Thread: Sharp blade?

Originally Posted by Knife

Not knowing anything of the microscopic effect shaving, stropping, or honing does to a blade, I would think every shave dulls the blade a little. Again not knowing what is going on, I would think that that dulling process comes to a head three months down the line when it needs to be resharpened, and if you do it every day you never get that incrementally duller blade shave every day?

What happens is the exact same thing that happens to any other blade - DE, cartridge, disposable... So if you don't strop it your edge will deteriorate a bit faster than those other edges because they have high-tech coatings.
If you dig through the old threads you'll find claims of maintaining a razor shaving sharp for years with just stropping.

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

He probably told you not to strop it because he stropped it after he honed it, and thus you didn't need to.

Honing a razor sharpens the edge (i.e. makes the flat part of the edge, in microscopic terms, less wide) but also causes it to be rough, since you're essentially sanding down the metal on the edge. Stropping helps to eliminate the roughness cause by honing and shaving, which is why you should strop after each honing and shave.

Zapp, I was writing as you were so I didn't read your sproping explaination, that makes perfect sence to me, thank you. What do you think of the honing every day or week idea and then stroping.

Also I've been told to strop before and after you shave, but I like your suggestion of stroping after every hone or shave and then its ready for the next shave just like it was when I receive my shave ready razor from the mail, to be used without stroping?

The reason they told you not to strop is that that way, you're guaranteed to have at least one shave before you are in a position to ruin the edge.
If you are an absolute beginner, it is easy to mess up an edge if you are stropping and don't know what you are doing.
By telling you not to strop the first time, at least you get to feel what a sharp edge feels like. If you then strop and the shave is notably worse, at least you know what went wrong.

Originally Posted by Knife

What do you think of the honing every day or week idea and then stroping.

That's what I do now and it works just fine. I used to send my razors out to be honed periodically, and that was great, it was just a hassle to be constantly sending razors in the mail.

Some people like to strop before and after a shave, it's a matter of opinion. I only strop after my shaves, and again, it works just fine for me.

If I'm shaving and I notice the razor isn't as sharp as it should be (i.e. it's tugging instead of cutting), I'll put it aside and next time give it a few passes on a barber's hone before my next shave with it. Then I strop it, then I shave. Been working fine like that for a few months now.

I can't answers your questions regarding honing as I have yet to delve into that area of razor maintance, however I will say that proper stropping techinque is key to maintaining your edge. Case in point, I purchased a shave ready razor from a well known member here over a year and half ago, it is my favorite go-to razor, and it still has not been on a hone since. I have given it a few laps on a pasted strop once or twice and it still delivers smooth and comfortable shaves.

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

That's what I do now and it works just fine. I used to send my razors out to be honed periodically, and that was great, it was just a hassle to be constantly sending razors in the mail.

What I ment to ask, since through reading the replys in this board, it seems maintaining a blade with a barbers hone is not as pleasent or sharp I would think as sending it to get profesionally honed or honing yourself every three months or so, that maybe if you hone daily or weekly with a 8K or 10K grit hone instead of a barbers hone, your shave if not on par with a professionally honed razor, would be more pleasent than with a barbers hone?

In all honesty that's a hard thing to quantify. When I get my razors back from my honer, they're ridiculously sharp and that first shave is always great. But he probably uses 4-6+ hones to get it that way, and he's practiced his honing on thousands of razors for years and years.

After I touch-up a razor on a barber's hone, it's "sharp" to "really sharp." As sharp as when I send it out? No. Sharp enough to give me just as good and comfortable of a shave? Yeah, pretty much, I'd say it's decently close to that. Pleasant? Sure, totally pleasant.

It all depends on what you're looking for. As you can see, there are a lot of people here who enjoy honing and collect stones and practice and are searching for the sharpest edge they can possibly have, every single time. For me, I just want a close, comfortable shave, and my process gets me that.

Again, it's all relative to what you want and how much time/energy/money you want to spend on getting that. I'd say pick up a barber's hone and give that method a shot. They're cheap and readily available. If that ends up not working out for you, send your razors out instead. Every piece of the straight shaving process is a matter of opinion since everyone is different; there's no one universally right answer or right way to do something.

I will say that after you use a barber's hone your razor's edge will be a bit rough, so it will require more stropping than normal to get it to where you'd want to shave with it.

A rougher edge from the barber hone, I imagine is due to it being a low grit stone (I'm looking for it now, can't get a reading on its grit level). I'm thinking a lower grit stone "roughly" takes away large "chunks" of metal away as it brings back the bevel to shrink the widened edge. A higher grit stone is more of a polisher, taking away some bits of metal (the peaks of the grooves made by the higher grit stone), and brings that edge to a more fine straight line. In the end the higher grit stone does the same as the low grit stone (take away metal), it just takes longer to do it.

Thats why I think a higher grit stone used daily (five or ten passes) would "polish" (take away a little metal, bring back the bevel a little since it doesn't need alot) enough to keep that perfect shave ready blade (followed by a strop of course)?

Originally Posted by Knife

Thanks for your reply, now first question, if many people did that for years, does that mean, for some reason they stopped? Secondly, when you say you can maintain a razor for years that way, does that mean you can not indefinitely (til you don't have a blade left of course) maintain the razor like that?

You have to understand that many of us here at SRP are, yes, into the shaving, but we also are into the hobby of the straight razor, which means that sometimes we take things to a higher level and it is about the process not just the results...

But yes as the guys have already pointed out a "Barber's Hone" or something to that effect will give close comfortable shaves for many years..

Barber's Hones are not "Low" grit they are fast cutters normally 4-6 laps but don't mistake that for low grit... A good Barber's hone makes for a very smooth comfortable shave IF USED CORRECTLY

And yes you could use say a Naniwa 12k (randomly picked) to maintain but compared to a Barber's Hone it is a much longer process.
the Barbers Hone is quick and easy, with zero prep, Finishers are a bit more time comsuming... If I were going to do what you are discussing I would find a good Barber's hone (most of them are) and never look back

Originally Posted by Knife

Ok, I trust you guys, it dosn't make sense in my mind, but if stroping makes for a better shave then I'll strop. I just can't conceive of a sharper blade then a freshly honed blade. By the why I just thought of this, you all are talking about using a barbers hone. I had envisioned using a proper hone, just a higher grit version, like a 8K or 10 even. You figure if I use that every day or week and strop that I would have a perfectly sharp blade for as long as the razor lasts and not have to hone every three months?

It's always sharper after stroping, my once a week or so refresh is a Chromium Oxide pasted paddle, and it's always better after 30/50 laps on linen/leather