I realize the definition of the word. But how exactly can one determine whether their blade is shave ready?
Shave ready?
- Thread starter ArchersParadox
- Start date
Make sure the honer knows what he's/she's doing.
You could always try to shave some hairs off your arm. Pick a spot that won't be visible too easy unless you like the patchy look. You should be able to shave everything without any efforts in 1 pass
You could always try to shave some hairs off your arm. Pick a spot that won't be visible too easy unless you like the patchy look. You should be able to shave everything without any efforts in 1 pass
This is always a fun question. 
Are you happy shaving with it?
It's hard to know just how good the blade is without experience shaving and using different blades honed by different people. Maybe it's good enough, and maybe you'll discover later that there's something way better. The tests people use are controversial, and a newbie really has no way to tell whether it's the blade or themselves.
Honestly, if you're happy with it and with the shave you're getting, isn't that all that really matters?
Are you happy shaving with it?
It's hard to know just how good the blade is without experience shaving and using different blades honed by different people. Maybe it's good enough, and maybe you'll discover later that there's something way better. The tests people use are controversial, and a newbie really has no way to tell whether it's the blade or themselves.
Honestly, if you're happy with it and with the shave you're getting, isn't that all that really matters?
- Thread starter
- #4
My friend gave me this razor and we have no clue if it's shave ready. I guess I could just lather up part of my arm and have at it lol
You've got guts.
Personally, if I didn't know for sure, I'd pass it to someone who did. At the very least, don't keep trying if it's not working. 'course, if you've never used one before, it's not gonna work very well.
By the way, I'm still a newbie. Been at it six months. Still, I've been through this myself. Couldn't cut a single hair off my arms when I started, and now every one of them passes the test. Newbie error.
Personally, if I didn't know for sure, I'd pass it to someone who did. At the very least, don't keep trying if it's not working. 'course, if you've never used one before, it's not gonna work very well.
By the way, I'm still a newbie. Been at it six months. Still, I've been through this myself. Couldn't cut a single hair off my arms when I started, and now every one of them passes the test. Newbie error.
You've got guts.
Personally, if I didn't know for sure, I'd pass it to someone who did. At the very least, don't keep trying if it's not working. 'course, if you've never used one before, it's not gonna work very well.
+1
There's always that.
If you have no idea and never used one. Send it to a honer. What I described up there was what I would do to do a quick check. I wouldn't lather.
EDIT: If I reread your post, I would assume that you never used a shave ready straight? If that's the case, send it out to a honer.
- Thread starter
- #7
You've got guts.
Personally, if I didn't know for sure, I'd pass it to someone who did. At the very least, don't keep trying if it's not working. 'course, if you've never used one before, it's not gonna work very well.
By the way, I'm still a newbie. Been at it six months. Still, I've been through this myself. Couldn't cut a single hair off my arms when I started, and now every one of them passes the test. Newbie error.
Well I just went and lathered up my arm. I kept chanting "angle angle angle" over and over and sure enough. I have a patch as smooth as the day I was born.
Sounds like you have a winner. Let us know how the real shave goes.
Welcome to the club!
But stop if you get to 2 pints. I hear that's about the limit for one shave.
Welcome to the club!
But stop if you get to 2 pints. I hear that's about the limit for one shave.
Lol, I would have just shaved a little bit of my arm hair and known whether its shave ready or not depending on how easily it cut and at what angle.
If I had no idea, I would still start with my arm hair and if nothing went wrong, just go at my face. Oh yeah...thats how I started.
Just jump in with both feet, worst that'll happen is temporary pain.
If I had no idea, I would still start with my arm hair and if nothing went wrong, just go at my face. Oh yeah...thats how I started.
Just jump in with both feet, worst that'll happen is temporary pain.
The TPT or shave with it. The former can be a little tricky to learn, the latter requires that you have some experience shaving with a straight.
Catch-22
If you want, you can send it to me and I'll let you know. If it isn't when I get it, it will be when you get it back
Ok, fine, I'll answer the question.
Shave ready means what the words mean. Its ready to shave. Meaning it will shave. There are very very very varying degrees of the term shave ready. To me, shave ready means it will shave like a hovercraft using high tech beams of lasers to cut the hairs so close, that they retreat under my skin and I can't feel them for 8 hours. Translation: so smooth I don't feel it, and so sharp that the whiskers pop off, never to return for another 8 hours, and only if I vigorously rub them to bring them to the surface.
Clearly my definition of shave ready is quite ridiculous. But I do it almost every morning. Sometimes I don't get it quite right, stop the shave, go to my hones and get it perfect. Anyway, I digress.
At the bottom end of the spectrum shave ready means it will shave. Doesn't mean it will be the best shave of your life or that its so smooth you can't feel it. But that it will give you an acceptable shave. What acceptable means varies from person to person. A razor off the 8k stone is shave ready, but not shave ready up to my definition. An 8k razor is quite smooth, and plenty sharp. It most certainly does the job with flying colors. A 4k edge will shave you too. A 1k edge works too, but only if your technique is damn well perfect and your slightly masochistic. Hell, if you really want to experience the absolute bottom of shave-able, buy a brand new bench made knife and shave off that edge. It'll shave, but it'll suck.
Shave ready means what the words mean. Its ready to shave. Meaning it will shave. There are very very very varying degrees of the term shave ready. To me, shave ready means it will shave like a hovercraft using high tech beams of lasers to cut the hairs so close, that they retreat under my skin and I can't feel them for 8 hours. Translation: so smooth I don't feel it, and so sharp that the whiskers pop off, never to return for another 8 hours, and only if I vigorously rub them to bring them to the surface.
Clearly my definition of shave ready is quite ridiculous. But I do it almost every morning. Sometimes I don't get it quite right, stop the shave, go to my hones and get it perfect. Anyway, I digress.
At the bottom end of the spectrum shave ready means it will shave. Doesn't mean it will be the best shave of your life or that its so smooth you can't feel it. But that it will give you an acceptable shave. What acceptable means varies from person to person. A razor off the 8k stone is shave ready, but not shave ready up to my definition. An 8k razor is quite smooth, and plenty sharp. It most certainly does the job with flying colors. A 4k edge will shave you too. A 1k edge works too, but only if your technique is damn well perfect and your slightly masochistic. Hell, if you really want to experience the absolute bottom of shave-able, buy a brand new bench made knife and shave off that edge. It'll shave, but it'll suck.
Shave Ready is pretty subjective.
To me it is being able to do my corner of lip to center of nose pass on each side of my stache area.
If i can do this with no blood or irritation, the razor is usually in good too go for me.
To me it is being able to do my corner of lip to center of nose pass on each side of my stache area.
If i can do this with no blood or irritation, the razor is usually in good too go for me.
That too is a good test - I use a variation...if the razor pulls during the coupe de maitre, it isn't shave ready.
