In the DE world, if you want to make your razor a little more mild, all you have to do is change out your Feather blade for a Personna or Dorco. OK, in the SR world, what do you do if you want your razor to be a bit more mild?
How to Make a Straight Razor Mild
- Thread starter Dominic
- Start date
Change your finishing stone, if you're using a synthetic. Naniwa 12K might be a good choice as a milder edge finish.
Or, with a JNat, finish with plenty of slurry instead of gradually thinning the slurry until it is almost, or entirely, water.
Or, with a JNat, finish with plenty of slurry instead of gradually thinning the slurry until it is almost, or entirely, water.
Ensuring there are no micro chips in the edge, foremost.
Good stropping technique, lower shave angle, no pressure.
From a honing perspective, possibly hone with tape for a more obtuse bevel. Choice of finisher (coticule, for instance) may work for you too.
Good stropping technique, lower shave angle, no pressure.
From a honing perspective, possibly hone with tape for a more obtuse bevel. Choice of finisher (coticule, for instance) may work for you too.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
One of the many benefits of SR shaving is that you are in total control of all aspects of your shave. You do not have to rely upon some far-off impersonal razor/blade manufacturer.
A milder shave can easily be obtained by using less pressure and/or shallower shave angle. If that is beyond your capabilities, you can always change your honing system.
I can go from super aggressive to hardly cutting mild just by altering my pressure and shaving angle.
A milder shave can easily be obtained by using less pressure and/or shallower shave angle. If that is beyond your capabilities, you can always change your honing system.
I can go from super aggressive to hardly cutting mild just by altering my pressure and shaving angle.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
In general:
A steeper bevel angle makes for a less ‘keen’, smoother edge, up to a point.
A natural finisher, a GOOD Escher, JNat, coticule edge takes the prize.
But a SR is not a DE. If you want a milder SR edge, you have to get sharper, not duller.
A steeper bevel angle makes for a less ‘keen’, smoother edge, up to a point.
A natural finisher, a GOOD Escher, JNat, coticule edge takes the prize.
But a SR is not a DE. If you want a milder SR edge, you have to get sharper, not duller.
I've cured a harsh edge with a few very light pressure laps on a slacker than normal leather strop followed by normal stropping.
A sharp edge that has been properly stropped is a good starting point. Biggest factor for me is nailing the exact balance between pressure and shave angle. Also finding the right method of face prep and selecting soaps / Aftershaves that don't irritate and dry out my skin helped quiet a bit, especially when my skin gets dryer in winter time. It's hard to get a smooth shave if you already have dry an irritated skin before the shave.
What is your definition of "milder"? Is your beard coarse or fine? Is your skin tough or sensitive?
Some people do not need a super sharp edge and can shave using a Coticule or Norton 8K as the finisher. I have a very coarse beard and very sensitive skin. I like my edges super sharp, yet super smooth. That means finishing on a very fine hone like a Zulu Grey or Suehiro G20K and then polishing the edge with microfine pasted strops (0.5, 0.25 and 0.1 micron). However, I only get a few shaves before the edge no longer meets my standards and needs a touch up.
Beard preparation is important. If you beard is not cleaned of residual oils and fully hydrated, it will take more blade pressure to sever your beard hairs. I like showering before I shave using a good shampoo and conditioner on my beard as well as my head.
I also find that a great lather is helpful in improving the quality of a straight razor shave. You want a lather than has a high level of primary and residual slickness and good protection.
Some people do not need a super sharp edge and can shave using a Coticule or Norton 8K as the finisher. I have a very coarse beard and very sensitive skin. I like my edges super sharp, yet super smooth. That means finishing on a very fine hone like a Zulu Grey or Suehiro G20K and then polishing the edge with microfine pasted strops (0.5, 0.25 and 0.1 micron). However, I only get a few shaves before the edge no longer meets my standards and needs a touch up.
Beard preparation is important. If you beard is not cleaned of residual oils and fully hydrated, it will take more blade pressure to sever your beard hairs. I like showering before I shave using a good shampoo and conditioner on my beard as well as my head.
I also find that a great lather is helpful in improving the quality of a straight razor shave. You want a lather than has a high level of primary and residual slickness and good protection.
- Thread starter
- #10
My beard is not coarse, and my skin is not particularly sensitive.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
What do you mean by the term "mild"? What type of SR shave are you looking for?
