Another Shaving Journal....

[cameraflier]

If you can get your hands on an old Boker or a shiny Clauss, they are worth it. I find them very easy to hone and they hold their edges.

Noted. I'm always on the look out.

I'm very slowly working my way through a small pile of possible restores. I started on the 'low rent' steel first. The next few should be a step up in quality hardware. We shall see....

Aos balm stings? Something not right..

Yup. Always has. It never stopped me though. SWMBO likes to scent too much for me to toss the stuff. This is bottle #3, and I'm getting a little weary of it.


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#65

I gave the Gem about 35 laps on CrOx, then stropped on leather. It was an improvement, but not the help I expected. I still need to learn a good recipe for tune-ups. While it passed the HHT easily with nice crisp pops, the shave isn’t quite there.


#66

I took some time off, and shaved with a DE most of the week. I needed to be out the door fast, so I left the straights alone. Then I took a few days and without shaving at all. Finally, I opened the cabinet and pulled out the W&B. This one had been honed a few weeks ago and shelved. It’s the last one that’s hone-fresh. I stropped it 30 laps, lathered some MWF, and went to work.

I really enjoy shaving multi-day growth. Today didn’t let me down. The fresh edge was lovely on my face, and I’m finally learning how to lather The Fat. (Load until you think it’s ridiculous, then load some more.) I got a solid DFS, with zero burn. Shaving was a pleasure today. The time off probably helped.

I stropped 35/50 very gentle laps on wool/leather and put it to bed.


#67

Back to the W&B today. I stropped 35 passes on leather and dove into the MWF. It’s wasn’t quite as nice as yesterday. I’m not sure why, so I won’t complain too much. It wasn’t an uncomfortable shave. I just didn’t get as closely as easily as yesterday. Lack of sleep was likely the culprit.

I’ve stolen a few minutes here and there to finish another restore. Now there is a 5/8 Genco “Fluid Steel” sitting beside my honing kit, waiting for some love. …. Soon, very soon..

 

[cameraflier]

#68

Another shave with the W&B. I stropped big numbers again (35 prior, 20 before ATG, 60 post). It was a fair shave, nothing notable. I’m continuing to take my skin stretching more seriously. It does make a difference. There are places where I used to get weepers on a regular basis. That’s generally cured. A DFS-lite is pretty easy, assuming the blade is in good shape. That’s were I’m becoming a snob.

The first shave on this edge was beautiful. The following two were fine, but nothing exceptional. I need to learn how to accomplish that wonderful edge, and keep it for more than one shave. My beard isn’t thick. I couldn’t grow a Grizzly Adams mug. But it is wiry. Sometimes I think it’s the steel. The Gem seems to last a bit longer. Sometimes I blame it on the strop. I’ve gone to a much lighter touch when stropping, and that seems to help. I can use a lighter touch when shaving, but only when the edge is prime.

When this edge tanks, I’ve got nothing else ready in the queue. I’m looking forward to some honing time this weekend. I’m anxious to refresh the Gem, and try some new blades from my ‘newly restored’ pile.

 

[global_dev]

#68

Another shave with the W&B. I stropped big numbers again (35 prior, 20 before ATG, 60 post).

i would argue that those aren't big numbers... 60/60 pre and 20/20 after seem common, i haven't tried mid shave, but interesting experience..

The first shave on this edge was beautiful. The following two were fine, but nothing exceptional. I need to learn how to accomplish that wonderful edge, and keep it for more than one shave.

I am totally with you.. some sublime first shaves off an edge and then while it's OK, it's definitely not the same.. there is definitely a combo of steel, hair, and expectations.

When this edge tanks, I’ve got nothing else ready in the queue.

hope you are keeping good honing records once the pile begins to get bigger... i cross my fingers hoping an edge is ready to go some times..

keep up the good fight!

 

[cameraflier]

#69
Another shave on the W&B. Another step down the road to a butter knife. It was an ok shave. The edge is dying. I had to do multiple strokes in many places, and that contributed to an over-shaved feeling. Nothing horrible. Nothing as bad as the burn from early shaves. I’m not sure what I’m going to do for tomorrow.

Global_dev’s comment is noted. I’m going to increase my stropping numbers. I am using a fabric component, wool felt. I usually do half as many laps on wool as leather. Something like 30/60 wool/leather. I’ll add some laps, and add some care. I’ve been focusing on applying less pressure to the edge, letting it glide behind as an afterthought, faintly skimming the leather. Grip’s recent post, and Noah’s comments have me thinking about how I flip the razor. Ponderous…..

