The Wanderer's Journey

[Seveneighth]

After my Dad telling me the story of how they used to sharpen razor blades on the back of their cast iron bath, it got me thinking about those glass hones for razor blades. There were also Kriss Kross sharpeners and I'm sure something with marbles - though I'm not entirely sure about that last one.

Have you ever been tempted to invest in something like that, Al? I wondered if bad blades could be improved yon with manual honing.

 

[Somerled]

Talking about glass sharpeners.
A friend of mine swears a good way to sharpen knives is on the edge of a car window.
Around the edge it's like frosted and is slightly abrasive.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

After my Dad telling me the story of how they used to sharpen razor blades on the back of their cast iron bath, it got me thinking about those glass hones for razor blades. There were also Kriss Kross sharpeners and I'm sure something with marbles - though I'm not entirely sure about that last one.

Have you ever been tempted to invest in something like that, Al? I wondered if bad blades could be improved yon with manual honing.

I think one of the reasons that DE and shavette works better for me than a straight for daily shaves, is the coatings. While I probably do use some blades beyond the coating life, I think some blades only serve me while ever the coating is in tact. Trying to use a blade that's had its coating stripped doesn't have much appeal for me. I have tried the inside of a tumbler trick, but while it "steeled" the edge, it did nothing to compensate for the absence of coating.

I do like an occasional straight shave, but that's more for the personal challenge than the shave itself. A coated DE blade is more comfortable for me.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Talking about glass sharpeners.
A friend of mine swears a good way to sharpen knives is on the edge of a car window.
Around the edge it's like frosted and is slightly abrasive.

Head to the kitchen, and grab a regular mug. Turn it upside down, and use the unglazed ring on the bottom. Saves going out in the wind and rain, and getting your neighbours whispering to each other about you behind your back

 

[Seveneighth]

Head to the kitchen, and grab a regular mug. Turn it upside down, and use the unglazed ring on the bottom. Saves going out in the wind and rain, and getting your neighbours whispering to each other about you behind your back

Oh they do that about me already...

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Oh they do that about me already...

Me too!

The mug trick works well though. I went to my brother's house for a family BBQ last summer, and his kitchen knives were that bad, the edges were about as sharp as the spine I used a concrete fence post, followed the mug trick, and got one of his knives cutting, albeit not sharp to my preferred standards, in just a couple of minutes.

 

[Somerled]

Waiting on this to get delivered today https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B64ZGBT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

I bought it, not because I needed to sharpen knives, but to maybe help me to remove small amounts of metal from a badly modded shorty razor I have.
It was cheap enough, so if it's no good for that, I'll use it to sharpen my pen knives.

 

[Joncr]

AimlessWanderer not sure if you have seen this website called Refined Shave. He tests blade sharpness. He uses a simple and fairly objective process for testing and comparing blade sharpness and longevity. His contention is that every coated blade is dullest on its first shave which removes the coating or most of it and is sharper on succeeding shaves, until the metal edge itself dulls from use. I think it is worth checking out if only to get an idea how his test method ranks blade sharpeness and useful life. I don't think I am allowed to post the link, PM me if you want it. If you are already familiar with this site, what do you think?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Waiting on this to get delivered today https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B64ZGBT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
View attachment 977761
I bought it, not because I needed to sharpen knives, but to maybe help me to remove small amounts of metal from a badly modded shorty razor I have.
It was cheap enough, so if it's no good for that, I'll use it to sharpen my pen knives.

That looks a very handy little sharpener, Doug.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

AimlessWanderer not sure if you have seen this website called Refined Shave. He tests blade sharpness. He uses a simple and fairly objective process for testing and comparing blade sharpness and longevity. His contention is that every coated blade is dullest on its first shave which removes the coating or most of it and is sharper on succeeding shaves, until the metal edge itself dulls from use. I think it is worth checking out if only to get an idea how his test method ranks blade sharpeness and useful life. I don't think I am allowed to post the link, PM me if you want it. If you are already familiar with this site, what do you think?

