I have been shaving DE and Shavette for some years now and decided to buy a nice boker straight to give it a go. My Question is , Does shaving with a straight not comparable to a shavette or DE for comfort? I find that it is very uncomfortable in comparison. Any guidance or opinions are needed.
H.Boker and shaving help.
- Thread starter Blair farrend
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Do you mean uncomfortable in terms of handling it, or do you mean the shave is not smooth?
With a properly honed edge, it should should be more comfortable than a DE or Shavette. Send it out to get it honed by someone who can put a reference edge on it for you; it will make a huge difference.
Has this razor been honed?
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So you think it should shave better? Feel sharper then a DE?
Honemeister
IntroductionThis page is part of Joel's Interactive Guide to Straight Razor Shaving. This list is intended to list all the active Honemeisters by country and region. The list was
www.badgerandblade.com
If you are in the US I’d hone that razor for ya. You pay shipping both ways.
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Honemeister
IntroductionThis page is part of Joel's Interactive Guide to Straight Razor Shaving. This list is intended to list all the active Honemeisters by country and region. The list was
Thank you wish There was a Canadian Honmiester
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@Blair farrend, if you bought your SR new (without paying extra for professional honing) the edge is most probably not truly shave-ready. You will need to get it properly honed. Perhaps @Seelector may be able to help you out. He is in Ontario.
Don't expect your first few (or more) traditional SR shaves to be as comfortable or close as your previous shaving system. Developing the best SR shaving technique for you takes trial and error, time and practice. It may take 30 daily SR shave or 60 if SR shaving every second day or 90 if SR shaving every third day.
It is rather rare to be able to hone a SR to the same keenness as a Feather DE blade but it has been known to happen. This is more often by luck rather than exceptional honing skills. More often a SR can be honed to the equivalent of an upper rage DE blade.
I am sure that you are already aware of how important pre-shave prep and lathering is. The next most two important things in SR shaving are edge quality and the shave angle. Edge quality is governed by the razor honing. The shave angle is something you need to work on. The keener the edge, the flatter the shave angle should be. For most of my SRs, I find a shave angle of about ½ a spine thickness off the skin is about best for me.
Start with a proper shave-ready edge and the spine on your skin. Gradually increase the shave angle until you feel the edge cutting your whiskers. You have now gone too far. Flatten the shave angle just a tad (smoother shave) and you should be about right.
The main thing is to find the best technique for you, not what others say is the best.
Don't expect your first few (or more) traditional SR shaves to be as comfortable or close as your previous shaving system. Developing the best SR shaving technique for you takes trial and error, time and practice. It may take 30 daily SR shave or 60 if SR shaving every second day or 90 if SR shaving every third day.
It is rather rare to be able to hone a SR to the same keenness as a Feather DE blade but it has been known to happen. This is more often by luck rather than exceptional honing skills. More often a SR can be honed to the equivalent of an upper rage DE blade.
I am sure that you are already aware of how important pre-shave prep and lathering is. The next most two important things in SR shaving are edge quality and the shave angle. Edge quality is governed by the razor honing. The shave angle is something you need to work on. The keener the edge, the flatter the shave angle should be. For most of my SRs, I find a shave angle of about ½ a spine thickness off the skin is about best for me.
Start with a proper shave-ready edge and the spine on your skin. Gradually increase the shave angle until you feel the edge cutting your whiskers. You have now gone too far. Flatten the shave angle just a tad (smoother shave) and you should be about right.
The main thing is to find the best technique for you, not what others say is the best.
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My sentiments exactly.
@Blair farrend I can hone it for you if you pay shipping both ways. Keep in mind I’ve only got 8 months or so of honing experience and there are guys here with years/decades of experience. I’m happy with my own edges though. It’s up to you. PM me if you’re interested.
If you don’t have a leather strop you’ll need to get one of those as well. Another option is to make a .1um pasted balsa strop. Either one will maintain the edge. The balsa will keep it going a lot longer than leather.
If you don’t have a leather strop you’ll need to get one of those as well. Another option is to make a .1um pasted balsa strop. Either one will maintain the edge. The balsa will keep it going a lot longer than leather.
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You sure jumped in! Well done.
Check out the honing forums and read through the posts by other new honers, especially the ones about bevel setting. I find getting your bevel fully 100% set is the trickiest part.
Be careful with the gold dollar. I’ve never honed one myself, but the vibe is that they’re not well ground and may need some corrections before you can actually start to hone them.
Check out the honing forums and read through the posts by other new honers, especially the ones about bevel setting. I find getting your bevel fully 100% set is the trickiest part.
Be careful with the gold dollar. I’ve never honed one myself, but the vibe is that they’re not well ground and may need some corrections before you can actually start to hone them.
If you are in the U.S., send it to @Doc226 to be honed. I seriously doubt your razor is shave ready despite any claims that it is. Once it is professionally honed, you will be able to make a judgment as to what you prefer.
