SO... I tried.

[endcycle]

I had a razor sharpened by a member (arfed) who disappeared a while back - he did my razor, and then after taking a lot of money from other users he sorta... skipped out, I guess. He sent my my razor, at least, and I thought it was a pretty nice job he did.

today, I had time alone in the house - and I thought to myself "Self, it's about time we go ahead and give this straight shave a try." I had a new puck of Blenheim Bouquet shave soap just dying to be used and a straight I had never gotten near by face - so why not?

I lathered up and got to business. Grabbed the razor, good grip, put it up on my face and fiddled until I felt I had a good angle - and then started to drag it down. Drag was the key word - felt like... well, kinda like shaving through cardboard, almost. It cut the hairs, but not easily. I stopped after 3 strokes on my left cheek and finished up with my fat boy. What it DID cut, it cut very close to the skin. Still, the amount of drag involved left me knowing that if I had continued that it likely would have done some damage.

SO I pose it to you, B+B - is that how it's SUPPOSED to work? Shouldn't it be an effortless glide? Should I look into a better straight, or perhaps send this one out to be re-honed? I don't have a strop, and was thinking that if THIS went well that I would go ahead and get a paddle or something... but I don't want to spend real $$$ until I know it's right for me. What should my next course of action be, do you think?

edit: this is the thread in which I talk about the razor and Arfed sends it back to me - http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=54755

 

[NFlames]

It should be effortless, but not so much like a DE. That is, the weight of the straight razor isn't enough but you should only use a very light touch, not exert any real pressure. Proper skin stretching and stropping is a must and you'll have to fiddle with which angles of stretching work best depending on which way your beard grows.

Best bet is to make sure your blade has been honed by a reputable honemeister. They'll sharpen your straight up right and you'll instantly feel what a shave ready blade feels like. Nothing against this arfed character but given that he skipped town at the expense of others leads me to believe that maybe his skills as a honemiester may not have been up to par. I've had blades honed by Lynn Abrams and Ken Rupkalvis (kenrup) both offered outstanding results.

 

[dkapp]

This sounds a lot like one of my first razors I bought from a forum member as "shave ready". It pulled like hell down the side of my face with proper prep and stretching. This was my first straight and I didn't really know what to expect so I put it aside. Next I got an old razor from the family and I sent it to KenRup for restore & honing. This one had a little tug when shaving, but not uncomfortable, just different than I was used to. It was just more feedback than a DE with a very close finish.

Now that I've been into straight razor shaving for awhile I've had razors honed by 4 honemeisters. Two are listed, the other two are modest. With experience the shave gets better, a light touch is key. The lighter the better.

If money is an issue, I'll gladly pay for the razor to be honed properly, just pick a honemeister and shoot me a PM.

Dave

 

[mdunn]

i wouldnt trust that arfed did a good job (though i am biased, seing as he skipped town with my money). like others have said, get it re-honed, or perhaps someone local who knows straights can take a peek at it and see if thats the problem.

 

[scottish steve]

Certainly WTG it should feel smooth and efficient. I find only Feathers glide effortlessly thru ATG.

 

[Lucius]

Certainly WTG it should feel smooth and efficient. I find only Feathers glide effortlessly thru ATG.

Yeah, I agree, I do get a little bit of resistance (not pulling or skipping, just resistance) going against the grain, but not going with.

 

[professorchaos]

It should be effortless. I shaved two days of growth this morning and didn't feel a thing - no pulling, nothing. Sounds like the razor is close, but not quite there.

Who is this arfred who skipped town, as it were? Certainly suspect!

 

[Slartibartfast]

As long as your lather is fine, your angle may be off.

You want very very light pressure and around 30 degrees. Try using less of an angle.

 

[endcycle]

This sounds a lot like one of my first razors I bought from a forum member as "shave ready". It pulled like hell down the side of my face with proper prep and stretching. This was my first straight and I didn't really know what to expect so I put it aside. Next I got an old razor from the family and I sent it to KenRup for restore & honing. This one had a little tug when shaving, but not uncomfortable, just different than I was used to. It was just more feedback than a DE with a very close finish.

Now that I've been into straight razor shaving for awhile I've had razors honed by 4 honemeisters. Two are listed, the other two are modest. With experience the shave gets better, a light touch is key. The lighter the better.