I have come across this notion before, probably from people referring to the same site. However, sharpness is only part of what gives blades their feel during a shave. For example, I'll take the Shark Super Chrome. I find these to be perfectly sharp, but there's a really horrible "cling" to the blades, that I haven't found with anything else. They don't tug, not in the way of cutting resistance anyway, but there's what almost feels like a suction as the blade passes through the hair. It's a most unpleasant sensation to me.

Plain stainless blades, even though they still have a PTFE coating, have a certain feel to them too. While I couldn't guarantee 100% accuracy in a blind test, I'm fairly certain that I'd score reasonably well in determining stainless blades from platinum coated ones. The blades that have additional metallic coatings seem to feel nicer on my face/beard.

A straight shave, obviously uncoated, can give me a comfortable shave, if my technique is reasonable, and health issues aren't getting in the way. They are a lot more particular about what lathers they will work with though, and the cutting action still doesn't feel as nice as a coated DE blade to me. I also think that a slightly coarser edge works better for me, as too polished an edge can give a similar (but lesser) cling to what I described with the Shark Super Chrome, as if some striations on the edge help break the vac lock between the blade and the hair stump.

 

[Cal]

Waiting on this to get delivered today https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B64ZGBT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

That looks a very handy little sharpener, Doug.

Doug, I always like the look of your purchases.

I usually always check them out too (as you know [think Hoshi Tombo]). But, being the cheapskate that I am I always look elsewhere if I think I can find the same thing cheaper. So I just ordered my Pocket Knife Sharpener HERE.

 

[Somerled]

Doug, I always like the look of your purchases.

I usually always check them out too (as you know [think Hoshi Tombo]). But, being the cheapskate that I am I always look elsewhere if I think I can find the same thing cheaper. So I just ordered my Pocket Knife Sharpener HERE.

Hah

I could have gotten it cheaper I know.
But I was ordering a few things from Amazon and wanted it all delivered today. So, I threw my money at them

It's still not arrived though.
Despite me mowing the lawn, washing the car and other menial tasks.
Getting really bored waiting, think I'll go hone a razor.

 

[Joncr]

I have come across this notion before, probably from people referring to the same site. However, sharpness is only part of what gives blades their feel during a shave. For example, I'll take the Shark Super Chrome. I find these to be perfectly sharp, but there's a really horrible "cling" to the blades, that I haven't found with anything else. They don't tug, not in the way of cutting resistance anyway, but there's what almost feels like a suction as the blade passes through the hair. It's a most unpleasant sensation to me.

Plain stainless blades, even though they still have a PTFE coating, have a certain feel to them too. While I couldn't guarantee 100% accuracy in a blind test, I'm fairly certain that I'd score reasonably well in determining stainless blades from platinum coated ones. The blades that have additional metallic coatings seem to feel nicer on my face/beard.

A straight shave, obviously uncoated, can give me a comfortable shave, if my technique is reasonable, and health issues aren't getting in the way. They are a lot more particular about what lathers they will work with though, and the cutting action still doesn't feel as nice as a coated DE blade to me. I also think that a slightly coarser edge works better for me, as too polished an edge can give a similar (but lesser) cling to what I described with the Shark Super Chrome, as if some striations on the edge help break the vac lock between the blade and the hair stump.

you know what works for you, just thought you might find the website interesting

 

[Cal]

So, I threw my money at them

I think we should get Al to rename this thread "Spendthrifts' Corner."

 

[AimlessWanderer]

you know what works for you, just thought you might find the website interesting

I do think I might have had a look at it at some point. I'm just a little uncomfortable with the way some wish to try and "scientifically" establish A as being better than B, in whatever way.

As there's no guaranteed correlation between what's measured, and how people like it, I think it can steer folks away from, products that might give them their best shaves. There's the risk that newcomers will start out using what has been scientifically determined as the best, and give up if that doesn't work for them, rather than freely exploring options for themselves.

From a personal perspective, I like to not know "too much" about something before I try it, as sometimes you can end up marking stuff against someone else's criteria and appraisals instead of your own.

