Edge Help
- Thread starter SONDR
- Start date
Nobody can assess your stropping from a photo, nobody.
Agreed.
The question I have is "Was the blade factory honed?"
If so you probably need to hone it.
Chris
Bergischer Löwe? Mine shaved well after stropping out of the box. The edge is not straight with heel and toe problems.
The honing done on the blade is not factory, who honed this razor? I would guess the bevel is not properly set.
The honing done on the blade is not factory, who honed this razor? I would guess the bevel is not properly set.
- Thread starter
- #5
After a little more research, I think what I meant to ask was: does this have poor geometry? I see the bevel things out in the middle. Will this impact the smoothness of the shave or is it aesthetic?
To respond: I sent it to Nate's Straights (took like 2 months to get it back- don't recommend) but it still pulled after shaving with it. I'm trying to reset the bevel myself now. I also got a cheap vintage from whipped dog to see what a sharp blade feels like
To respond: I sent it to Nate's Straights (took like 2 months to get it back- don't recommend) but it still pulled after shaving with it. I'm trying to reset the bevel myself now. I also got a cheap vintage from whipped dog to see what a sharp blade feels like
Good move.
Chris
Chris
The geometry is slightly off, heel and toe. Is this a Dovo BL? Whoever Nate is I would not use or recommend him, his services or products. Out of interest can you please show the other side of the blade, thanks.
- Thread starter
- #8
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Looks like a Bergisher lowe blank, but different etch/branding. Never seen this before...
What scales is on there.
What scales is on there.
Looks like a BL made for that mall-shop "the art of shaving".
Also looks like marker on the front bevel. Did you do that or this Nate fellow? If you did it, it is fine and one way for folks to more easily see if they are sharpening down to the edge. If the person you sent it to did that then chances are they have not been honing razors long and your edge could improve significantly. Stropping cannot resolve dull generally, regardless of technique.
Also looks like marker on the front bevel. Did you do that or this Nate fellow? If you did it, it is fine and one way for folks to more easily see if they are sharpening down to the edge. If the person you sent it to did that then chances are they have not been honing razors long and your edge could improve significantly. Stropping cannot resolve dull generally, regardless of technique.
- Thread starter
- #11
I'm sorry, it's a Dovo. It has horn scales. I probably went overboard for my first razor but whatever. I used the marker for honing.
I'm starting to think that the tugging is a matter of technique and I just haven't given it enough time... I keep going back to my shavette because it gives a more enjoyable shave.
I'm starting to think that the tugging is a matter of technique and I just haven't given it enough time... I keep going back to my shavette because it gives a more enjoyable shave.
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What are you using to hone with? Personally, I wouldn't practice honing with that one. As evinced from one photo, excessive spine wear has already been introduced (and for a spine with gold wash, I use tape as a matter of course).
- Thread starter
- #13
I'm using lapping film to hone. I may send it off for professional honing, and practice: shaving on my whipped dog and honing on my antique store finds
They are exceptional shavers and will take an extremely keen edge. But they don’t come like that from the factory.
This is not the razor you want to learn honing on, They are beautiful and functional art pieces. I thought I recognized Dovo’s #3 blade the moment I looked at the first photo.
This is my BL
This is not the razor you want to learn honing on, They are beautiful and functional art pieces. I thought I recognized Dovo’s #3 blade the moment I looked at the first photo.
This is my BL
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I tape my spine with thin sticky tape when I strop to firstly protect the strop, but also the etch. I pull the strop slightly tighter when I do this.
As I said before, the geometry is only slightly off. Get it honed professional by someone highly recommended here and practice on something cheaper.
Also bad beard preparation will cause a razor to feel tuggy. Do your prep well and keep your strokes short and brisk whilst stretching the skin flat.
Also bad beard preparation will cause a razor to feel tuggy. Do your prep well and keep your strokes short and brisk whilst stretching the skin flat.
- Thread starter
- #17
That's really nice! I like the etching way more than the "Brand Name" on mine
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Nate is Nate Zowada, Tim Zowada’s son so I’d guess that the edge is a good one. Search on Zowada razors.
