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2023 Shave Purchase Sabbatical - The Year of The Prisoner

OK I’ve been wondering about this for a long time and the subject has now been brought up here. What does corkng really do? It comes up all the time in the Micromatic Monday thread, mainly advice to people that don’t like how sharp their new GEM/Persona blade is. It seems to me that cutting a razor sharp blade through anything will make a duller. I concede that it might clean away some imperfections in the process, but it doesn’t seem like a good trade off to me. It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that stropping is a better option, without the risk of dulling the blade. Anyone know of any studies with a microscope?
 
What does corkng really do?
It removes the sintered PTFE coating. It's hard to imagine something designed to reduce friction would feel rough, but sometimes it does because it's a hard coating that doesn't feel smooth. Secondarily, it can remove a wire edge(burr), but you would have to be pretty desperate to shave after that... if you knew! It is relatively harmless to the blade's longevity by most accounts.
Anyone know of any studies with a microscope?
There are, some of the attempts to photography blades with a SEM are inhibited by the coating. There is a post where he explains how he removes the coating(alcohol I believe). The thread is from around 2014 and there is another website that I can't link because it's classified as a blog. Possibly web search blade microscope images and click one of the pictures to get to the website. There is a lot to digest, depending on your appetite! :wink2:
 
What does corkng really do? It comes up all the time in the Micromatic Monday thread, mainly advice to people that don’t like how sharp their new GEM/Persona blade is. It seems to me that cutting a razor sharp blade through anything will make a duller. I concede that it might clean away some imperfections in the process, but it doesn’t seem like a good trade off to me
I use a cork sometimes on a very sharp new blade. I slice into the cork maybe 1/16 inch 2 or 3 times. I don't think it does very much. I just like to do it occasionally for the fun of it. :blush:
 
Ned
When you return home it would be nice to see a pic of your homemade strop...and thanks for the help and info!
OK, but be warned you have entered Jank Ville. I am more than a little embarrassed how janky this is:

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Here is a couple of photos of the knot(it's double knotted):

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And I fully untied it for a better idea how I did this:

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At least the first photo shows that it does work when tensioned. I made it double thickness for better rigidity, the attachment method followed. It would have been better to simply fold the strip in half and use some leather or shoe lace to keep the halves together and tie them to something. Let me see if I can find and add a picture of my (real) travel strop...

Not mine, but better

 
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DON"T BE!
That is a very good idea!
I can tell by the worn denim that you use it and as @FarmerTan would say, it "werks"! I see your DX razor...isn't it great?
Thanks Ned,
I am currently stropping on a rough folded towel 4"x 18". It "werks" for now.
Oh by the way! I did try stropping before I untied the denim and it works, but I still have some reservations about using leather. Then again, I have succesfully stropped(leather) a DE blade back to life for BOSC Science, it was ridiculous(but worked)! My issue with the AC razors is that there isn't a continuous angle from spine to apex, there is a slight step down from the holder to the blade and that angle is steeper. I also don't know if there is enough blade exposure to get a good suction effect going on the leather either. But it did feel right on the denim...
 
My issue with the AC razors is that there isn't a continuous angle from spine to apex, there is a slight step down from the holder to the blade and that angle is steeper.
THANKS Ned
I am trying to keep a very shallow angle while stropping. I have already (by your suggestions) learned the benefits of stropping...even if it is with a rough towel.
John
 
Oh by the way! I did try stropping before I untied the denim and it works, but I still have some reservations about using leather. Then again, I have succesfully stropped(leather) a DE blade back to life for BOSC Science, it was ridiculous(but worked)!
Why? Isn’t leather the traditional stropping material? I’ve used leather for years on every size and shape of knife, most of them have irregular blade shapes.
 
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It removes the sintered PTFE coating. It's hard to imagine something designed to reduce friction would feel rough, but sometimes it does because it's a hard coating that doesn't feel smooth. Secondarily, it can remove a wire edge(burr), but you would have to be pretty desp
Wouldn’t stropping do the same thing?
 
Why? Isn’t leather the traditional stropping material? I’ve used leather for years on every size and shape of knife, most of them have irregular blade shapes.
It's because he is new to stropping and doesn't know what the correct tension or feel is when you get it right. Like I said above, I am the guy who hand stropped a DE blade on my travel strop. It's not the material, it's the learning curve(or something). I am all in favour of your idea for him to try a belt, but he has a pair of old jeans that he wants to try so...

Wouldn’t stropping do the same thing?
Yes, agreed. So would two shaves approximately, or wiping the blade with alcohol. I am just repeating the justification for corking other than enjoying doing it.
 

Date04.02.2023
365 days of shaving35/365 (100%)
GRUYERE35/365 (100%)
GRUME February04/28 (100%)
Other participations
  • Shave of the Week Society (SWS)
  • Discovery Blade Adventure
  • One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes2
XWTGCheeks: N-S
Neck: N-S
WXTGCheeks L: W-E
Cheeks R: E-W
Neck: S-N
XATGCheeks: S-N

RazorBladeBrush
Razorine FlatboyTiger Platinum (4)Kox Blue Synthetic
Pre-shaveSoap & BowlPost-shave
Cold splashAreffa Phantom of Kyiv
Hybrid lathering
Cold splash
Proraso Green (Balm)

EfficiencyQuality
7/10 (~25 minutes)10/10 (clean as a whistle)
EffectivenessComfort
6.5/10 (DFS-)7/10 (comfortable-ish)

Notes to today’s shave:

Still in - easy and totally at ease as well. Really weird, I did GRUMEs for most of 2022 and most I failed. Since joining GRUYERE I feel zen. And I succeeded with my first GRUME for 2023. Yeah!

Rotated back to my original setting for SWS with the Flatboy and a Tiger on its fourth shave. I paired the razor with the handle from my new Green Cult and I believe they work very nice together.

The star of this shave is without a doubt the first time use of this Areffa soap. This is an amazing soap
:001_wub:
. I have never felt anything softer and slicker on my skin. Almost like applying whipped cream. Super glide and cushioning.

More details on today’s shave are in my journal here.

Enjoy your shave today!
 
When I shave with Gem blades I palm strop them a few times on each side. I find this method to make a significant improvement to the smoothness of the edge. I tried corking and stropping on different materials such as denim, leather, linen -however none of them seemed superior or as effective to my palm in the resulting smoothness of the edge.
 
STILL IN!
AN Orange Week For Fruity February and Shave of the Week Society

PXL_20230203_134134191.jpg


GRUME, GRUYERE, SWS, 365 Shaves, Fruity February & OBIF

Ariana & Evans L' Orange Verte *
Feather DX *
Feather AC Pro (4) *
Brushworx G5C knot
M&L Orange Blossom
* SWS

I had to adjust this soap quickly to get it good and slick-to the point of it being almost runny. After that it was smooth sailing to a 9.561 (BBS) finish and no irritation.

Fruity February Knock-Knock Joke

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Please take care of yourself and each other.
 
STILL IN!
AN Orange Week For Fruity February and Shave of the Week Society

View attachment 1600312

GRUME, GRUYERE, SWS, 365 Shaves, Fruity February & OBIF

Ariana & Evans L' Orange Verte *
Feather DX *
Feather AC Pro (4) *
Brushworx G5C knot
M&L Orange Blossom
* SWS

I had to adjust this soap quickly to get it good and slick-to the point of it being almost runny. After that it was smooth sailing to a 9.561 (BBS) finish and no irritation.

Fruity February Knock-Knock Joke

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Knock-Knock
Who's There?
Orange
Orange
Who?

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Please take care of yourself and each other.
You forgot your prop:

1675531840041.jpeg
 
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