How Do You Know When Your Razor Needs A Re-hone?

After a few opinion pieces, it's time now to get back to shaving. 

This is a question I get from time-to-time.  It usually happens when someone who had a properly honed razor and is an experienced wet-shaver, begins to experience more nicks than usual and just finds shaving more difficult.  The first sign of this tends to be the razor beginning to "catch" on hairs that it used to slice through and shaving will become a bit frustrating.  You can first try stropping the razor and, if that fails, a few passes on each side of a well-lubricated barber's hone (PLEASE rest the hone on a flat palm while using) will, for a time, return the razor to service.  If you have our Magnetic StropBox and our soon-to-be-released Little Stropper Premium Diamond Slurries, you can put off the inevitable even longer.  But eventually the razor will be too dull to use safely, and will require a trip to a competent honemeister for re-honing.  This is why most experienced shavers like to have at least a few straights on hand. Not only will rotating your razors extend their useful life, but should one become damaged, you will not have to return to the now dusty Mach III in your medicine cabinet to get a great shave.

If you suspect that your razor is too dull to use, feel free to send us an email.  We will help you determine if it needs to be sent out.