Looking for a complete straight forward straight kit.

[Eastcoast30]

Taking this back to the original question:

Looking for a complete straight forward straight kit

No such thing!

 

[Alohawyatt]

When trying to set the bevel, there is a burr forming on the side in the picture. It does go the full length on this side. However its more pronounced in the middle and tappers off towards the heel and toe.

Its all being hand held. The pressure is a little more weight than my hand alone.

Should I keep going, or stop and flip it to the other side?

I am using 4x12x1/2” cast acrylic and 30 micron green non-PSA lapping film.

 

[Alohawyatt]

I flipped it. Almost the same story on this side. Looks a little better to me. I’m going to flip it again.

 

[Alohawyatt]

looks like it’s getting better so back over It gos. I hope I’m doing this right.

 

[Alohawyatt]

It’s getting hard to take a picture of now. But I can feel it. On both sides full length. My concern is that if I lower the pressure, and as I go threw the progression, is this. Is the edge flexing? And if so will this reduce the edge contact at lower pressures.

 

[Alohawyatt]

Just finished with 1 micron and paper underneath. Tree topping more than 1/2” off skin. Full edge. I can’t wait to try it in the morning.

I think this will be my best edge to date.

Next will be Diamond pasted balsa strop. I have all the materials except for the 3M glue.

​

 

[Slash McCoy]

When setting the bevel with the burr method, you should only fully raise the burr twice, once for each side. Then you hone it off, with regular alternating laps or if you prefer, diminishing sets and then regular laps. So you "wasted" a few microns of steel, maybe. Boo hoo hoo. You never have to torture your poor razor again so absolutely no biggie in the big scheme of things. And treetopping at 1/2" before the balsa is very good. But before you hit the balsa, I would hit the 1u film without picopaper. You want to go in to the balsa with a dead flat bevel.

All in all sounds like an excellent first go at it. Congratulations!

Now you know your razor is very sharp, so watch your shave angle and stretch the skin good and tight, so you don't filet yourself. The edge will amaze you, I am sure, and it will only get better, after the balsa. Particularly, it will get a lot smoother on the skin, after the final grit.

 

[Alohawyatt]

Thanks for the reply Slash. And will go back to 1 micron without paper before balsa. The reason I punished my poor razor was do to uneven burr arrival. I hope that makes sense. I was afraid that it wasn’t going to hone evenly on the lower grits. In my opinion I thought the burr should come up evenly from Toe to heel. It did get better as I went. I have a lot to lean but I am learning. Thank you.

 

[Alohawyatt]

I’ve decided to name it Ida.

 

[Alohawyatt]

The strop. I have a hanging leather strop. Ive used and accidentally cut up a hanging leather strop. I understand that I most likely will cut up another one before I get the hang of it. My question is this.
I’ve never shaved with a shave ready razor. So, I’ve not felt like a leather strop did much if anything to the shave. Stropping adds what exactly? Is it to add smoothness, sharpness or what?

 

[Slash McCoy]

A little perceived improvement in both smoothness and sharpness, maybe a lot, depending on the razor and the man using it. The edge is so thin and flexible that it gets little bends and dings in it from normal use. The edge gets folded over this way and that because it is so fragile. The strop just re-straightens the little boo-boos.

After every shave, a good routine is 50 laps on the .1u balsa only, and then before shaving the next time, 50 laps on the hanging leather strop.

 

[Alohawyatt]

 

[Tomo]

The strop. I have a hanging leather strop. Ive used and accidentally cut up a hanging leather strop. I understand that I most likely will cut up another one before I get the hang of it. My question is this.
I’ve never shaved with a shave ready razor. So, I’ve not felt like a leather strop did much if anything to the shave. Stropping adds what exactly? Is it to add smoothness, sharpness or what?

Redirect Notice

www.google.com.au

 

[Alohawyatt]

Wow, just Wow. Much better shave. And what a cool feeling, knowing that I put the edge on it. Ida and I are getting to know each other just fine. She will be getting a balsa edge In the future. But for now we are good.

To take this back to my original question, I would need to list all my sourcing information. If someone would like that, let me know. I don’t know the rules here on B&B about adding links to venders. So maybe a moderator could help me out there. (@Toothpick is one that I can think of off the top of my head. I like the name)

Thanks to you guys for helping me with this project.