How steep an angle are you using while shaving? The spine should be about one spine width off your skin. a Bergischer Lowe with a decent edge should certainly not be pulling.
How steep an angle are you using while shaving? The spine should be about one spine width off your skin. a Bergischer Lowe with a decent edge should certainly not be pulling.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I enjoy honing that style of razor. However, I do not use tape and there are those who would howl in outrage if it came into my hands for honing. Or if you listened to me and continued to hone it without tape. It is a nice straight edge and shoulderless. This is a perfect razor for learning to hone with, except that it is a rather expensive one to learn with and make mistakes on. OTOH, with the AOS etching on the blade, it will never really be a collector's item. If I owned it, it would be a shaving tool, and not jewelry. Still, maybe you should cut your teeth on an inexpensive vintage razor.
The bevel at the edge does not need to be of a consistent width. Slight variations in grind or slightly out of true razors warped in the quench or in stamping or whatever can make for fantastic edges that nonetheless present inconsistent bevel surface widths at the edge. Or at the spine. Don't worry about trying to "correct" that. If it ain't broke, don't break it. Doc226 seems to be our go-to honing guy here presently. He hones on Jnats, but his edges are quite sharp and well formed. As good a natural stone edge as you will get. I have shaved with one of his edges, created by a so-so Jnat and nagura that I own, and his edge was quite a bit better than mine with the same rock. You can easily maintain one of his edges with occasional retouch on 1u film, or better yet, diamond paste on lapped balsa as per the Pasted Balsa Strop thread. Retouching/maintenance is the gateway drug into honing. Begin with a truly shave ready edge, and when it begins to dull, retouch. Or use the .1u balsa after each shave and prevent it from ever becoming a less than perfectly sharp edge. Once you master the finish stage, which is basically what you are doing when retouching a dulled edge, then learn to set a good bevel and run a progression. The finishing film or stone is what you will use the most. A bevel only ever needs to be set once, if it is done correctly.
Do you have other razors that do not tug? That shave well? If so, likely your shave technique is not the issue. If every razor that you have ever tried tugs, either your perception of tugging is overly sensitive, or your shaving technique is the problem. Revisit the basics. Low shave angle. Tightly stretched skin. WTG as much as practical, two passes. Slick, wet lather rather than fluffy foam, reapplied as needed. Hydration of the whiskers.
You can use the treetopping test to determine whether or not a particular edge OUGHT to shave or not.
The bevel at the edge does not need to be of a consistent width. Slight variations in grind or slightly out of true razors warped in the quench or in stamping or whatever can make for fantastic edges that nonetheless present inconsistent bevel surface widths at the edge. Or at the spine. Don't worry about trying to "correct" that. If it ain't broke, don't break it. Doc226 seems to be our go-to honing guy here presently. He hones on Jnats, but his edges are quite sharp and well formed. As good a natural stone edge as you will get. I have shaved with one of his edges, created by a so-so Jnat and nagura that I own, and his edge was quite a bit better than mine with the same rock. You can easily maintain one of his edges with occasional retouch on 1u film, or better yet, diamond paste on lapped balsa as per the Pasted Balsa Strop thread. Retouching/maintenance is the gateway drug into honing. Begin with a truly shave ready edge, and when it begins to dull, retouch. Or use the .1u balsa after each shave and prevent it from ever becoming a less than perfectly sharp edge. Once you master the finish stage, which is basically what you are doing when retouching a dulled edge, then learn to set a good bevel and run a progression. The finishing film or stone is what you will use the most. A bevel only ever needs to be set once, if it is done correctly.
Do you have other razors that do not tug? That shave well? If so, likely your shave technique is not the issue. If every razor that you have ever tried tugs, either your perception of tugging is overly sensitive, or your shaving technique is the problem. Revisit the basics. Low shave angle. Tightly stretched skin. WTG as much as practical, two passes. Slick, wet lather rather than fluffy foam, reapplied as needed. Hydration of the whiskers.
You can use the treetopping test to determine whether or not a particular edge OUGHT to shave or not.
