What straight's do you have? Is there a visible and significant edge across the entire length of the blade? The cutting edge must be well set and defined, anything less and it will dull after a couple of shaves.
Just a humble suggestion.
Take one of your straights and put a method edge on it. Take a week off and use a DE. While using the DE, strop that straight as if you were using it. At the end of your DE week, try the straight and see how it shaves. That should help eliminate one variable.
You are correct on both fronts.I suspect our friend has a thick, wiry beard. He's also probably shaving his entire face.
You are correct on both fronts.
My whiskers have a semi regional reputation for how ridiculously tough they are. When I used to shave in the shower, I’ve had two different family members come away with splinters in their feet, except those painful splinters were my whiskers. I am also shaving from upper sideburns all the way down to bottom of throat, ear to ear moustache included.
I have places that challenge even a new artist club in the Feather shavette.
You’ve been very diligent in your approach. I suspect you and me just have to learn that what works for others might not work for us. This is why a knock down does so much for me.
However this morning I used the Torrey and got a nice shave. It was kind of a no thought shave. Sometimes I’m guilting of over thinking .
Some folks claim to get dozens of shaves before refreshing the edge. Other use pasted strops to maintain edges almost indefinitely. But you experience is also not unusual.
I have a tough beard and sensitive skin. I can never get more than a few shaves before it either starts to tug or feels harsh on the face. I pull out my finishing hone, make a few laps, polish the edge on pasted strops and the edge is ready to go again. I touch up edges so frequently that I keep a finishing hone on the bathroom counter so I can touch up the edge anytime it is not giving a superb shave. It is just something you have to accept if you have a tough beard.
The nice thing about refreshing an edge is that you do not have to go back through the entire honing progression. A single hone can be sufficient to do the refresh if it is capable of producing an edge suitable for your beard and face. Although I can shave at the 12K level, I prefer even higher grits. I can get better edges better than a 12K Naniwa from some natural stones like the Greek Vermio and the Zulu Grey. I also have an Imperia La Roccia stone that produces a edge on par with my 16K Shapton Glass ceramic. However, not everyone likes the ILR stones. I recently purchased a Shehiro Gokumyo 20K (0.5 micron grit) ceramic that produces a sharp edge without becoming harsh. They are rather expensive, however. I have only done a few edges with the G20K so far, but it is quickly becoming my favorite hone.
@Twelvefret,
"The context of the first quote is to say that for some of us even a Feather AC is not going to feel sharp".
Sounds hard...
"The second quote says that my honing worked".
Top!
Here's a youtube video when Matt send 2 straights to someone with very tuff beard.
Doesn't tell how the edge last though....
Some folks claim to get dozens of shaves before refreshing the edge. Other use pasted strops to maintain edges almost indefinitely. But you experience is also not unusual.
I have a tough beard and sensitive skin. I can never get more than a few shaves before it either starts to tug or feels harsh on the face. I pull out my finishing hone, make a few laps, polish the edge on pasted strops and the edge is ready to go again. I touch up edges so frequently that I keep a finishing hone on the bathroom counter so I can touch up the edge anytime it is not giving a superb shave. It is just something you have to accept if you have a tough beard.
The nice thing about refreshing an edge is that you do not have to go back through the entire honing progression. A single hone can be sufficient to do the refresh if it is capable of producing an edge suitable for your beard and face. Although I can shave at the 12K level, I prefer even higher grits. I can get better edges better than a 12K Naniwa from some natural stones like the Greek Vermio and the Zulu Grey. I also have an Imperia La Roccia stone that produces a edge on par with my 16K Shapton Glass ceramic. However, not everyone likes the ILR stones. I recently purchased a Shehiro Gokumyo 20K (0.5 micron grit) ceramic that produces a sharp edge without becoming harsh. They are rather expensive, however. I have only done a few edges with the G20K so far, but it is quickly becoming my favorite hone.
Well, it just is what it is. Suffice to say that one person’s shave ready is not another’s. This is why I feel sending razors out is hit or miss, but to each their own.
I once sent 3 straights to a person with coarse beard. He said that "shave ready" razors usually wasn't comfortable shavers for him why he learnt to hone himself.
The one out of the 3 he found shaving best was close to his own edges.
My honing ego got a bang. Used to hear "sharp" or similar as comment.
So I guess experimenting with honing might be more useful if having coarse beard.
This was the progression he used:
Naniwa Chosera/Pro stones 600 through 12k plus Naniwa Snow White plus a SG20k + felt strop with .5 micron chromium oxide sprayed on.
This surprised me a as I thought a micro convex bevel would give a more robust edge and be wanted with coarse beard. But then I do not know what a SG20 + chromium oxide on felt do with the edge but my guess is it don't.