If money is an issue, I'll gladly pay for the razor to be honed properly, just pick a honemeister and shoot me a PM.

Dave

That's REALLY generous, but I think I'll pass on it. I can afford to do it - but I'm wondering if I need to perhaps go to a different razor and not just improve this one. If I DO decide to keep this one, I am thinking I'll figure out at that point who to send it to.

 

[professorchaos]

This sounds a lot like one of my first razors I bought from a forum member as "shave ready". It pulled like hell down the side of my face with proper prep and stretching. This was my first straight and I didn't really know what to expect so I put it aside. Next I got an old razor from the family and I sent it to KenRup for restore & honing. This one had a little tug when shaving, but not uncomfortable, just different than I was used to. It was just more feedback than a DE with a very close finish.

Now that I've been into straight razor shaving for awhile I've had razors honed by 4 honemeisters. Two are listed, the other two are modest. With experience the shave gets better, a light touch is key. The lighter the better.

If money is an issue, I'll gladly pay for the razor to be honed properly, just pick a honemeister and shoot me a PM.

Dave

I agree - shave ready is often little more than false advertising.

 

[endcycle]

I agree - shave ready is often little more than false advertising.

If I purchased, say, from classic shaving or vintage blades llc or similar with a shave-ready moniker, would that be good? or would i still need THOSE rehoned again?

 

[bman40]

If I purchased, say, from classic shaving or vintage blades llc or similar with a shave-ready moniker, would that be good? or would i still need THOSE rehoned again?

I can speak to the quality from Straight Razor Designs (Lynn Abrams et al.) - I purchased a sharpened Dovo Special Tortoise from them and it arrived in beautiful shape, ready to shave. I think that if you are new to the straight razor game (as I am) a pre-sharpened razor from a recognized vendor is probably the best bet.

I bought an old Greaves from an antique store, spent hours sanding it and polishing it and sent it of to be honed - it looks good, but each razor feels different, and I can't quite get the greaves to shave as well as the Dovo - I am waiting for some more experience under my belt before I pass judgement on the greaves or the honing it received.

Barry

 

[NFlames]

If I purchased, say, from classic shaving or vintage blades llc or similar with a shave-ready moniker, would that be good? or would i still need THOSE rehoned again?

Classic Shaving, Vintage Blades with the "shave ready" or "presharpened" descriptions are indeed ready to go. Normally they go so far as to recommend not stropping before you shave with them so you can truly feel what an expertly honed and stropped blade feels like. However after the first use you must strop prior to all subsequent shaves.

 

[endcycle]

I just looked over that site (straight razor designs) - there are some GORGEOUS straights there. Hell, even the 80 dollar budget-special Dovos are beautiful.

I suppose if I buy one and then decide I'm not into it, I can likely resell at a nominal loss.... hm.

/waiting on tax refund.

 

[professorchaos]

If I purchased, say, from classic shaving or vintage blades llc or similar with a shave-ready moniker, would that be good? or would i still need THOSE rehoned again?

I have gotten pre-sharpened razors from a variety of vendors. Quality varies. Rather than bad-mouthing anyone, let me say:

1. Take "shave ready" as little more than an advertisement unless someone has actually shaved with the razor. Otherwise it is merely "likely to be shave ready." Shave with it and you be the judge. If it pulls, it might be your technique. But it might not be shave ready after all.

2. A shaving edge is a very personal thing. What I consider to be the perfect edge others might think harsh. Some people like to shave off of the norton 8K. I am not one of them.

 

[pal]

I bought a Shave Ready advertised razor form a B&B member that was almost Shave Ready but quite. Then on the other hand a B&B member gave me a razor that he had not used for years that was as Shave Ready as it gets.

 

[Disburden]

I believe Lynn hones for classic shaving and he is the best honemeister I can think of. Technique is to blame most of the time, not the honing, especially when it is from someone like Lynn (from straightrazorplace.com Straightrazordesigns.com and classicshaving.com) or Ken from Ruprazor, etc.

You can get a TON of tugging and pulling if you do not know how to use the straight razor yet, even if it is honed well. Mostly angle is to blame for this.

 

[Kees]

Different shavers have different criteria for shave readiness. Recognised honemeisters will get you a razor that is shave-ready by most shavers' standards although I have once got a razor from a very well known honemeister that had some room for improvement.

When it comes to honing nothing beats self sufficiency!