I've read posts of people here that stated that they had blades so perfectly honed that they would cut whiskers without resistance and tugging. I have a fair number of nice blades honed to perfection by myself as well as respected members if this forum and so called Honemeisters that perform really well on HHT and provide nice, smooth and close shaves. But there always was some tugging involved. Not uncomfortable but well noticeable. Is it the toughness if my whiskers, my beard prep or are my edges still not as sharp as needed for that perfect shave. Anyone having similar experiences?
The perfect shave, a myth?
- Thread starter Thomas Martin
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"they're all perfect."
a good, fresh Jant edge is as close as I've been. my hones have been going backwards lately, and I haven't ID'd why yet. so.... what's life without a little pain to freshen the smiles.
anyway, I'll keep thinking happy thoughts till I get mine back up to snuff.
a good, fresh Jant edge is as close as I've been. my hones have been going backwards lately, and I haven't ID'd why yet. so.... what's life without a little pain to freshen the smiles.
anyway, I'll keep thinking happy thoughts till I get mine back up to snuff.
People like different edges. I've got stones that can leave an edge that I doubt anyone could claims tugs, but it will also skin you if you lift the spine even a degree during shaving. Most people would probably hate shaving with it. On the other hand, I find coticule edges pretty "tuggy", but they still give a reasonably close, effortless shave and many people find them superior to far sharper edges.
Long story short, yes it's definitely possible to have an edge that doesn't tug at all during a shave, but not every shaver would want such an edge.
Long story short, yes it's definitely possible to have an edge that doesn't tug at all during a shave, but not every shaver would want such an edge.
+1 on this, well stated.
For me a blade that cuts that effortless usually results in razor burn or ingrowns. Occasionally I get lucky and will have an edge that is like you speak of but it does not last long.
The tugging is the part that really frustrates me about shaving with a straight. But the thought of what a perfectly honed razor would do to skin as described by SliceOfLife above makes me shiver. I love the whole deal about shaving with a straight, and am at around 45 shaves, and it gets better each day. I guess I'll learn to love the tugging!
Like I said above, a fresh Jnat has given me the tug free, irritation free, keenly smooth shave that you're asking about. it's the closest balance of keen and smooth I've had.
film gets very sharp, but too harsh. other stones I've tried have been smooth, but not as keen. I finished on a Welsh that rivaled Jnats, but haven't been able to repeat it.
film gets very sharp, but too harsh. other stones I've tried have been smooth, but not as keen. I finished on a Welsh that rivaled Jnats, but haven't been able to repeat it.
Thomas, out of curiosity how does my edge rank with the ones from respected forum members? 
I`ve experienced these edges a few times, mostly coming from film. This is based on my very limited experience(and preferences), but the difference I`ve felt is like night and day.
I have tried so far maybe 3-4 blades honed by other members or honemeisters, so my sample size is way too small to confirm, but when I get things right with film, it cuts effortlessly. It is stunning how there's almost no whiskers left after just 1 WTG pass.
However I`ve also noticed that some of these same razors, when I take them back to the hones for refresh, don't always come back as nice as they were! So I guess it speaks a lot about my honing abilities, and the variations which can easily pop up from time to time.
I have tried so far maybe 3-4 blades honed by other members or honemeisters, so my sample size is way too small to confirm, but when I get things right with film, it cuts effortlessly. It is stunning how there's almost no whiskers left after just 1 WTG pass.
However I`ve also noticed that some of these same razors, when I take them back to the hones for refresh, don't always come back as nice as they were! So I guess it speaks a lot about my honing abilities, and the variations which can easily pop up from time to time.
About once a month I shave with a shavette with a feather blade. I have never had a straight as sharp as that. It humbles me when I do because a 30 cent blade is much sharper(not really much but noticeably so) than any blade Ive ever tried. I have 41 straights old and new. 3 were honed by others the rest by me, on nortons, dmts, film, slurry on felt spray on felt, yada yada yada. I dont think it could be. But the straight is much more forgiving and comfortable. The velvety skin after the straight is nothing I have ever experienced with a machine blade. But when I shave I want it all off. If all I want is a dfs, i can get that with my slant, no stropping, honing etc.