I've only been doing straight razor shaving for a few months so I can't pretend to have all of the answers. I am going to assume by the word "mild" you mean something to the effect of less aggressive feeling or smoother feeling. If that is the case, you may want to describe to the group what you are doing now so they have a reference point.
Through my research, I've discovered the following can all contribute to this (list is not exhaustive and some is redundant).
Razor
Razor weight, grind type, steel type, rockwell hardness, angle of bevel
Honing
overall condition of the edge, the stones/pastes/etc. in which the edge is honed on (from complete bevel set to finish), how you actually used those stones and the complete process you used for honing your razor, the degree of perfection in which one accomplishes a bevel set, whether you strop or not, the material use used for a strop,
The Person (and other)
condition of skin, shave prep, amount of pressure during the shave, angle in which you are applying blade to skin, shave soap and its qualities (cushion and slickness), overall technique in general, what you do to razor after or between shaves to maintain edge.
Through my research, I've discovered the following can all contribute to this (list is not exhaustive and some is redundant).
Razor
Razor weight, grind type, steel type, rockwell hardness, angle of bevel
Honing
overall condition of the edge, the stones/pastes/etc. in which the edge is honed on (from complete bevel set to finish), how you actually used those stones and the complete process you used for honing your razor, the degree of perfection in which one accomplishes a bevel set, whether you strop or not, the material use used for a strop,
The Person (and other)
condition of skin, shave prep, amount of pressure during the shave, angle in which you are applying blade to skin, shave soap and its qualities (cushion and slickness), overall technique in general, what you do to razor after or between shaves to maintain edge.
To add my two cents the only thing I found that really stepped my edges up to a new level was ditching the synthetic finisher and diamond pastes and moving over to natural finishing stones, my first edge off an Arkansas stone I knew immediately I had moved to a new level or refinement there wasn't even a question the edge was orders of magnitude better. And I no longer even need to use pastes the edges I get off the stones are better then the synthetic edges after being pasted.
The biggest difference would be skill of the end user with a well honed edge.
That’s all
That’s all
To add on to what @catchacoolbreeze said, you might want to try some different grinds and different finishes. What grinds and finishes have you tried?
You will never know what you like until you try it.
You will never know what you like until you try it.
- Thread starter
- #16
This is regarding my Mappin & Webb near wedge. I hadn’t used it in a while, been using the Ralf Aust when I SR shave, and I recalled it beginning to get a little tuggy when I last used it, so I gave it some laps on chromium oxide. Ended up sharp enough to give me a cut when I just touched it to my face, but it just didn’t feel right. Not the cut, the edge. 
I don’t know how to describe it, but I’m sure the SR experts here have experienced a shave when you thought the edge just didn’t “feel right.” I do not use a steep angle, and I try to be light with the touch when shaving.
I don’t know how to describe it, but I’m sure the SR experts here have experienced a shave when you thought the edge just didn’t “feel right.” I do not use a steep angle, and I try to be light with the touch when shaving.2 questions. 1, did you strop on clean leather after the CrOx, and 2, how long have you been using CrOx?This is regarding my Mappin & Webb near wedge. I hadn’t used it in a while, been using the Ralf Aust when I SR shave, and I recalled it beginning to get a little tuggy when I last used it, so I gave it some laps on chromium oxide. Ended up sharp enough to give me a cut when I just touched it to my face, but it just didn’t feel right. Not the cut, the edge.
I ask because a CrOx edge gets super crispy and benefits from leather afterwards, but also, you can't maintain an edge forever on it, eventually it will need to be honed.
If you mean that it was uncomfortable on your skin, despite being sharp, I've run into that. And every time, when I put it under the microscope, I see the little micro-divots in the edge that are making it irritate my skin, and I fall back to a lower grit stone to make the edge straight again.This is regarding my Mappin & Webb near wedge. I hadn’t used it in a while, been using the Ralf Aust when I SR shave, and I recalled it beginning to get a little tuggy when I last used it, so I gave it some laps on chromium oxide. Ended up sharp enough to give me a cut when I just touched it to my face, but it just didn’t feel right. Not the cut, the edge.
- Thread starter
- #19
After the CrOx, I did some laps on the clean linen followed by the leather. I always strop on the leather before a shave. I bought the CrOx at the same time I bought all my SR supplies. I’ve used it probably 3 times. Bluesman above suggested stropping on a slacker than usual strop followed by regular stropping.
- Thread starter
- #20
I have no honing supplies yet. What do you consider lower grit?
Similar threads
