06-21-2019, 12:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-22-2019, 09:26 AM by Mark Reich.)
Got a new straight razor from Amazon. I wanted one that was "shave ready", and this one was clearly described as such. Of course the steel was a priority, and naturally I wanted carbon steel. I read all 150 reviews. 65% were 4 and 5 star, and quite a few mentioned this razor being well received on forums. Most of the lower reviews noted the cheap plastic handle, which I couldn't possibly care less about. I wanted all the blade I could get for a paltry $35.
Out of the box sharpness was OK I guess. The lowest reading was 84, and the highest was 137. Half a dozen were in the 100-125 range, but half a dozen more were over 300. Then a few total failures left a nice half circle in the edge and measured >400. I was pretty disappointed. I did not expect carbon steel to fail on media.
I went ahead and shaved with it. Actually, I took a shower, then measured the razor, which I obviously should have done first. Not a big deal to me though. I cold shave at least half the time. I don't own a brush to make lather. I do use shaving soap, but only enough to know my face is fully covered. I have a goatee, so I basically only shave my cheeks and neck. I make one pass, all straight down, and that's it.
Just to be understood, I don't fool around with Anything when I shave. That's why I use a straight razor. It is Fast! I use a kleenex to wipe all the soapy stubble off the razor 4-5 times, and throw it in the garbage which is a lot more efficient than rinsing and cleaning the sink. It's never occurred to me to time it, but I'm guessing under a minute from applying soap to rinsing and drying my face.
So the shave wasn't bad, even with dents in the blade. Definitely a little burn, but surprisingly close. Here's the good part... The razor got sharper. No kidding. My first two measurements were 72 and 67. That was close to the toe, which I don't use very much, but every measurement was < 90, except for the ones that were over 150. I didn't finish those. If it got to 150 I figured the edge was failing and I bailed.
Tune in next week when I try another razor.
If you shave with a straight speak up. This isn't a contest, it's simple truth in a quest for knowledge.
Out of the box sharpness was OK I guess. The lowest reading was 84, and the highest was 137. Half a dozen were in the 100-125 range, but half a dozen more were over 300. Then a few total failures left a nice half circle in the edge and measured >400. I was pretty disappointed. I did not expect carbon steel to fail on media.
I went ahead and shaved with it. Actually, I took a shower, then measured the razor, which I obviously should have done first. Not a big deal to me though. I cold shave at least half the time. I don't own a brush to make lather. I do use shaving soap, but only enough to know my face is fully covered. I have a goatee, so I basically only shave my cheeks and neck. I make one pass, all straight down, and that's it.
Just to be understood, I don't fool around with Anything when I shave. That's why I use a straight razor. It is Fast! I use a kleenex to wipe all the soapy stubble off the razor 4-5 times, and throw it in the garbage which is a lot more efficient than rinsing and cleaning the sink. It's never occurred to me to time it, but I'm guessing under a minute from applying soap to rinsing and drying my face.
So the shave wasn't bad, even with dents in the blade. Definitely a little burn, but surprisingly close. Here's the good part... The razor got sharper. No kidding. My first two measurements were 72 and 67. That was close to the toe, which I don't use very much, but every measurement was < 90, except for the ones that were over 150. I didn't finish those. If it got to 150 I figured the edge was failing and I bailed.
Tune in next week when I try another razor.
If you shave with a straight speak up. This isn't a contest, it's simple truth in a quest for knowledge.