It's not a myth. I've had two and they destroyed my complacency. I honed some new Japanese framebacks a few weeks back and it was one of those days where the stones just spoke to me. "That's enough, Mark...time for the Tenjyou" said the Botan and so on right through the Tomo. That night I shaved with that razor and after the second pass, there was nothing left on my face to justify a third. I always do three passes, but this shave was closer after two than any three pass shave I ever had.
This experience was repeated once more, but that's it. All my shaves since then have been less. I am uncertain yet if this was a good or a bad thing.
This experience was repeated once more, but that's it. All my shaves since then have been less. I am uncertain yet if this was a good or a bad thing.
I had a perfect shave just now, and with a $5.00 Chinese razor.
Yes!
Yes!
Forgot to say, I have shaved with jnat edges, coticule edges, thuringian edges, slate edges and CROX finished edges. All are capable of giving a good shave but some are more harsh on my skin that others - the alum block test shows that my skin prefers my coticule edges but I get a closer shave quicker with my jnat edges. I gave up on CROX as it left me really irritated and I rarely use my thuri but it's generally after honing on my coti which leaves the edge a little sharper but a little harsher.
one thing I have tried to develop with my shaving is a scything motion, it's easier with my right hand (have left a couple of nice nicks with the left hand) and it may help if you feel even a sharp blade is tugging a little.
A good prep may help get rid of that tugging.
but as always, ymmv and each to his own!
one thing I have tried to develop with my shaving is a scything motion, it's easier with my right hand (have left a couple of nice nicks with the left hand) and it may help if you feel even a sharp blade is tugging a little.
A good prep may help get rid of that tugging.
but as always, ymmv and each to his own!
- Thread starter
- #14
Thomas, out of curiosity how does my edge rank with the ones from respected forum members?
Your edge is superb! Keen and smooth! The other one was an edge by Mark aka mycarver also very nice but in a different way. The one by a Honemeister, and I will not say which one (he's no B&B member as far as I know), was subpar compared to both of you guys.
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Yeah, so it's official, I can hone!!!!!!Honemeister's are rarely particularly good. Remember Honemeister's are the ones who claimed that pyramid honing actually accomplished something, and claim that Norton 8k's give perfectly good shaving edges, and claim that you can use any finisher like a coticule, I could go on. I'm sure there are skilled honers who can claim that title, but most of the people it is applied to really seem to have earning it by selling mediocre edges to people who don't know any better. I've not had many razors professionally honed (the one I did have professionally honed doesn't count as it was a wedge I had done to see if I was having problems with wedges or just didn't care for their edges... it turned out to be the latter), but I've bought MANY razors sold as "just got back from XYZ professional honer", and the edges were to the last one subpar in my book. Now I imagine most of that is the fact that the honers are rushing, since it's a business for them. But that doesn't excuse many of the edges I've shaved with from these guys. At this point, I'd trust any random five of our members who will hone someones razor for free out of boredom, before I'd trust a single "professional" with one of my razors.
Thanks for bursting my bubble.....
Don't measure yourself against them. You'll win, but it's like beating up the tubby kid in elementary school. Measure yourself against yourself last week. Besides, assuming that's you in your avatar using a razor, you should already know that you can hone.
Just sayin', unless you're getting the razor directly from the honer himself, you can pretty much assume that somebody attempted to use it prior to selling it to you - and it only takes one attempt in the hands of an amateur to ruin a perfectly good edge...
True, but the damage they do is easy to recognize. A rolled edge for instance, I check for before even taking a razor to my strop. Even under a scope, most of these razors were clear to tell that they hadn't been honed sufficiently at any stage past beveling. There were still 1k scars on most of them.
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