Thread: Me and my Trouble

Well, after 6 steady months of shaving with my Dovo 5/8 carbon steel I have final figured out how to get a good shave. Thank you all for your help along the way!

Alas, I am still having trouble. I am a head shaver and the problem I am having is that my blade is going dull half way through the first pass.

I am lucky enough to have a friend who has taught me the basics of honing, so what I find myself having to do is shave half of my head then hone. Stropping is not working out as well as 20 passes on my 8K hone.

So, how do I keep my blade sharp without all of the time consuming stopping and stropping? I was thinking about getting a stainless steel blade. Good idea, bad idea?

V/R

RK

I've never shaved my head. I have, being a professional tattoo artist, shaved the back and/or side of a customer's head to apply a tattoo. Years ago I used to do this with a removable blade straight razor using the Persona blades. It is a totally different animal than shaving a face IME. The hairs are much tougher and there is a great density of them. So I think it is a much tougher job for the blade to go through all of that.

Having said that, I would suspect that your stropping is something you need to work on. I have found that proper stropping can really enhance the edge. Then there is the honing. If it is a good Dovo, and I assume it is, I think it should get you through multiple complete head shaves on one proper honing. Just IMHO...... again, I'm not a head shaver myself. Those that are might enlighten me. I was wrong once before.

Stainless is good but can be a bit tougher to hone and AFAIC doesn't hold an edge any better than a high carbon steel blade.

I shaved my son's head with a couple of straights recently. I knew from reading on this board that the razor would need stropped before I was done, so I used two straights rather than stropping mid shave. I agree with Jimmy - you should expect to need to strop during the shave, but not hone. I also suspect your stropping may be the problem? Can you describe your stopping a little for us?

Thanks you both!

Funny you should ask. My strop is a $25 POS from amazon that came with a "free" razor. It is not numbered on ether side but does have soft leather and hard leather.

When I strop I pull tight and make passes in an X pattern. I don't push down but rotate the blade in just enough to hear the blade (I can hear the blade about 3/4 of the time).

Let me know what you think!

RK

It is important to admit that even our best honing cannot match the sharpness of a modern stainless, coated DE or commercial blade with platinum and other coatings. These blades can last for the entire exercise. However, even the sharpest SR will need a touch up between that kind of real estate.

Oh know, here come the counter commentaries on how much sharper the SR can be when compared to a Feather. Don't believe it! I shave every day with a SR and a quality DE is a superb and durable edge. It is OK to admit that when tackling a larger job.

I would get a better strop . I also think 20 laps on a 8k hone is a bit excessive . Try 5 , and see how that works . Good luck with it all !

I'm with Dave--try fewer honing laps, and consider your honing as a suspect. You may be applying too much pressure and thinning the edge, so that it breaks down under use. I had that trouble when I started honing--my edges would not last long enough to finish a shave.

Good luck and best wishes. You're a brave man.

I've tried several times to get through a head shave with a straight. My hair is just too thick it seems, I can't even make it halfway through, and then the razor needs to be honed. Stropping won't bring it back to shave ready after I've tried the noggin.

So, I use a DE on my head now. I have to change blades to get a complete head shave done. About half the time I have to change blades twice to get my head completely smooth.

I wish I could shave my head with the straight, its so much more manly after all. But I've learned that I just cannot.

You may be the same. Try a DE instead maybe.

Here's the secret, guys. Wait three or so decades, and it'll be much easier.

Originally Posted by roughkype

Here's the secret, guys. Wait three or so decades, and it'll be much easier.

Ohhhhh.... I knew there had to be some trick to it!