Honing records? I keep my feeble stash of razors on one shelf. Newly honed are on the left. Dead edges are on the right. I only use one at a time and watch them migrate across. As of today, they’re all on the “dead” side, unless I stretch the W&B.

All this stropping, and lack of honing time is making a Feather seem like a good idea. It doesn’t score any old-school points, but it’s always sharp. I see the appeal, but it’s just not as sexy as the old steel, that je nous se qua that hooked me to start. Grumble grumble…

Most likely, I’ll cobble together my own 7-day set. Even at four shaves each, that’s a month between honing sessions. Once I gain some skills, it’ll be two or three months. That’s where it’s at.

 

[cameraflier]

#70

I put a quick edge on The Meteor (photos in post #81 of this thread). The slight smile at the toe gave me troubles. I wasn't wiping off sharpie quite as well in that area. It's hard to roll my stroke across a three inch wide piece of film. I don't have the technique down yet. Maybe I'll get a narrower setup for curved edges. Either way, I need practice. I finished with HHTs nicely across all but the end quarter inch.

The shave as fine. Not exceptional. This razor seems really light in my hand. You'd think it was aluminum or something. Research showed this to be a more modern razor, perhaps 1970's. Are some of the newer steels lighter? I wonder what this means. In use, I didn't like it so much. Maybe it'll grow on me, but the light blade seemed harder to control. It didn't carry momentum across my face. It was plenty sharp, but I missed the weight in my hand.

I finished with 50/100 wool felt and leather, with attention paid on delicate strokes with a quiet flip at each end. I'll see how that helps tomorrow.


I'm getting anxious to finish some restores, and refresh the Gem. The Gem is my favorite so far. Unfortunately, I've not found a good recipe for refreshing. I'm looking for the minimalist approach to bring an edge back to top form, using the tools at hand, without going back too far into bevel. Any suggestions?

 

[cameraflier]

#71

It's an ok shave today. Nothing special. Frankly, I'm surprised. The blade held it's edge. The Meteor feels just as sharp today. Perhaps this lightweight steel has some beneficial properties. It sharp, but it's so light... Grumble grumble... The malcontent shaves on....

More laps on the strop today. 25 leather pre, 20 pre ATG, and 50/100 wool/leather post.




#72

It was another shave with The Meteor. The edge is fading just a tad. It's far more stable than others. Is it the steel? Is it the extra stropping? Did I do something right when I honed this one? Better shave technique? ... More time and more shaves will tell.

Jon's journal post (Global_dev) got me thinking... To date I've been doing the classic, old school, 4-pass shave I adopted in DE days. I'm not sure if this is a DE-centric method, but it worked well there, and it's been working well with the straight too. Occasionally I try to eliminate a pass, if only to shorten/simplify my straight shaves. I tried again this morning, skipping the second pass, an ear-nose XTG. It didn't work so well. It was an SAS product. I did a little touch-up on my cheeks and chin to bring it up to DFS. Oh well. I'm sure I'll try again in a few months.

 

[cameraflier]

#73

I’m getting used to The Meteor. My earlier dislike of this blade is fading into a general tolerance. Why? Because after four shaves I’m still getting a solid DFS. It took a tad more pressure this morning to get the job done, but not enough to cause any burn. The shave didn’t seem all that good at the time, but as I faceturbate now, a few hours later, this is a good shave. I might get a full week of solid shaves from this edge. (fingers crossed.) It would be nice to meet that goal. And if that happens, I’ll have to keep it. I honestly expected to toss this one onto the “for sale” pile. When I bought it, it was more about practicing my restoration skills than anything else.

The Torrey from shave #1 is now up for sale, along with two others. I posted three blades on BST last night. They all work, but I like other blades better. I see myself drifting into slightly larger blades, with round points. I’m still not sure about the perfect grind. Time will tell.

 

[global_dev]

Jon's journal post (Global_dev) got me thinking... To date I've been doing the classic, old school, 4-pass shave I adopted in DE days. I'm not sure if this is a DE-centric method, but it worked well there, and it's been working well with the straight too. Occasionally I try to eliminate a pass, if only to shorten/simplify my straight shaves. I tried again this morning, skipping the second pass, an ear-nose XTG. It didn't work so well. It was an SAS product. I did a little touch-up on my cheeks and chin to bring it up to DFS. Oh well. I'm sure I'll try again in a few months.

#73

I’m getting used to The Meteor. My earlier dislike of this blade is fading into a general tolerance. Why? Because after four shaves I’m still getting a solid DFS.

I see myself drifting into slightly larger blades, with round points. I’m still not sure about the perfect grind. Time will tell.

