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Merlthod Edge Vs. Jnat Edge

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I’ve been shaving with Method edges from the start and kept reading about the wonderful edges produced on Jnats. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I had a honemeister put a Jnat edge on a
Shumate for me. I shaved with it this morning and was surprised to find the Jnat edge to be as good as The Method edge. In fact, I really couldn’t tell the difference. It was just as comfortable and produced a BBS shave in two passes. I’m not going to do the pasted balsa maintenance on this razor but will only strop with leather until it is no longer comfortable. Having always stropped .1u diamond on balsa after every shave, I’ve never experienced edge deterioration and figured this would be a good opportunity.
 
There are many many ways to achieve the same thing. Honing your own which is the goal of many gives you the option of custom shaving. Getting the edge just the way you like it.
 
I’ve been shaving with Method edges from the start and kept reading about the wonderful edges produced on Jnats. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I had a honemeister put a Jnat edge on a
Shumate for me. I shaved with it this morning and was surprised to find the Jnat edge to be as good as The Method edge. In fact, I really couldn’t tell the difference. It was just as comfortable and produced a BBS shave in two passes. I’m not going to do the pasted balsa maintenance on this razor but will only strop with leather until it is no longer comfortable. Having always stropped .1u diamond on balsa after every shave, I’ve never experienced edge deterioration and figured this would be a good opportunity.
I would humbly suggest that not all razors are the same either.

Combination of metal, grind and finishing is really important. I have some razors that are amazing with a method edge and others that are horribly harsh but if you put a *good* coticule, or a Charnley Forest edge on them they are lovely.

I think the possibility of variety is amazing.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I do tend to favor some razors over others but the differences are very subtle. Since they are honed the same way, I expect the difference is largely due to geometry.
 
Yes in my experience a good edge is a good edge, no matter the way it's arrived at. There are certainly subtle differences but if you use good shaving technique there is little between most of them. Getting a clean edge without any wire, fin or remnant burr is paramount, and sometimes it isn't as easy with some razors or methods.
 
I have 2 Bismarck's, old pre Dovo and a new Dovo.

BisPair.JPG


I originaly honed both on film and pasted balsa - AKA The Method.
New Bismarck shaved wonderfully, very smooth.
Old Bismarck was harsh and could not go ATG on my neck with it.
Both were equally sharp as far as I could tell.

Upgraded to a set of Naniwa's and rehoned both. Same results.

Got myself a Hard Black Arkansas stone and honed the old Bismarck on it - did nothing else to it at all.
Now shaves as good as the New one, even ATG on my neck.

I have no real explanation as to why this should be. I've honed other razors on the Ark and did not get such dramatic results as I did with the old Bismarck.
I'm inclined to think what @Seveneighth said above is close to the truth.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I have 2 Bismarck's, old pre Dovo and a new Dovo.

View attachment 929311

I originaly honed both on film and pasted balsa - AKA The Method.
New Bismarck shaved wonderfully, very smooth.
Old Bismarck was harsh and could not go ATG on my neck with it.
Both were equally sharp as far as I could tell.

Upgraded to a set of Naniwa's and rehoned both. Same results.

Got myself a Hard Black Arkansas stone and honed the old Bismarck on it - did nothing else to it at all.
Now shaves as good as the New one, even ATG on my neck.

I have no real explanation as to why this should be. I've honed other razors on the Ark and did not get such dramatic results as I did with the old Bismarck.
I'm inclined to think what @Seveneighth said above is close to the truth.
The mysteries are what make this so much fun. We are shaving sleuths!
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I’ve been shaving with Method edges from the start and kept reading about the wonderful edges produced on Jnats. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I had a honemeister put a Jnat edge on a
Shumate for me. I shaved with it this morning and was surprised to find the Jnat edge to be as good as The Method edge. In fact, I really couldn’t tell the difference. It was just as comfortable and produced a BBS shave in two passes. I’m not going to do the pasted balsa maintenance on this razor but will only strop with leather until it is no longer comfortable. Having always stropped .1u diamond on balsa after every shave, I’ve never experienced edge deterioration and figured this would be a good opportunity.

APOSTATE! TRAITOR TO THE FAITH! BELIEVER IN FOUL BLASPHEMIES!

Seriously, yeah some Jnat edges are very sharp indeed. And there is much potential enjoyment to be found in creating them. Somewhat more difficult to learn then Method honing, and somewhat more costly, but it is natural to want to try it, once you have a pretty good handle on basic honing.

Once you put it to the balsa, it isnt a Jnat edge any more. So experience it for a few days, yeah, before hitting the balsa. I might even have a Jnat and some rubbing stones I can lend you if you decide you want to try your hand at it.

