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Most comfortable edge you can get on a budget?

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
I have been honing with a pretty common setup for a few years now. Norton 4K/8K - CNAT, CrOx as needed. I'm just curious, is there another budget friendly finisher I can look for to get a really comfortable shaving edge? The CNAT does a good job but is there something else I should look at if I don't want to drop the dough on an Escher or JNAT?
 
I think getting a comfortable edge is more about the honer's skill using proper gear than the gear itself. In the right hands, film will be as comfortable as a jnat or an Escher, if the razor is honed properly and if you prefer a film edge. I don't think there's a cheaper medium than film.
 
You can get a smaller J-nat or Coti for a reasonable price, but as Larry said, film is hard to beat if you are really on a tight budget.
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
I have a CNAT that is as good as any high dollar finisher that I've tried. Some have not been as lucky.
 
These days? Coticules are selling so soft on ebay right now that if you don't have one and you have the cash to spend it's a no brainer
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
I can find some smaller Coticules for really low prices. Is it pretty difficult to hone on a 4"x2" Coti?
 
A stone imo for it's longevity and re sale value is cheaper! $100 jnat and a dmt card. But again there are so many ways to do this thing.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
Where should I look for a JNAT in the 100 range? I looked for a Shoubudani 100 but found them all sold out.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Try Alex at The Japan Stone. He also has other stones besides the shobudanis in the same price ramge.

Cheers, Steve
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I can find some smaller Coticules for really low prices. Is it pretty difficult to hone on a 4"x2" Coti?

I like a big honing surface and I very seldom mess with anything less than 7" long or 2-3/4" wide. Once in a while I will dust off one of my 3 line Swaty barber hones but that's about as small as I am willing to go, even on a bet. I have used a coti but for me, the ease of use makes a bigger one worth the price difference from a smaller one. Yes, for me it is easier with a bigger stone. But lots of guys use rocks half the size I would prefer, and get decent results. So its really all relative. And smaller coticules can be had pretty cheaply, so its something to consider. Once you master the use of smaller coticules, you will find the edge you get to be very comfortable indeed. Not science fiction sharp maybe, but more than adequately sharp. The lather trick can make a coti perform just a notch or two higher, if you want to push it.

Film is dirt cheap and you can have as big a honing surface as you can handle, up to 13" long and wider than your longest razor. Your technique can make for an edge that is bliistering sharp, or kind and gentle, or in between. I don't think you can ask for a more comfortable edge than a razor honed on 1u film over picopaper, with lather. But it really boils down to your technique more than equipment.

When it comes to Jnats, I'm not the guy, but I do see a lot of not so big jnats for no more coin than a decent size coticule bout. Even with a couple of slurry stones, you can get set up with Jnat honing for not much more than say, a 12k Naniwa. Now if you want 200mm+ length and 75mm+ width in a good finisher, its gonna cost you. A palm sized rock can be pretty easy on the wallet. Again, yeah a bigger stone is easier, but its not THAT big a deal, depending on what you like and what you can get comfortable with using.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
Do you guys generally still finish on diamond paste or CrOx? Just curious. I'm essentially trying to get the best edges I can without these steps just to see what I can get. I get a serviceable/useable edge from my CNAT but it's not comfortable on its own. It may be prudent to simply invest in some felt and diamond spray for a final finishing touch.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Do you guys generally still finish on diamond paste or CrOx? Just curious. I'm essentially trying to get the best edges I can without these steps just to see what I can get. I get a serviceable/useable edge from my CNAT but it's not comfortable on its own. It may be prudent to simply invest in some felt and diamond spray for a final finishing touch.

How To Use a Pasted Balsa Strop | Badger & Blade My (post)finisher, and my maintainer.
 
I'll be honest, I simply cannot stand CrOx edges. This is not most people's experience, however.

If I'm going pastes and sprays, my preferred edge is a touch up with iron oxide (just a couple swipes), or aluminum oxide if I'm doing a full hone.
 
Crox is not my friend either - it works, some like it, I don't. I acknowledge the efficacy but it always leaves my skin feeling bruised or something iike that. There are way better paste options out there IMO. But it works and I will always suggest at least trying it because some people do seem to enjoy it.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
Right now I'm considering the SRD magnetic paddle strop that comes with .5 diamond spray. I already have a balsa with CrOx but wouldn't mind trying something different. The paddle would come with an extra felt as well that I could find another paste for.
 
I can find some smaller Coticules for really low prices. Is it pretty difficult to hone on a 4"x2" Coti?

I like the smaller coticules--40mm x 125mm is fine for me hand-held. Lately, I've been getting good results with a small set-up: 40mm x 130mm 1k/3k Suehiro combo, no. 6 bout coticule (narrow no. 7 may be a little bit better for starters), and a 35mm x 135mm Welsh purple slate. Total cost was well under $100.
 
Right now I'm considering the SRD magnetic paddle strop that comes with .5 diamond spray. I already have a balsa with CrOx but wouldn't mind trying something different. The paddle would come with an extra felt as well that I could find another paste for.
I had that strop and the felt came apart from the backing rather quickly. I would look for something else. I've heard the same too from others. What I did was buy 20 feet of hemp to experiment with pastes. And I used a tarp clip from harbor freight as "hardware" . You can buy balsa at a hobby store for cheap. And glue whatever you like to it if you want.
 
CrOx is messy and I switched to diamond spray early on in my honing career. I have been able to put off re-honing as long as 1.5-2 years with .50 micron and .25 micron (50 strokes with each).
 
I have a La Grise bout that is a little 3-4 inch triangle. Not the best for keenness but as far as comfort it can't be beat. Great for a quick touch up, I think I spent 28 bucks on it.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
Tonight I'm going to re-hone with the 4K-8K and the CNAT, then dry my Norton and wrap a cut piece of old 100% cotton t shirt around it and CrOx it with some of the crayon type I have. See if that gets it gozing comfortably. I used to use a balsa that got lost in a move and have been trying to hone on just stones since then but maybe a finish on this will get me where I want to go without spending anything more.
 
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