I want to experiment with a razor for shaving & need feedback - I'm also new to knife steels and sharpening.
While I must avoid 1700 shadow at 1000, my sole aim with razors is to reduce irritation, not closeness of shave. My skin has always been sensitive to shaving but in the last few years it's gotten worse. There's no medical condition, but a continuing annoyance / irritation / distraction. Commercial handled blade products - (single or multiple blade) do fine, causing little irritation for only 2 or 3 uses. If I use them any longer my skin gets rash-y and itchy, regardless of moisturizers and after shaves. This replacement rate is getting expensive. I do regularly soak in alcohol so it's not a bacteria/fungus issue.
So I need a razor that will cut hair in one pass - no multiple passes, and be easily sharpenable.
PART 1, picking a razor
So I'm looking for Hitachi white 1/2 or a 1095 razor. Are there other types I should look for? I see ads for "Swedish carbon steel razor" with zero further specific information on actual composition or processing info - not even the manufacturing company's name.
PART 2, sharpening
What is the sweet spot (the final grit) where you have done a reasonable amount of work? (there's that laziness from my last question again)
Some folks out there are polishing with more than 6 steps using diamond pastes advertised down to 0.5 microns.
Surely they are way past any regime one could call "diminishing returns", and the sharpening itself (and the blade polish porn) has become its own source of pleasure ... or are they getting a real return?
At the moment the finest stone I have is a DMT fine/(extra fine) (9 micron)
PART 3, more info
anyone have links to shaving/razor forums that are actually reasonable & at least TRY to be free of myth/superstition on blade, sharpening and skin health issues?
If this gets worse I'll look at permanent hair removal or depillatories (although I'd be concerned about effects of long term use)
While I must avoid 1700 shadow at 1000, my sole aim with razors is to reduce irritation, not closeness of shave. My skin has always been sensitive to shaving but in the last few years it's gotten worse. There's no medical condition, but a continuing annoyance / irritation / distraction. Commercial handled blade products - (single or multiple blade) do fine, causing little irritation for only 2 or 3 uses. If I use them any longer my skin gets rash-y and itchy, regardless of moisturizers and after shaves. This replacement rate is getting expensive. I do regularly soak in alcohol so it's not a bacteria/fungus issue.
So I need a razor that will cut hair in one pass - no multiple passes, and be easily sharpenable.
PART 1, picking a razor
So I'm looking for Hitachi white 1/2 or a 1095 razor. Are there other types I should look for? I see ads for "Swedish carbon steel razor" with zero further specific information on actual composition or processing info - not even the manufacturing company's name.
PART 2, sharpening
What is the sweet spot (the final grit) where you have done a reasonable amount of work? (there's that laziness from my last question again)
Some folks out there are polishing with more than 6 steps using diamond pastes advertised down to 0.5 microns.
Surely they are way past any regime one could call "diminishing returns", and the sharpening itself (and the blade polish porn) has become its own source of pleasure ... or are they getting a real return?
At the moment the finest stone I have is a DMT fine/(extra fine) (9 micron)
PART 3, more info
anyone have links to shaving/razor forums that are actually reasonable & at least TRY to be free of myth/superstition on blade, sharpening and skin health issues?
If this gets worse I'll look at permanent hair removal or depillatories (although I'd be concerned about effects of long term use)