What do the experts say about the straight razor
DOVO in the German city of Solingen has been the world market leader in open razors for decades. Hundreds of razors are produced daily in the factory. The artisanal method of production has been carried out in the same way for over a hundred years. At DOVO, several dozen craftsmen work daily with great love, passion, and craftsmanship to create beautiful razors.
As soon as you start using a straight razor, maintenance comes into play. Some employees at DOVO have specialized in sharpening and polishing razors. In this blog, these experts share everything about the maintenance and keeping the straight razor sharp.
What is a sharp razor?
A straight razor and its sharpness begin with a little theory about physics, geometry, and materials science.
What is the sharpness of the razor? The edge or fold of the razor is a triangle. The sharp angle of this triangle defines the cutting edge and sharpness and is related to the angle of this triangle. The pointier this triangle, the sharper it becomes. Cutting material with a knife is also known as 'wedge cutting'. Your knife effectively drives through the material like a wedge. The wider this wedge, the more difficult it becomes to cut through the material.
The angles of the edge of a straight razor must be sharpened evenly. So that the very fine tip of the cutting edge of the razor can cut your beard hair in the best possible way. It is, of course, always a compromise between sharpness and the ability of the razor to maintain the angle of the cut. Therefore, DOVO sharpens their razors at an angle of about 15°. This angle is the golden mean. This angle ensures that the razor remains perfectly sharp for a long time. It is necessary to find the right balance between a long lifespan and maximum shaving comfort. If DOVO were to sharpen the razor even thinner (the angle would then be less than 15°), the razor would become dull very quickly after a few uses.
The razor blade
The razor blade or edge of the straight razor is hollow ground. Some blades are 'full hollow ground' or 'half-hollow ground'. The basic shape of the razor blade is a triangle. During production, the razor blade is manually pushed between two rotating circular grinding wheels, giving it its hollowness. Hollow grinding the razor blade is the only way to achieve a super sharp edge while still maintaining sufficient stiffness.
The skin on your face is not even; there are curves, dips, wrinkles, and many different rounded angles. Thanks to the 'hollow ground' and flexibility, the razor blade glides smoothly and effortlessly over your skin. This ultimately results in a comfortable shave and a smooth shaving result.
How long does a razor stay sharp?
On the internet and on shaving forums, sharpening experts talk about the razor's ability to hold the 'edge'. How long can a sharpened straight razor withstand the stress of shaving before it needs to be sharpened again? In other words, how long does the blade stay sharp?
Here, you must consider aspects that affect the razor, such as: the material of the blade, hardness of the beard hairs, shaving technique, and how the blade is maintained. Just as important is that the razor glides smoothly and comfortably over your skin while shaving. The design of the blade and the right metal alloy are crucial. DOVO takes this into account. The hardness of the carbon steel in DOVO's straight razors is approximately 61 HRC. If the razor is used regularly, it remains sharp for a sufficient amount of time. Unlike a regular kitchen knife, a razor is in direct contact with your skin. DOVO could choose harder steel for the blade, but then the razor would be much less flexible and thus less comfortable to shave with.
Stropping and the 'Hanging Hair Test'
Every razor at DOVO undergoes the 'hanging hair test' at the end of the production process. The sharpness of the blade is tested using this method. A loose human hair is held with two fingers and pushed against the edge of the razor. The blade is truly sharp only if it can split the hair in half without much pressure.
All straight razors are hand-sharpened, polished, and inspected by experienced staff in five stages from coarse to fine.
On the first sharpening stone, the bevel is ground with a grit of 320 to a 0.1 mm thin blade. It is then sharpened with grit 1000 on the second sharpening stone. On various whetstones of 5,000, 8,000, and 10,000, the shaving blade is further sharpened step by step. Finally, the blade is stropped on a leather strap with a little bit of iron oxide paste.
The leather strop or shaving strap is not meant for sharpening the straight razor. Why should you strop or polish the razor on the strop after each shaving session? Every time you shave, you crumple the ultra-thin bevel of the blade at a microscopic level. Your skin and beard hairs bend the bevel and create microscopic grooves and wrinkles. By allowing the straight razor to rest for at least 48 hours after shaving, a large part of the bevel naturally rises again. Stropping the blade on the leather strap carefully smooths out the damaged metal. The shaving ability of the straight razor is preserved for a longer time.
Sharpening the straight razor
Sharpening the straight razor is done on a sharpening stone or whetstone. How often you need to (have it) sharpened depends, of course, on how often you use it and how you handle it. A well-maintained straight razor can be used for more than a year without needing to be sharpened. For example, if you shave every day or do not take good care of the blade, you will need to sharpen it more often. Sharpening is also necessary if you drop the razor and the edge gets damaged.
Sharpening an open razor properly is a skill in itself. Incorrect sharpening can ruin the sharpness of the razor. You need to learn how to sharpen. If you want to sharpen your own razors, DOVO advises starting with a cheap second-hand open razor. This way, you can safely practice your sharpening skills.