CF, I typically don't have the time, patience, or need to get through a 4 passer.. I don't know if it's my blades, my honing, or my beard but the 2 pass is sufficient for my needs. I don't know why you would have ended up with only a SAS.

My first N-S pass will surpass a SAS easily... the second pass finishes.. i wonder if it's these 3/8-4/8s??? i am loving the 6/8+ and a full hollow. it's just that nice...

 

[cameraflier]

I don't know why you would have ended up with only a SAS.

My first N-S pass will surpass a SAS easily... the second pass finishes.....

I'm sure it's practice. TATS - Time at The Sink. That's what I need. With 73 shaves, I still haven't hit the century mark yet. There is still lots of learning to do, and blades/products to explore. Occasionally I try for shortcuts, but more passes is more practice. They don't burn or irritiate any more, so I'm not complaining.


TATS. I wonder if that'll end up in the acronym wiki....

 

[Grips]

Good stuff CF. I am also trying to keep that fresh of the hone feel to the blade.

 

[cameraflier]

#74

After nicking myself twice in the first pass, I decided it wasn’t my day. I dried the blade and shelved it for another day. Finished with a DE.



#75

SWMBO commented on some light vertical scratches on my neck, presumably from the point of The Meteor. This combined with yesterday’s mess insprired me to shelve that blade indefinitely. It’s good steel. It holds a nice edge. But somehow we don’t get along so well. It’s back to round points for now.

I gave the Gem a quick touch-up last night, and brought it out this morning. It’s 6/8ths, short, and heavy. This is my favorite shape so far.

The shave was superb. I’m growing to relish the feeling of an ATG pass with a fresh edge.

Stropping…. I followed Global_dev’s journal back to the stropping thread. Ugh. Was my recent shift to big numbers and low pressure a mistake? I have no idea. Either way, I did 20/20 pre, and 50/100 (wool/leather) post today, with slightly more pressure than before. I’ll keep following that thread. So much to learn….

 

[huntingdan]

For those curious or hesitant, this is my entire $20 honing set. (described above, with shave #22). I'm very happy with it. The big glass is great. I can leave films and sand paper stuck to it, and simply rotate around the glass as I progress. This makes it easier to back up when I need to. Putting everything on the edge saves my knuckles. I put the entire thing on an old towel to catch drips. Not so old school and elegant, but super easy, super cheap, and effective.

First off, great journal I will be marking this along with a few others to help me out in my experience. In the future, probably more near than farther I am looking in to the films. What is the bottle of stuff in the middle of the glass? About what size is the glass? Know a guy that can cut some glass and smooth the edges for me.

 

[cameraflier]

First off, great journal I will be marking this along with a few others to help me out in my experience. In the future, probably more near than farther I am looking in to the films. What is the bottle of stuff in the middle of the glass? About what size is the glass? Know a guy that can cut some glass and smooth the edges for me.

The bottle is spray glue I use to hold down 1000 grit sandpaper. I had it in the tool pile, and it works. Sandpaper is where I set the bevel before progressing down the films. Some folks just start with a lower grit film. I’ve yet to work the cost-benefit for that choice.

My glass is pretty big. It’s far larger than necessary. I scavenged it from an old glass top table. I use this because it was free. A narrower piece would actually be better for smiling edges. I have trouble rolling on that big glass. Many folks use a ceramic tile. All you need is a hard flat surface. I know a nearby granite countertop place that has a big dumpster of scraps out back, full of trimmings that are polished on one side. I keep meaning to stop by for a nice chunk. The added weight might be an upgrade.

Start lurking the honing subforum. There are some great film-centric threads. Watch for posts from the user Seraphim. He and others have it figured out, and they share the knowledge. B&B is cool like that.


I had a brilliant shave this morning. More on that later... it's a busy day....

 

[cameraflier]

#81?

To be honest, I’ve lost count. Life has been busy. I’ve been delinquent with my shave log. But that doesn’t mean my shaves have become boring. Far from it. There has been progress, and today was special….

Quick update: I have three razors restored and ready for their first edge. That backlog is getting annoying. I’ve only had time to do quick refreshes on my favorite existing blades. Tops on that list is the Gem. It’s a 6/8 short hollow German round point. Mostly it’s been hotel shaves with Cella, a solid performer for me. I’m using MWF at home. The shaves aren’t stellar, but the lanolin works. After tracking the stropservation thread, I’ve been less delicate with my stropping. I’ve settled into a 20 leather pre and 50/100 wool/leather post routine. That seems to be working, but I’m sure there is room for improvement.