 

[rbscebu]

@Alohawyatt congratulations on your progress. Feels good, doesn't it.

Diamond pasted balsa strops are going to add another dimension to your SR shaving experience.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Generally you can link to vendors except if you are a vendor but do not have a vendor tag here, you cannot post your own link. You can post dead auctions, and you can post "Buy it now" listings. You can't post live auctions, for obvious reasons.

 

[rbscebu]

Back to addressing the title of this thread.

I would be good if their was available online a decent economical traditional SR starters kit for say about USD 75. It could consist of:

• A cheap(er) good Chinese SR that has been honed to shave-ready.
• A medium quantity Chinese leather and denim strop.
• A cheap but usable Chinese synthetic brush.
• A stick of ARKO or Derby shaving soap.

It should be possible to put all that together within the price bracket.

Extras could include a set of three balsa strops and a syringe each of 0.5μm, 0.25μm and 0.1μm diamond paste.

That set, with extras, could set a SR shaver up for life (well for 4 to 6 months until the soap runs out).

Then there could be similar kits of more expensive items for those with the budget.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Wow, just Wow. Much better shave. And what a cool feeling, knowing that I put the edge on it. Ida and I are getting to know each other just fine. She will be getting a balsa edge In the future. But for now we are good.

Yeah, it's pretty freaking cool that you can take a piece of dull steel, sharpen it yourself, and then use it to shave. A big congrats and it only gets better!

 

[Slash McCoy]

Back to addressing the title of this thread.

I would be good if their was available online a decent economical traditional SR starters kit for say about USD 75. It could consist of:

• A cheap(er) good Chinese SR that has been honed to shave-ready.
• A medium quantity Chinese leather and denim strop.
• A cheap but usable Chinese synthetic brush.
• A stick of ARKO or Derby shaving soap.

It should be possible to put all that together within the price bracket.

Extras could include a set of three balsa strops and a syringe each of 0.5μm, 0.25μm and 0.1μm diamond paste.

That set, with extras, could set a SR shaver up for life (well for 4 to 6 months until the soap runs out).

Then there could be similar kits of more expensive items for those with the budget.

It has been done. I can't do it, I know that. I can't allow someone to strop on hyde of the nauga, as most of those Chinese stroplets are made from or seem to be made from. I have to at least provide a piece of honest 8oz cowhide of sufficient size and practical hardware. I can't be a party to anyone using anything but a badger brush of better than Black Badger grade and sufficient size for a full shave. The Arko I have no problem with. I am using that myself, right now. Smells kinda sick but the scent evaporates in short order, and it does lather pretty good and it is cheap as dirt. The Chinese razor of course I have no problem with. A well honed GD shaves quite well as many members here can attest. But you put it all together, that is a lot of leg work, and to call it a full kit I would have to also include a balsa strop and some videos and stuff. I think that's outside the $75 envelope. A LOT of work and I am busy and expensive by the hour LOL. Sourcing stuff, paying shipping and taxes, etc... it's a money loser, for me. My principles come first, but if there is negative profit even before paying myself for my work, well, I just can't do it, and hats off to those who do, even the ones selling inferior edges. When the buyer comes here, we get him sorted out in no time.

 

[rbscebu]

@Slash McCoy I didn't say that it would be a money spinner. I just said that it would be good if it could be done. As for the suggested strop and brush, we each have our own preferences.

I spent my first 18 months stropping on mid-range calf-hide Kyrgyzstan strops to no ill effects. Later I moved on the one of @Tony Miller's strops. It is a pleasure to strop on Tony's strop but it didn't improve a blade's edge any better.

About a year ago, after spending decades lathering with expensive badge brushes, I bought a cheap Chinese synthetic. I have choices but that Chinese synthetic has been my main go-to brush ever since.

Instructions and/or videos are not really needed when we have B&B and YouTube available for free. That's how I learnt to SR shave.

Of course, any fixed SR kit can be improved upon - at additional expense. The sky is the limit. It would be even better if there was a range of different valued kits with optional extras that a SR starter could select from based on his available budget.