Requiring a new honing method for new razor?

[Ufgoodies]

I've honed over twenty straight razors, made from many ages, and locations of the world. I have had incredible luck so far, the only problems i've had are rare instances getting a little irritation, and moments my concentration slips and form dips which bring a little blood.

Today i honed my first Johan Engstrom and this all changed. I did everything exactly the same. I have two other Swedish razors and they shave fantastic, but this thing had weepers come out of nowhere. I'm not sure if it's because it's the first time straight off the stone, no stropping, but good golly it felt like i shaved with a DE! (DE are close shave, but they hate my skin.) I tried to go straight from hone to skin because i read that's how you're "supposed to do it." I've also heard tell that not every hone is compatible fully with every razor, will this be the razor that doesn't like my finish hone? Hmmm, curious, but excited to see!

i'm going to shave again, and see what happens once i strop it. Will stropping be the component that was missing from todays shave? It WAS a super close shave today!

 

[GearNoir]

With all levity intended, is that one of those instances like in gaming where “it was lag” or “it was the controller’s fault”?

Interesting thoughts in your post. I’ve heard of shavers desiring specific edges from their honing but never of razors that desired specific jones. I must say I’ve not dived into honing, though I am over 200 open blade shaves. Each blade definitely has its own nuances that desire to be learned!

 

[steveclarkus]

I've honed over twenty straight razors, made from many ages, and locations of the world. I have had incredible luck so far, the only problems i've had are rare instances getting a little irritation, and moments my concentration slips and form dips which bring a little blood.

Today i honed my first Johan Engstrom and this all changed. I did everything exactly the same. I have two other Swedish razors and they shave fantastic, but this thing had weepers come out of nowhere. I'm not sure if it's because it's the first time straight off the stone, no stropping, but good golly it felt like i shaved with a DE! (DE are close shave, but they hate my skin.) I tried to go straight from hone to skin because i read that's how you're "supposed to do it." I've also heard tell that not every hone is compatible fully with every razor, will this be the razor that doesn't like my finish hone? Hmmm, curious, but excited to see!

i'm going to shave again, and see what happens once i strop it. Will stropping be the component that was missing from todays shave? It WAS a super close shave today!

My guess it was that you did not strop first. Always strop after honing. The “don’t strop” idea might have been from someone saying that when you get a shave ready razor not to strop before you shave because a “shave ready” razor is presumed to have been stropped. This advice is usually given to new straight shavers who are unlikely to be proficient at stropping so they will experience what a properly honed razor feels like. That wouldn’t apply to you. Anyway, give it good stropping and try the edge. It will be better.

 

[Dzaw]

Over at scienceofsharp.com there was made a very interesting observation:

Stropping on the palm, or on leather that has been previously treated with oil will deposit a super thin layer of organic oils on the bevel and edge that act as a lubricant. This is in addition to helping maintain the cutting edge itself.

A few laps on a leather strop should do.

Similarly, if your stone left the nascent beginnings of a foil edge, the strip can take them off, making for a much improved shave.

 

[stone and strop]

Try stropping and see if it was that first.
It is certainly possible to shave off the stone but its absolutely NOT the way you're supposed to do it. Stropping is always recommended.
With good magnification you can see if that particular razor did not like that stone. It happens more than people think. Good to fair edges will still be produced but there will be irregularity in the edge that will make it more unpleasant than normal, sometimes microchipping causing scratches or a harsh feeling.
The fact that the shave felt very sharp but a little hard on the skin suggests it just didn't get smoothed out on a strop first.

 

[Ufgoodies]

With all levity intended, is that one of those instances like in gaming where “it was lag” or “it was the controller’s fault”?

Interesting thoughts in your post. I’ve heard of shavers desiring specific edges from their honing but never of razors that desired specific jones. I must say I’ve not dived into honing, though I am over 200 open blade shaves. Each blade definitely has its own nuances that desire to be learned!

"THIS STRAIGHT RAZOR IS CHEATING!" yeah, i get you, i assume it's something that i did, i hope that it's the fact that didn't strop, but i've gone from having zero difficulty or irritation to feeling like a DE or badger attacked my face from everyones posts it sounds like i'll strop and give it another go

 

[Ufgoodies]

Gave it another go after a day of healing. generally i'm a 2-3 day shave guy because my hair grows pretty slow, but today went very smoothly. VERY smoothly. it's a razor with a great reputation, but it's also the most recently honed razor, so i'll have to experiment to see if the stropping worked, or i'm just getting better at honing

 

[Ufgoodies]

PS. not one drop of blood, though there's a slight feeling of irritation. this may be attributed to the exceptionally close shave.

 

[Twelvefret]

PS. not one drop of blood, though there's a slight feeling of irritation. this may be attributed to the exceptionally close shave.

 

[evnpar]

Many Swedish razors require an extra light touch. Too much pressure leads to irritation and weepers.

 

[Ufgoodies]

the EA Berg and CV Heljestrand that I own seemed to handle similar to the others, but more efficiently. this one is different for some reason.

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

The only time I had serious irritation from a straight, (had plenty from a shavette) was with my Rigarazor. Did a bit of research and someone said its because the grind is closer to a wedge, and the advice was to shave with a shallower angle, and very little pressure. Worked for me.
Wouldn't consider shaving without stropping straight after a hone, everything I have heard so far says its important, mellows the edge.

 

[Ufgoodies]

The only time I had serious irritation from a straight, (had plenty from a shavette) was with my Rigarazor. Did a bit of research and someone said its because the grind is closer to a wedge, and the advice was to shave with a shallower angle, and very little pressure. Worked for me.
Wouldn't consider shaving without stropping straight after a hone, everything I have heard so far says its important, mellows the edge.

This is very true, stropping helped tame this wild beast

 

[mawashi]

This is very true, stropping helped tame this wild beast

I've taken the advice of a lot more experienced folks and it is always to strop even after using a super fine finishing stone. The cotton/linen will remove any tiny unseen burrs and the leather will smooth them out.

Some guys have gone so far as to use CrOx 5 on a cotton strop to really smooth out and even sharpen the edge more.

A good buddy has used a microscope to check the edge after using CrOx and he swears its much cleaner.

I have just 2 stainless and an assad steel Japanese blade. These are especially hard and unforgiving edges, any tiny burrs will produce weepers instantly.

 

[DrStrange]

I've taken the advice of a lot more experienced folks and it is always to strop even after using a super fine finishing stone. The cotton/linen will remove any tiny unseen burrs and the leather will smooth them out.

Some guys have gone so far as to use CrOx 5 on a cotton strop to really smooth out and even sharpen the edge more.

A good buddy has used a microscope to check the edge after using CrOx and he swears its much cleaner.

I use a clean strop after honing.
I use crox in between shaves.
Just a couple of passes for a couple of inches.

My feeling though I have no proof, is that a clean strop
will break off some of teeth after honing.
crox makes it more difficult for the strop to do this.
Any honing or stropping strokes on a sharp blade should be short.
A little bit of honing after a little bit of use.
These are the conjectures that I am currently working with.

 

[Twelvefret]

Fun to experiment and whatever works is a bonus.