Dug out my straights the other dax after about 1 month on safety razors. Don't let anyone tell you your beard doesn't get tougher over time! I had to be ridiculously forceful ATG around my chin. Cheeks and neck were no problem but man! I'm thinking of growing a goattee again to lessen the possibility of self-mutilation!
Help! I'm turning into a werewolf
- Thread starter scottish steve
- Start date
Are the straights sharp enough? The only time I have a similar problem is when they need a little touch up.
sounds like the blade is not sharp enough
The blades need a touch-up. After being used, straights get duller just sitting there unless you strop them regularly. The residual acids on the edge from your previous shave just slowly eat away at the steel.
1 month in storage = bad for your blades. Corrosion eats away at the edge. Only SS has the potential to stand up to such punishment well. Oiling them helps but theres only so much we can do.
How do straight razors last for 200 years if it is continuously corroding--is it that miniscule (and at the same time, is an edge so fickle)?
Samouraï;1396932 said:
yes and yes. The corrosion can be seen under an electron microscope within a very short time. Oiling slows this down but doesn't stop it. Your skin contains lots of acids and salts and the edge of the razor is slicing through the upper layers even on a comfortable burn-free shave. Even if you wipe down the edge thoroughly some of these stay on the steel. Really old razors frequently have rotten steel at the edge from the decades of corrosion, and you have to hone a ways in before they'll take and hold an edge.
It's not just the sharpness of the edge itself that is damaged by the corrosion, but the polish of the bevel as well. A lot of what we percieve as "sharpness" isn't really the fineness of the edge but rather the lack of friction between the hair and the bevel. This is why the commercial manufacturers coat their blades in teflon-based substances - if they could save those pennies they would, but without that coating even the first shave on a brand new cartridge razor will pull and tug. Straight razors can't use teflon coatings so the best we can manage is to keep that bevel polished; this means using a fine grit finishing hone or paste to make sure it's polished to begin with, and stropping it before every shave to make sure it stays that way.
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Werewolf?
There wolf.
There castle.
(discuss)
There wolf.
There castle.
(discuss)
On the other hand, you might actually be a werewolf. So, ah, welcome!
Like others have mentioned you definitely need to touch up those blades on Cr02 pasted strop and get the edge back in shape.
Another suggestion would be to strop it during the shave before going ATG see if that helps
Another suggestion would be to strop it during the shave before going ATG see if that helps
- Thread starter
- #11
Finally got to a working internet connection! I'm very surprised that the edge should degenerate so quickly, even in a sealed box and all dried and everything, but I do have faith in the advice given here so I've stropped again, more consciensciously this time and for about 50 passes and it did make a difference. No CrO2 as yet (have only got Dovo Black or red paste and used it only about 6 shaves ago on the particular razor I'm using), but have concentrated on using the same straight for the last week or so and it seems to be coming back into line. I'm amazed at how fragile these edges are. Thanks guys!
