Help Needed with Bringing Them BAck

[Gogo]

Gents,
I need some help. My razors are not sharp enough. In fact, they may never have been sharp enough for me. Lately my first pass leaves a lot of hairs still standing especially on my upper lip, lower lip and chin. Even a second XTG pass leaves a lot of long hairs. My goal is to get my razors sharp enough to be BBS or close to it in two passes and touch up. I love the comfort of a straight, but have never had a the closeness that everyone talks about. I've been straight shaving for about two years so I feel good about my technique.

Any and all advice is extremely welcome.

My equipment:

Le Grelot 6/8 1/4 Grind
Puma 90 High Class Full Ground
Henckels Twin Works

Norton 4k/8k
Barber Hone
Basswood paddle with CrOx
TM Paddle with 1.0 and .5 Diamond Paste
TM Latigo/Cotton Strop

Thanks guys!

Matt "Gogo" Golenor

 

[ambrose]

Ill hone up that henckles for you on me if you are interested. I have a sweet spot for them, well anything german and full hollow. I know this is possibly not the answer you are looking for but I just wanted to throw it out there.

For equipment I would recommend a bevel setting stone and perhaps nicer finishers. I personally dislike norton and pastes especially diamond type. Just my 2 cents

 

[English]

+1 on all that.

I have Puma and I do a WTG twice under the nose and on my chin and the result is smooth as silk. It is the hardest part of the face to shave.

If you do an ATG on your neck or cheek and you get any judder or feel pulling, your blade is not sharp enough and it won't be cutting the hairs on your lip and chin very well.

Good luck.

 

[Klarion]

So instead of pastes, would you guys recommend nice japanese naturals, eschers, or big ol' charnley forest hones as a finisher?

 

[English]

It's a funny thing you know. I tried all of the hones you mention.

I think every guy would select a different finisher as his favorite.

If I was a professional honer, I would actually go for a Japanese synthetic because they are consistant, reliable and replaceable. The natural stones are variable and different guys can get one to work while another one just doesn't do it for them.

The Chinese 12K gives the biggest bang for your buck in my opinion. They are only sloww if you hone razors for a living. Otherwise they give a really buttery smooth edge and they are inexpensive compared to all the other hones out there. 50 to 100 passes.....that's ten minutes max and you have an edge as good as anything. You have to have a light touch however. It's just they don't sound exotic.

I have stopped recommending pastes, but if you follow any hone with say five light passes across a leather surface covered in .5m Chromium Oxide powder or paste, it will add extra smoothness.