I do think that some considerable number of Jnat fans like Jnats either (1) because they have never experienced a synthetic edge that was both sharp and smooth, or (2) simply because they are Jnats, or (3) because Jnat honing is kind of challenging. Well, maybe actually all Jnat fans. What other reasons are there? The main goal is to create an edge that is pleasant to shave with, right? Or for a few, to exercise their hone snobbery, maybe.

Let me guess... Alfredo honed the razor, right?
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
APOSTATE! TRAITOR TO THE FAITH! BELIEVER IN FOUL BLASPHEMIES!

Seriously, yeah some Jnat edges are very sharp indeed. And there is much potential enjoyment to be found in creating them. Somewhat more difficult to learn then Method honing, and somewhat more costly, but it is natural to want to try it, once you have a pretty good handle on basic honing.

Once you put it to the balsa, it isnt a Jnat edge any more. So experience it for a few days, yeah, before hitting the balsa. I might even have a Jnat and some rubbing stones I can lend you if you decide you want to try your hand at it.

I do think that some considerable number of Jnat fans like Jnats either (1) because they have never experienced a synthetic edge that was both sharp and smooth, or (2) simply because they are Jnats, or (3) because Jnat honing is kind of challenging. Well, maybe actually all Jnat fans. What other reasons are there? The main goal is to create an edge that is pleasant to shave with, right? Or for a few, to exercise their hone snobbery, maybe.

Let me guess... Alfredo honed the razor, right?
Honestly, I don’t know who honed it. The dealer I buy from sent it to the honemeister he uses. The only thing I know, is he is in CA - probably around Long Beach. I did this little experiment at your suggestion if you will remember Slash. I am a hard core Method Man and will not stray. I will not spend good razor money on rocks. I am cheap and lazy I am the perfect Method Man. :a24:
 
I think a lot of us just enjoy the act of honing with a natural stone. I sometimes used to hone one of my beater razors every few days just to hone something. It's relaxing to me. Kind of like my meditation. Been having medical issues lately so haven't really honed a single razor in the last 6 months.
 
Like it was already said, honing on natural stones is a very relaxing experience. I absolutely love honing and I have one beater set aside, but to test out new stones and techniques as well as to just hone when I feel the itch. My kitchen, pocket, bush knives and axes all see stones as well so I can always find something to hone.
I do find a great satisfaction and a big connection to using naturals. Synths do provide easy sharpening of super steels and are very fast and consistent in the edges they produce. The problem with them is that I find them to have a dead feeling, no life to them at all.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I have so much to learn and encountered several things here on this thread helpful to me. One is the apparent agreement that razors vary. Not earthshaking as a conclusion but something I'd been thinking about. Sometimes it's not the hones, and not me or my technique or lack thereof, but simply the razor.

Why should it be otherwise? Some old razors were a made for kings Bugatti. Others, a Yugo. As my mentor used to say to me (his version was somewhat different), "You can't turn chicken droppings into chicken salad."

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I have so much to learn and encountered several things here on this thread helpful to me. One is the apparent agreement that razors vary. Not earthshaking as a conclusion but something I'd been thinking about. Sometimes it's not the hones, and not me or my technique or lack thereof, but simply the razor.

Why should it be otherwise? Some old razors were a made for kings Bugatti. Others, a Yugo. As my mentor used to say to me (his version was somewhat different), "You can't turn chicken droppings into chicken salad."

Happy shaves,

Jim
I’ve studied every razor I’ve acquired and followed the same honing method. While there are variances due to grime, all shave. I think that the point.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
Like it was already said, honing on natural stones is a very relaxing experience. I absolutely love honing and I have one beater set aside, but to test out new stones and techniques as well as to just hone when I feel the itch. My kitchen, pocket, bush knives and axes all see stones as well so I can always find something to hone.
I do find a great satisfaction and a big connection to using naturals. Synths do provide easy sharpening of super steels and are very fast and consistent in the edges they produce. The problem with them is that I find them to have a dead feeling, no life to them at all.
Hummm. Of course there is pleasure in honing for many. For me it is a chore and a means to an end - a sharp razor. I find pleasure in shaving and to some degree stropping on leather. Film gets the job done quickly and with efficiency - always the same result time after time. It is probably the best way for a novice to learn to hone. One can quickly learn to lap smoothly and with the correct pressure for the grit without complications of swarf and slurry or need to lap a stone. Get the basics in solid and then learn how to work a stone if you like - or not. Either way, you can always have a sharp blade. Of course, I do always finish on natural stone - diamond.
 
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