Are My Edge Expectations Unrealistic

[Strapps]

So im about 12, shaves in with a straight and had it professionally honed before using. I clearly need to work on my stropping technique because I can usually pass the hht in the middle of the blade, but not the heel or toe. Some days I get a better edge than others.

So today I busted out the shavette. I realized immediately how much shaper it was as it went thru my stubble like hot butter. Absolutely to tug or pull.

So my question is,

Should a properly honed and stropped straight be as smooth and comfortable as a shavette?

If so, I might need a re-honing, because right now 1 silky pass with the shavette equals zero irritation and almost complete beard reduction - better than I can get with 2 passes on the straight with some minor neck irritation.

 

[hillbilly pick]

Technique all around. Stropping and blade angle. I have smoother and more comfortable shaves with straights. Be sure you are at stretching and blade angle isn't too steep. When you got the razor honed by the pro, did you strop before shaving? Was it your first straight shave?

 

[totorlekiller]

I clearly need to work on my stropping technique because I can usually pass the hht in the middle of the blade, but not the heel or toe.

I've had razors with improper bevel that did not have a consistent edge along the full blade. That gave nasty shaves.
If yours was honed by someone reputable, your problem is most likely not a bad bevel, but bad stropping, but the result will be the same. Some areas are not sharp enough to shave and you are going to end up compensating with a lot more stroke than you should. The result is a red face (from frustration and razor burn).
You might have damaged the edge, so it might be too late for fixing it with good stropping alone.
I did that on my first razor.
No need to send it back. Stropping on crOX should be able to restore your edge. Maybe linen (if you have one on the back of your strop) would do too.

 

[Brianskeet]

In the beginning you are going to dull your straight pretty quickly. I don't know that anything other than time and experience will fix this. There is much to learn. Shaving technique. Stropping technique. One poor technique shave will dull a blade. One poor stropping pass will dull a blade. All this used to be passed from father to son and learning to shave was a big deal. A male right of passage. Don't expect to much to quickly.

 

[Strapps]

Technique all around. Stropping and blade angle. I have smoother and more comfortable shaves with straights. Be sure you are at stretching and blade angle isn't too steep. When you got the razor honed by the pro, did you strop before shaving? Was it your first straight shave?

yes, I stropped before shaving. Although in general I have been able to get a better edge with more stropping, I sometimes go to the DE o shavette if I cant pass the hht that morning. So its better now than on the first shave, but still nowhere close to the shavette.

 

[Strapps]

Can someone explain how to use the Chromium Oxide? I couldnt find anything in the Wiki.

 

[Galaktus]

Chromium Oxide, aka green strop paste, is applied as a very thin layer to a strop. The very fine abrasive action helps to tune up an edge. If you do use any stropping pastes, make sure that you keep that strop dedicated to only that kind of paste.

Some people uee balsa wood for pasted strops.

 

[Brooksie967]

Most guys that 'hone professionally' will re-hone one time for free. Have you contacted the person who did it for you? Perhaps you've done something to muck up the edge and if you don't see any cracks/chips etc then most likely the issue isn't very severe and that person can fix it in no time at all.

 

[Seraphim]

Your edge expectations are not unreasonable at all.

The quest for "The Perfect Edge" is what drives most guys around here insane.

Doc used to be a bright, well respected physician in his community. And then he started honing, and while pursuing his craft, he stumbled upon JNats, and it has reduced him to a blathering nincompoop muttering about slurries, nagura, and the like.

When Doc looks in his shave den mirror now, this is what he sees:

It's like hitting that perfect shot with a golf club. It's elusive, ever challenging, feels great when you nail it, and damn fun pursuing. We all strive to improve our edges. Can it be made sharper? Smoother? More comfortable?

Accept nothing less than the best. And always keep trying.





And go easy on Doc...he's not the man he used to be...

 

[chinacats]

As another newbie here, my problems seemed similar--I'd shave and be left with a nice 5 o'clock shadow. At the time I had about 5 pro-honed razors in the mix and they seemed to be sharp sometimes and others not so much. My shaves have improved dramatically using these same razors--my personal issue was technique (both the shaving and stropping) and after about 3-4 weeks of sticking with it I recently had my first full out bbs shave (with a GD that'd been used many times since I got it from Buca). My guess is that maybe switching back and forth between straights and shavette is going to make the learning curve more difficult because my understanding is that the angle to hold each may be a bit different (though I've personally never used a shavette). Good luck!

 

[seattleshaver]

No, you're not likely to get and keep a traditional straight as sharp as a shavette, which after all, is just a thin razor blade.

 

[Brooksie967]

No, you're not likely to get and keep a traditional straight as sharp as a shavette, which after all, is just a thin razor blade.

I respectfully disagree. Proper stopping can keep a straight going for months and months and...

 

[Seraphim]

I respectfully disagree. Proper stopping can keep a straight going for months and months and...

I don't think any of us has honed a razor sharper than a Feather AC blade.

 

[Brooksie967]

I don't think any of us has honed a razor sharper than a Feather AC blade.

OK so that's ONE blade

 

[johnmrson]

A well honed straight should give you a smooth, comfortable shave but it will not be as sharp as a shavette.

 

[Strapps]

Most guys that 'hone professionally' will re-hone one time for free. Have you contacted the person who did it for you? Perhaps you've done something to muck up the edge and if you don't see any cracks/chips etc then most likely the issue isn't very severe and that person can fix it in no time at all.

Possible. My thought was that if it can pass the hht sometimes (even tough there is more resistance than I would like when I shave with it) then go completely dull after a future stropping, the problem might lie with the man in the mirror.

I'll do a little more learnin' on stropping technique. I'm gathering from the discussion that even if I can't get the blade as comfortable as a shavette (sounds like that's debatable, huh?) there is still undoubtedly room for improvement.

I also noticed some small nicks my strop that I didnt notice before, so I'll make sure to sand those down in the event that might be the cause of my troubles.

 

[Thomas Martin]

Reason why I shave with a straight is because it's fun, honing and edge maintenance included. Getting a good shave is just the cherry on top.

 

[Doc226]

Your edge expectations are not unreasonable at all.

The quest for "The Perfect Edge" is what drives most guys around here insane.

Doc used to be a bright, well respected physician in his community. And then he started honing, and while pursuing his craft, he stumbled upon JNats, and it has reduced him to a blathering nincompoop muttering about slurries, nagura, and the like.

When Doc looks in his shave den mirror now, this is what he sees:

It's like hitting that perfect shot with a golf club. It's elusive, ever challenging, feels great when you nail it, and damn fun pursuing. We all strive to improve our edges. Can it be made sharper? Smoother? More comfortable?

Accept nothing less than the best. And always keep trying.





And go easy on Doc...he's not the man he used to be...

Hey, hey

Nice picture

 

[Strapps]

So somthing interesting happened. I sanded the nicks out of the strop using 800 grit, then wiped it down with a leather wipe. After about 5 min, i stropped and got the best edge I ever have. Passed hht first time everywhere on the blade. I also noticed that there was a little more draw. Since this was in the eve, I restropped the next morning...and got typical results. Obviously I significantly dulled the blade from the previous night. And there was noticeably less draw. So I'm wondering if the added draw (maybe from the leather wipe) gave me the previously unattainable edge. Or perhaps it was the heat that built up in the strop from sanding. Thoughts?

 

[Seraphim]

Sounds like you need to start buying some strops.