Shaving comfort.

[Richard]

I've been shaving with str8 for about 2 1/2 yrs and do my own honing. I get a good close bbs shave but if I shave everyday I'm sure I'd have some discomfort.



My question is this - is it possible to hone my str8 to the level that an everyday shave wtg/atg and across the grain will not cause irritation?



Rich



“You ought never to take anything that don’t belong to you - if you can not carry it off” – Mark Twain

 

[crankymoose]

It may not be the sharpness or smoothness of the razor but may be your skin I know mine can't handle going for BBS daily even on several razors I have that have been professionally honed, DFS works for me and only the occasional BBS. If you want to find out send a razor out to a honemeister and see if the results change.

 

[scottish steve]

I was just about to post a similar thread. I've been at my razors with my new (black) Dovo paste and believe I have oversharpened them. Now I'm getting virtually BBS from 2 passes, but its a bit stressful to my skin (not to mention my nerves). Will have to stay away from the paste for some time now and hopefully have learned my lesson.

 

[Richard]

Thanks guys! BTW what is DFS?

Rich

"There is no native criminal class except Congress,"- Mark Twain

 

[English]

If your blade is not sharp enough, you overcompensate by pressing the blade harder against your skin and this can result in razor burn. It's worse atg than wtg. Once your skin is burnt, the cycle repeats.

To get a comfortable shave, your edge must be sharp. You know how sharp a DE razor edge is. Is your open razor as sharp as that? If it isn't don't expect it to cut your beard comfortably.


I hone my own edges and I get a close wtg/atg shave on a daily basis. I find I get no razor burn whatsoever and my skin feels refreshed and comfortable after a shave. Now if I've had a few too many the night before or I've had no sleep, I am more prone to nick my skin, but even red eyed and sleepy, I don't get razor burn.

Are you using Chromium oxide as a final finisher. If not this, have you tried softening the razor edge by stropping it on an old news paper.
Both of these sharpening techniques are inexpensive and very very successful.

There are plenty of post on how to go about it if you do a search. Hope this helps.

 

[gugi]

My question is this - is it possible to hone my str8 to the level that an everyday shave wtg/atg and across the grain will not cause irritation?

In principle yes.
Whether you can hone your particular razor with the hones that you have is the tricky part. With sufficient practice and excellent equipment you should be able to.

 

[leighton]

All good replies so far. All I have to add is a question and some encouragement. What progression are you using?

Honing is an acquired skill, it really takes a long time to master it and to get that "extra" sharpness/smoothness into the blade. But to me it was worth it. I love being self sufficient, although, apparently I could have just bought an extra strop and some crox and saved myself hundreds if not thousands of dollars.............

Anyway, I also suspect its from too much pressure. English is right on. I've only had irritation with a super sharp blade once when I was learning to use a 15/16" wedge. I added pressure just like I would with a hollow and the added weight of the wedge and big blade just dug into my face and left it feeling a little raw.

 

[crankymoose]

Thanks guys! BTW what is DFS?

Rich

"There is no native criminal class except Congress,"- Mark Twain

Damm Fine Shave --but not 100% BBS

see Wiki for abbreviations and more

 

[scottish steve]

Used the same razor this morning and made sure it was only given a cursory strop (10 xly light passes). Much better, very smooth but still as effective, like a Feather DE blade on its second use.

 

[mparker762]

but if I shave everyday I'm sure I'd have some discomfort.

I'm unclear on this - have you actually tried it and had problems, or are you extrapolating based on your current regime (which is less frequent).

 

[Richard]

I'm unclear on this - have you actually tried it and had problems, or are you extrapolating based on your current regime (which is less frequent).

A llittle of both. One of the reasons I only shave every other day is that I have a little irritation and let my face rest a day.
Ricn

 

[Richard]

All good replies so far. All I have to add is a question and some encouragement. What progression are you using?

I don't follow the same progression all the time. Usually the same amount (20-40)on Norton 4k/8k then up to 80 on the green paste (chromium oxide).

Thanks for all the help guys!
Rich

 

[gugi]

this sounds like an awful lot of strokes on a norton. it is a very fast hone and if your edge is shaving it shouldn't take more than 5-15 strokes to tune it (and then you use strop between shaves, not hone).

however, if you have bevel problems you'll probably need hundreds if not thousands of norton 4k strokes to fix them.

Here is a picture of a chip that needed about 200-300 strokes (no pressure) on a fast 1k hone to get out

 

[SolingenPreferred]

You are stropping your razor sufficiently, I assume. The purpose of stropping is to make those little microscopic abrasions from honing lay down, so they don't irritate (scratch) your sensitive skin. You should also strop between the first time over and the second.

There is one other possibility, a nicked blade. To test for blade nicks, moisten your thumbnail with water, and VERY, VERY lightly run the edge of the blade over your nail. If there is a nick, you will feel it. Then you just need to do the proper honing to remove the nick(s). If there are no nicks, it will glide smoothly across the nail.

If your skin is like buffalo hide, of course, it doesn't make a bit of difference. You can throw your strop away, and use any old straight razor. LOL

 

[Richard]

Thanks again fellas! This is all very helpful. I suppose I could also spring for an inexpensive microscope to check my blade.
Rich

Always acknowledge a fault frankly. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.” – Mark Twain

 

[gugi]

Thanks again fellas! This is all very helpful. I suppose I could also spring for an inexpensive microscope to check my blade.

it is quite useful, although this one is expensive microscope, so I'm not sure if the radioshack ones have the resolution to notice that level of chips.
The bevel is really small on this razor (the bevel is tiny line on the very bottom, not the blot on the blade above it).

but it gets easier to note the chip when you've put some uniform striations on it:

This is the most important part of honing, once done correctly going up the grits is fairly straightforward and quick, if not your razor will never shave as well as it could.