Straight razor...I don't know ...

[albsat]

Hello ,

I had two shaves with an AC shavette using Kai Protouch blade this week and today the desire to use a straight razor bumped on my mind.

I have collected 3 straight razors (Gold dollars) collected used very few times, covered in petrol jelly and a chinese strop. I took the one GD that seemed still sharp, I cleaned with a toilet paper and gave some laps on the strop, linen and leather. I have never mastered stropping and don't have a stone. All these 3 razors are shave ready when they came to me from 2 reputable members here and I might have used them 7-10 in total last year.

I tried to shave today. First thing I notice, it doesn't' work as a shavette. I got an acceptable shave, but it wasn't pleasant at all. I tried every angle to find the most comfortable pass. First pass was horrible, but I got improvments on second path. I felt dragging and tugging involved.

Is this normal? How can I improve and make my shaves more smooth and comfortable with a straigh razor? I did some vidoes with the phone of the edge, so if someone is interested I can show them to see if the razor is ok or not.

Cheers

 

[gpjoe]

My experience as well.

I've used straight razors which I received directly from known honemeisters, not done anything to the blade (no stone, no strop, nothing) and they cannot match my Feather and Kai shavettes in terms of the resulting shaves.

These straight razors (mine) are considered to be fairly high quality razors: Dubl Duck, Wade & Butcher, and other vintage razors made in Sheffield and Germany.

At this point I am willing to accept partial blame for the sub-par SR shaves due to lack of experience, but I can get a phenomenal DFS+ (95% BBS) with my shavettes.

I guess I don't have any solution to offer, other than to say that I can sympathize with you struggle.

 

[Alex Jr]

Same with me with a horrible GD I tried to use for the first time.

But then @GNR on a very generous offer sent me a wonderful kit with razors that would actually shave.

I was amazed at the difference. It was night and day. I’ve used one of them several times and I haven’t even felt the need to touch it up.

Soon I’ll be diving deeper into it (honing etc) because right now I’m a little busy changing diapers and cleaning up spit.

But the experience has been awesome so far.

 

[Herrenberg]

I can assure you that that is not normal. Normal is smooth and comfortable shaves.

 

[Eben Stone]

All these 3 razors are shave ready when they came to me from 2 reputable members here and I might have used them 7-10 in total last year.

7-10 shaves on each razor, or total across all razors?

Have you done anything to maintain the edge?

I can get about 2 to 4 shaves from a "shave ready" straight razor, without maintenance, before it becomes unbearable to shave with.

 

[albsat]

7-10 shaves on each razor, or total across all razors?

Have you done anything to maintain the edge?

I can get about 2 to 4 shaves from a "shave ready" straight razor, without maintenance, before it becomes unbearable to shave with.

Hmm.. Thank you for your feedback. I guess maybe they need to be honed, however I got the same feeling when I tried them on my first attempts as far as I remember. I think I got 10 shaves in total with all 3 razors. Not sure though.

 

[Eben Stone]

Hmm.. Thank you for your feedback. I guess maybe they need to be honed, however I got the same feeling when I tried them on my first attempts as far as I remember. I think I got those shaves in total. Not sure though.

An absolute guess on my part, but if they were honed properly to begin with, then I doubt they *need* to be rehoned just because you shaved with them a few times.

I now use diamomd pasted balsa strops to maintain my edges after every shave. They seem to work okay.

If I didnt have those I'm not sure exactly what I would use. Probably a few laps on 16k lapping film (because I have it) and then about 50 to 100 laps on leather strop.

 

[Shaun asleep]

Sounds like it's not sharp enough.

If you are sure the bevel was set correctly and it was honed by a reliable hand all you need is some paste on your Chinese strop and you should be good to go.

Make sure you have another strop on stand-by for your regular stropping sessions pre or post shave.

If you have only one strop you could make your pasted strop out of old denim jeans, balsa wood or you could buy a leather strip from AliE or Amazon and glue that to a piece of wood.

Check out this thread on how to apply it properly.

Purple Haze application.

