Thread: Ole man here, kinda, Gillette safety razor user for over 40 years. New to straight ra

Originally Posted by Static77

Got it! But why? Is it that much damage? It's how I've always tested my knives! Kinda.
But now that you say it, makes sense.

As a former meat cutter---Trust Me! Knives and Straight Razors are as different as Night and Day!

How many knives do you start to set the bevel with the edge on a 1K hone? NONE! Most common knives wouldn't even accept a final edge from a 1K hone!

Oh you could get away with cutting paper with a straight razor on the 1K level but it would diminish what you've worked so hard for. The Thumb Nail Test is hard on the edge also--so you have go back and rework the edge.

This is one of the biggest problems I've seen in my 8 years of using straights and that guys assume that since they can sharpen a knife that honing a razor is the same--And It Ain't!

Originally Posted by Static77

Got it! But why? Is it that much damage? It's how I've always tested my knives! Kinda.
But now that you say it, makes sense.

Think of it this way. A razor is designed to cut/shave facial hair only and a knife, other things. A knife is usually sharpened at an angle of 17-25 degrees. Therefore a total around 30+ degrees. A straight razors bevel is approximately 7 degrees each side for a total of almost 15 degrees. Very fragile. This is just a rough explanation and I'm sure others can probably explain better than I. Anyway, a straight razor is NOT a knife.

Mike

Yes cutting paper will degrade the razors edge. I would strop that razor really well before use.

Originally Posted by Static77

I'm hoping all the info you just shared makes more sense to me sooner than later!
The interesting thing is Lynn Abrams is the name on my Dovo box as the gentleman who honed the razor. It's a Dovo en Vogue. It looks like a piece of art.

By the way, I hope the razor you were cutting paper with was not that Dovo that Lynn Abrams just honed. If it was, you may not enjoy that shave very much. Possibly dulled that edge and may need re-honeing.

If you did, don't fret, you are not the first that done it and you probably won't be the last either. Just send it out and get it honed. Or, try it out first.


Mike

I think that a straight razor is a knife....

But a very specialized one.

You don't hone a penknife the same as a machete. You don't expect them to do the same jobs.

Don't treat your razor as you would any of the others or vice versa.

Hello and welcome on the forum.
To add something about paper, remember you can use a newspaper to strop your straight in cas you are on a trip and forgot your leather stuff at home.

Thanks to all for the info!
It's not like I was cutting up a phone book, just a small slice on notebook paper. I won't be doing that again. A little hair off the arm, if I read that correctly, to learn the feel.