Can you really shave with your knife?

I too have tried it with several of my knives, with no positive effects (unless you happen to own stock in the Bandaid corporation) although I do recall seeing a thread over in the busseforum where someone got his knife sharp enough to shave with and did a really nice job on his beard/face area. I think he took a grinder and reprofiled the edge somewhat though.

Lagarto
 
A straight razor (1/1 hollow ground) has a very specific blade profile, which lends the blade rigidity while maintaining a good amount of flex. It has also a very soft steel. A normal edge geometry and blade steel is too rigid to give a comfortable shave, but it will cut the hair just as well. It's is really not so much about the sharpness as about the comfort. The new safty razors all try to imitate the natural flex that a good straight razor has "build in" by balancing the the blades on springs, etc.

In terms of sharpness, it is hard to beat a regular BIG razor. But at some point it seems to me that sharpness stops being much of a factor for a good shave. Cleanlyness of the edge seems much more important. I have noticed that the comfort of a shave with a straight razor improves substantially during the first 10 or so stroppings after sharpening even though the measured pushcutting sharpness does not improve significantly. I think the edge simply gets more polished and cleaner, which is also why I think a straight razor is more comfortable (to me at least) than a BIG disposable razor.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
J.J. used to do axe shaving, there are pictures of it on his website.
Click to expand...

Well, if the definition of 'shaving' is 'to remove hair from your body' I guess you can say the Charles I. did axe shaving, too - but only once. There are pictures of it in history books and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Contemporary_German_print_depicting_Charles_I%27s_beheading.jpg

There are two advantages to this method:

1. You don't have to do it yourself.

2. You don't have to repeat it. Shaving this way lasts forever.

It does have some slight disadvantages, too, but hey, nothing is perfect and nobody reads the small print anyway.
 
I have done it once. One problem is that most knife blades do not have the proper shape to do your face right. If you are not careful to avoid using the belly, you can get knicks pretty easily. The other is that, unless it is truly sharp, you have to prep your face or it can be uncomfortable, as has been noted. Even a well-sharpened straight razor is a little uncomfortable for me if I haven't done the prep well.
 
I certainly don't do it regularly but have tried it. Since I went to a paper wheel for polishing the bevel it is much easier.
Greg
 
During sharpening yesterday, after I got my 707 sharp enough to effortlessly brush hair off my arm, I tried it on my day-off stubble. Ouch! :eek: I wet my stubble with warm water first, but still, it was more tugging than shaving.

A pocketknife sure isn't a straight razor. :thumbdn:
 
Shaving cream? You whoosbags. :D I use nothing but water and a razor. Shaving cream is too slippery and doesn't get close enough. Splash on some aftershave lotion and you're good 2 go. None of that residue to clean up afer either. Mach3 Turbo. I have shaved part of my beard with my Osborne 941 and it was close but not as close as a razor.
 
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