After a month or so on MWF, SWMBO made a move to steal it. She had remarked on my softer skin. I blamed it on The Fat. It was no surprise when I got home from the road last night and that puck was missing. I countered by stealing back the MdC she had snatched from me back in February. Today I lathered it up with the Chubby. …WOW… I had used MdC a few times, but it was before I scored this brush. The Chubby changed everything. The initial passes were comfortable, but not OMG remarkable. I wasn’t expecting anything revolutionary. Before my last pass I did a light rinse with the soup in the sink, standard routine, making a quick pre-ATG assessment. I was shocked. This was the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] or 5[SUP]th[/SUP] shave on this blade, and I was still looking at a great shave. A bit better than great. My face was darn smooth for non-ATG. I lathered up for the final pass. It was a pleasure. I finished with my best yet straight shave. Total DFS++. My only choice is to blame it on the soap. With a cheapo badger I thought it was a fair product, a bit wet and light, with a pleasant scent. With the Chubby this stuff is a lather bomb, thick, slick and wonderful. Loading a slightly dry Chubby, and adding water slow, I stumbled onto a magic formula. I always dismissed the MdC hype as pure hype, but now I might be a convert.


I’m hoping SWMBO likes the MWF. If she tries to swap again, there might be trouble.

 

[global_dev]

Glass width shouldn't be an issue for the rolling stroke. Someone here or there advised just imagine the width needed and try to keep the roll on that
It isn't that difficult once you feel it.

Honing through a wedge is what really made it visible for me.

 

[cameraflier]

#82 ?

I did some math. It looks like today was shave #7, possibly #8, since this edge came off the films with a refresh. For me, that’s a new record. I may have gone longer once before, but that was before I raised my standards a bit. I’m quite happy with this. Theoretically, four razors makes a month of happy shaves. That’s quite a step toward practicality. I dig it.

Why is this edge lasting longer? After Global-dev’s comments and the stropservation thread I’m stropping more and not quite as delicately as before. As Noah and Grips pointed out in their journals, I am being more careful with my flip turns. (Thanks folks!) Additionally, I’m trying to use more of the edge. I found myself shaving with the same inch of steel most of the time. I figure that can’t be good. For stuff like my jawline, I discovered the XTG is actually easier if I shave down by the heel. (YMMV, of course.) I figure spreading out the wear must help.

Today’s shave was a solid DFS, still on the Gem, and still with MdC. My face was a tad warm at the end, but I’m blaming that on the tired edge. I think I used a touch more pressure today to compensate. I’m still loving the MdC. IMO: It blows the socks off the fat.

 

[global_dev]

yeah... that MdC isn't going anywhere... thanks...

i love the feeling of getting the whole blade in on the action as much as possible...

 

[Beatnik]

Why is this edge lasting longer? After Global-dev’s comments and the stropservation thread I’m stropping more and not quite as delicately as before. As Noah and Grips pointed out in their journals, I am being more careful with my flip turns. (Thanks folks!) Additionally, I’m trying to use more of the edge. I found myself shaving with the same inch of steel most of the time. I figure that can’t be good. For stuff like my jawline, I discovered the XTG is actually easier if I shave down by the heel. (YMMV, of course.) I figure spreading out the wear must help.

Great observations CF. I too have altered my stropping since reading the stropservation thread and Grips and Noah's part about flipping on the turns. This has really helped me with maintaining my edges as well as increasing the enjoyment of stropping in its self. -I've gotta try MdC on of these days!

 

[global_dev]

i am finding too loose a strop and i gotta be way more careful.. i am alright with some tension.

 

[cameraflier]

It was a lazy Sunday morning shave, with new steel. I got this one from a junk shop. It was mostly rust, and priced accordingly. I figured I'd give it a try anyway. I'd rather ruin this in restoration, than an ancient TI or Heljestrand. I sanded and polished, and pinned it in new TI scales. I might have gotten a smoother shine, but I like to blade etching too much to risk it. Honing was a chore. The rust had eaten the edge pretty good. It seemed to take forever before I could wipe Sharpie cleanly off the entire edge. It's a bit over 5/8, and thick. Compared to the 6/8 hollow, stropping was a surprise. The feel and sounds are totally different.

This is the heaviest razor I've shaved with yet. I liked the weight in my hand. The shave was good enough. I don't think the edge is quite there yet. It seemed to catch a little. No weepers though. It was an acceptable shave. I'll suspend final judgement until I've put in the honing time.

Photos were taken after honing. The shine was a little better before I worked on it for an hour+.