Thread: Searched and couldn't find an answer. Sharp enough?

I shaved for the first time last night with the SR. I started small with sides only. It went OK, but seemed to tug a lot. How can I know if the blade is sharp enough? Is there a test I could do? Since it was my first time I'm not really sure what to expect. The SR is a vintage Puma 5 5/8 I received as a gift from my Dad. Could it have been my angle possibly? Thanks for your help! I can't wait to give it a go again. It's actually really hard for me not to tonight but I should probably get is sharpened.

My guess is the razor needs to be honed. Check the classifieds here under member services and you'll see quite a few members here who offering honing services. PM a few and then decide. The other issues to consider are blade angle and technique. Read the links for beginners and ask questions, we have all been in your shoes at some point. Proper technique does not occur overnight, so keep a positive attitude and enjoy the journey.

Hey there!!
Did you strop before you shaved? Sometimes a razor can have a good edge after stropping. All of the tests that you can do on a razor can give you an idea of it's sharpness, but I have honed hundreds of razors and some of them fail the primitive tests but are great to shave with. Any questions just ask. If you need it to be honed and stropped feel free to send it to me free of charge so you know what a good edge feels like
(if you are in the UK ofc).

Carl.

Welcome to the group! If the razor has been out of use for some time, and not recently honed by someone who knows what they are doing, then it's a safe bet that it needs honing. So I would say get it honed. Then of course you will need a strop. Practice using the strop while the razor is out for honing!

Enjoy!

Michael

First thing's first . Was it honed before use ? If not address that. The edge has to be right

You can then work on your stropping & shave techniques.