrike]

Mods ,

please move this to Shave Clinic & Newbie Check-In .





cityjim

Are you trying to imply that the razor pimp doesn't know how to maintain a razor?

Didn't we cover this already? Stop this nonsense.

 

[mparker762]

Mods ,

please move this to Shave Clinic & Newbie Check-In .





cityjim

What's with the attitude?

 

[cityjim]

It was a joke fellas . Sorry you missed the three yellow smilies . Here is another one just for you .

No attitude here mparker762 . Have a good one .


cityjim

 

[gugi]

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rQyZbP-n9YM/SoIpAokuMUI/AAAAAAAABXo/eXcvVfkoTzQ/IMG_6970.JPG if the image doesn't inline

 

[richmondesi]

That's pretty cool

 

[GsSixgun]

TY Gugi

Most all of the info sheets for Hollow grinds will have the same instructions...

Especially the American ones for some reason....I have a Torrey one in my hand that says nearly the same thing and talks about a sloping cut (Scything)