I just realised this post makes me sound a real grump against that site, and potentially your post too, but that wasn't my intention at all

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I think we should get Al to rename this thread "Spendthrifts' Corner."

If I did, I think I might be in here on my own

 

[Joncr]

I do think I might have had a look at it at some point. I'm just a little uncomfortable with the way some wish to try and "scientifically" establish A as being better than B, in whatever way.

As there's no guaranteed correlation between what's measured, and how people like it, I think it can steer folks away from, products that might give them their best shaves. There's the risk that newcomers will start out using what has been scientifically determined as the best, and give up if that doesn't work for them, rather than freely exploring options for themselves.

From a personal perspective, I like to not know "too much" about something before I try it, as sometimes you can end up marking stuff against someone else's criteria and appraisals instead of your own.

I just realised this post makes me sound a real grump against that site, and potentially your post too, but that wasn't my intention at all

I think your points are valid. But with so much variety of blades, razors, soaps/creams out there it is natural, and I think generally helpful, to try to gather information about what is available in order to bring some efficiency to the search for an improved shave.
If a scientific approach achieves a degree of objectivity it can be helpful, I believe. Strictly personal reviews by someone who has a very different skin, hair, prep routine, shaving technique, on the other hand, can have less utility when someone is deciding what to try next.

I do very much agree we should all try to be governed by to our own reactions to a shave and not to what reviews other shaver reactions lead us to expect. I fully agree we should always be aware that what is objective on some scale of measure is not necessarily going to have the result we expect. Personally I can get great close shaves with a Derby Extra, dull as it measures. My not rigid blade Edwin Jagger DE 89 is a smooth feeling for me as my rigid blade Timeless.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I think your points are valid. But with so much variety of blades, razors, soaps/creams out there it is natural, and I think generally helpful, to try to gather information about what is available in order to bring some efficiency to the search for an improved shave.
If a scientific approach achieves a degree of objectivity it can be helpful, I believe. Strictly personal reviews by someone who has a very different skin, hair, prep routine, shaving technique, on the other hand, can have less utility when someone is deciding what to try next.

I do very much agree we should all try to be governed by to our own reactions to a shave and not to what reviews other shaver reactions lead us to expect. I fully agree we should always be aware that what is objective on some scale of measure is not necessarily going to have the result we expect. Personally I can get great close shaves with a Derby Extra, dull as it measures. My not rigid blade Edwin Jagger DE 89 is a smooth feeling for me as my rigid blade Timeless.

Absolutely

I get great shaves with some kit/products that others find disappointing, and have had some dreadful shaves with kit/products that others praise highly. Jagger razors and Derby Extra blades work well for me too.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

4th shave on the Lab Blue. Bundle and Rust's Sheeps Milk craft soap for the lather. Didn't bother adding any Erasmic this time. Usual cheap Omega boar. Light spray of EdT to finish. Nice effortless shave. Why make life complicated? Really enjoying this blade.

 

[Seveneighth]

I think your points are valid. But with so much variety of blades, razors, soaps/creams out there it is natural, and I think generally helpful, to try to gather information about what is available in order to bring some efficiency to the search for an improved shave.
If a scientific approach achieves a degree of objectivity it can be helpful, I believe. Strictly personal reviews by someone who has a very different skin, hair, prep routine, shaving technique, on the other hand, can have less utility when someone is deciding what to try next.

I do very much agree we should all try to be governed by to our own reactions to a shave and not to what reviews other shaver reactions lead us to expect. I fully agree we should always be aware that what is objective on some scale of measure is not necessarily going to have the result we expect. Personally I can get great close shaves with a Derby Extra, dull as it measures. My not rigid blade Edwin Jagger DE 89 is a smooth feeling for me as my rigid blade Timeless.

Once you understand how someone shaves and what their preferences are their reviews can be useful because you can calibrate more effectively against your own tastes / experiences. Kind of like a film critic you always disagree with. Personally, that's why I find the journal section so valuable.