Blade needs a touch up?

[JoeScho]

I am having an issue with one of my TI blades which if it has 10 shaves on it since a full honing is a lot, and it seems to be "skipping" on me. Now it still gives a decent shave, but I'm not particularly happy that it skips on the first pass. What I've done so far to correct this:

There's a post on here I read on the same issue, and their advice was angle. I tried it, but it didn't seem to help much.
I ran it about 10 times across a 12K stone (lightly) - maybe that wasn't enough or I need to get the magnifier out and spend more time on it
Made sure I wasn't rolling the edge while stropping (still not 100% sure its not me killing the edge stropping but I *don't think* so.

It just seems strange it needs a touch up so soon with so little shaves on it.

Thoughts???

If the consensus is that it needs a touch up - how does everyone touch up their blades? I'm sure its not needing the whole progression of grits.


Joe

 

[DrStrange]

I am about to shave today with a razor that seemed like it could be a little better.

I used 0.1 micron diamond pasted balsa,
followed by 0.3 micron crox pasted balsa.

If I get a weeper during the shave,
I will stop and go very few strokes on a hanging crox pasted felt strop
followed by a few strokes on latigo
with the hanging strops held a little looser
than they would be in any other situation.

 

[DrStrange]

I attribute weepers to the overhoned wire edge and its fragmentation.
Using a not too tight hanging strop will tend to convex the edge and address that issue.

It's worth keeping in mind that if you are honing well,
it is possible to attain a shavable edge,
some number of stones before your finisher.
So where you should start your touch up may depend on how far you let your edge go.

OK, time for me to shave now.

 

[Frank Shaves]

When a shave-ready edge begins to tug and possibly skip, the edge probably needs a touch-up. 50 to 100 gentle but firm strokes on a 12k stone should do the trick. I always use very little to no pressure for the final money strokes. I am convinced that this makes a difference.

 

[silverlifter]

It just seems strange it needs a touch up so soon with so little shaves on it.

There are lots of variables at play: the steel, state of the edge, technique, how coarse your beard is... Different razors will hold an edge longer than others, but none will survive indefinitely. The only tell is when it stops shaving to your satisfaction, that's when it needs a touchup.

 

[Gamma]

If an edge falls off soon after honing, it might be that the bevel wasn't set right.

But...
It could be inefficient stropping.
It could be bad shave technique.
It could be lather is too thick or the soap just isn't doin' it.
It could be a combo of things.

Doing 12 passes on a 12k should tune the blade up well enough to not be skipping. You really shouldn't ever need to do more than 10-20 passes on a finisher in that class. Maybe 25.
If that amount of work on the 12k isn't cutting it, then it's better to go to a coarser stone first.

 

[JoeScho]

Thanks guys. I'll look at giving it a deeper dive at a touch up. When I first got the razor, it shaved really well. Couldn't even feel it shaving. Its just strange that less than 10 shaves and it needs tending to. TI razors aren't crap either.

 

[JoeScho]

There are lots of variables at play: the steel, state of the edge, technique, how coarse your beard is... Different razors will hold an edge longer than others, but none will survive indefinitely. The only tell is when it stops shaving to your satisfaction, that's when it needs a touchup.

Let me ask this: Sometimes I think that if I can feel the razor shaving at all, its going dull. But this sometimes comes fairly quick after a touch up. Its those times I think I'm expecting too much and tell myself to shut up. Do you ever have this happen?

 

[silverlifter]

Let me ask this: Sometimes I think that if I can feel the razor shaving at all, its going dull. But this sometimes comes fairly quick after a touch up. Its those times I think I'm expecting too much and tell myself to shut up. Do you ever have this happen?

That sounds more to me like you are opening up the angle too much, not that the blade is perceptibly dulling.

 

[JoeScho]

That sounds more to me like you are opening up the angle too much, not that the blade is perceptibly dulling.

It very well could be. Just something I need to work on I guess