Thread: I'm a Canadian, eh !

Getting nowhere fast. I have acquired a very old Frederick Reynolds blade from Sheffield and a new stainless Gold Dollar from China, + a 4000/8000 stone and a home-made strop impregnated with CrO2. I have watched several videos on the use of stones and strops, and have varied the pressure and used a sharpie pen to ensure that the cutting edge is visually sharp and not rounded. All of this to no avail. I cannot get a sharp blade that will give a comfortable shave . I have been able to bring the blades to where I can hear it ring when I cut hairs from my arm, but still not sharp enough to shave. What's next ? . . . . . maybe a microscope to view the edge . . . . but what do you look for. Theres a lot of advice out there, but does anybody know for certain other than the people at Gillette and they aren't telling. Seems like for most of us, its guess work and luck.

Some pics would help...are you trying to hone the GD or the FR?

Also, whereabouts are you located....

Sounds like you need some hands on help. Where you at Barry2.

It isn't really all string, mirrors and a lot of black curtains. I think you are on the right track. Honestly it is all about the bevel. When the apex is perfect from one end to the other, it gets polished and by that achieves the sharpest edge possible. The translation of that to your hands is where it gets tricky, the use or not of pressure is key. It is a pretty large country and there are a bunch of us scattered everywhere. I am with TrilliumLT and a hands on session could save hours of frustration. Also what is your straight razor experience. Are you brand new to straight razor shaving or just honing?

Im with rezdog and think it is most likely a bevel issue. Can take a while to learn to set the bevel properly and on a 4k is going to take a bit. Did try to meet up with someone for some hands on help.

When the apex is perfect from one end to the other, it gets polished and by that achieves the sharpest edge

- - - Well, its great to have a perfect bevel from one end to the other, but is it really necessary ? It should be possible to shave with a perfect bevel on only the first centimeter from the tip. However, it may take a little longer to shave.

I cannot be absolutely certain, but with the Sharpie pen, I blacken the edge at a few intervals and give it 2 or 3 runs on the stone. Then, if you see a polished area between 2 black areas you know that your cutting edge is rounded.

Originally Posted by eddy79

Im with rezdog and think it is most likely a bevel issue. Can take a while to learn to set the bevel properly and on a 4k is going to take a bit. Did try to meet up with someone for some hands on help.

- - - You may be right, but I have a hard time seeing how one can go wrong, especially since the spine acts as a jig. If the spine and the cutting edge are both touching the stone, then it is virtually impossible to get it wrong, unless the horizontal stabilizer is also touching the stone. That is why it appears to me to be somewhat important to watch where the stabilizer is when you are on the stone.

Originally Posted by eddy79

Im with rezdog and think it is most likely a bevel issue. Can take a while to learn to set the bevel properly and on a 4k is going to take a bit. Did try to meet up with someone for some hands on help.

- - - As I said in one of the other posts, is it really possible to go wrong ? The spine of the razor functions as a guide to honing by preventing an erratic bevel. But I also question why a varying bevel angle would be a hindrance since the important thing is to have an angle of around 20 degrees + - . A little tolerance shouldn't make much of a difference. At least that is my theory.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Some pics would help...are you trying to hone the GD or the FR?

Also, whereabouts are you located....

- - - I'm on the east coast.

An observation: People on this site use a lot of acronymns. C'mon folks speak English, cuz I don't understand.

Originally Posted by Barry2

- - - I'm on the east coast.

An observation: People on this site use a lot of acronymns. C'mon folks speak English, cuz I don't understand.

Learn the acronyms, that way the rest of us don't spend our lives typing...LOL.

This thread seems eerily familiar to the thread from when you first joined in 2012...almost the exact same questions 2 years later?? What gives?