I’ve been asked several times in the last couple of weeks how much Purple Haze I put on my strop. I draw thin lines criss cross the length of the strop, in this case on an inert side of a Lipshaw. Less is more in applying and using it as well, 6-8 laps max with this amount applied.

www.badgerandblade.com

I use 0.6 micron paste after a progression on 1k-6k King, followed by a 10k naniwa ss. That's a very affordable path and it works extremely well for me.

A well honed GD makes a fine shaver.

 

[Chef455]

I think I read the OP's post correctly. My .02 -

1) Successful shaves with a shavette does not necessarily translate to good shaves with a straight razor.

2) One can actually dull an edge on a straight by stropping when not done correctly.

I am sure more qualified members will be along shortly to provide better advice. Hang in there.

 

[Shaun asleep]

Have you tried treetopping armhair, a thumbnail test or try cutting into a Cherry tomato? Those would give you a reasonable indication as to whether lr not they are sharp enough.

 

[JPO]

Get a proper straight razor, with good steel and a proper bevel angle.
Get it honed, and find a way to maintain it.
If you decide afterwards that it’s not for you, you will probably be able to sell it and get most of the investment back.

 

[albsat]

Get a proper straight razor, with good steel and a proper bevel angle.
Get it honed, and find a way to maintain it.
If you decide afterwards that it’s not for you, you will probably be able to sell it and get most of the investment back.

What would be a proper razor and what would be the cost of it?

 

[Shaun asleep]

Ertan Suer (rasoir sabre or cocoricoco1900 on Ebay, from France) and Revisor Solingen (Germany) both sell shave ready straight razors. They have very nice shavers for under and around 100 euros.

But I will still tell you that there is nothing wrong with a GD if it's been honed properly.

I seem to recall you are European, or am I mixing you up with someone else?

 

[albsat]

Ertan Suer (rasoir sabre or cocoricoco1900 on Ebay, from France) and Revisor Solingen (Germany) both sell shave ready straight razors. They have very nice shavers for under and around 100 euros.

But I will still tell you that there is nothing wrong with a GD if it's been honed properly.

I seem to recall you are European, or am I mixing you up with someone else?

Thank you friend. I am based in Balkan, Europe.

 

[JPO]

What would be a proper razor and what would be the cost of it?

One of Ertan Suer basic 6/8"
The cost is around 100 usd.
C135 with a more sensible hardness then TI, who uses the same steel.
They come shave ready to some people's standard. Not as sharp as a feather blade, if that is what you are after. They are easy to hone.

 

[JPO]

You already have some gold dollar razors that were honed by someone with experience.
If you want something that can complete with a feather blade for more then one or two shaves, you need a proper razor.

 

[JPO]

But I will still tell you that there is nothing wrong with a GD if it's been honed properly.

I don't agree. I also think this type of information should be given with some disclaimers.

 

[albsat]

I feel that using a proper razor shave ready , as @JPO labels it could be my final attempt to prove that I might enjoy or not straight razor. Unfortunately it would be a costly attempt. I don't think I would sell it either. I have put a very nice razor on BST with a good discount, but no interest.

Who knows, maybe one day I would get one in loan.

 

[JPO]

I feel that using a proper razor shave ready , as @JPO labels it could be my final attempt to prove that I might enjoy or not straight razor. Unfortunately it would be a costly attempt. I don't think I would sell it either. I have put a very nice razor on BST with a good discount, but no interest.

Who knows, maybe one day I would get one in loan.

Do you still have a good razor that just needs to be honed?
If yes, there should be some way to help you sort out that problem.
You might be closer then you think.

 

[albsat]

Do you still have a good razor that just needs to be honed?
If yes, there should be some way to help you sort out that problem.
You might be closer then you think.

I don't know if it could be called a good razor, as I have very few understanding of straight razors, but apart of the 2 GD razors, there is this Solingen one (11/16 shape). I got it shave ready too, but I was disappointed again.

All the 3 razors have been used and stropped in a chinese short strop in the past. So I don't understand if there is any problem in these razors now (one of the problems I have with straight razors besides their maintaining process)