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100 SR Shaves

At some point last week I clocked up my 100th straight razor shave and I wanted to share some of my findings.

Firstly, I really like this form of shaving. Of everything that I’ve tried, the SR gives me the most comfortable shave. For me comfort is the single most important factor. It also happens to give me closest shave which is a very nice bonus.

It took around thirty shaves to get the hang of it and from there it has just kept getting better and better. I’ve developed a proper routine now. Every morning each stroke is virtually the same like some kind of weird, well rehearsed, shaving ritual or ceremony. It’s a great way to start the day and I don’t hit the snooze bar anywhere near as much as I used to. I am still getting improvements but the major breakthroughs are behind me. It’s all minor tweaks now to squeeze the last little bit out of the razor.

I put off learning the SR for a long time for two reasons. Fear of injury and fear of maintenance. When I started out I was fully expecting there to be blood involved but it never really happened. A few tiny nicks that closed up with cold water is all that I ever got. I’ve had much worse nicks learning to use the DE. Of course you need to be careful but if you use common sense and go slow you are unlikely to hurt yourself in any major way.

Maintenance has been a lot easier than I initially thought too. After a lot of reading I decided to become a Method man to start. This was a great decision. By following the instructions it was pretty easy to get a sharp edge right away. This made the shaves a lot more comfortable. I have only used my set of films once and since then just used my 0.1u balsa and strop for maintenance. I shave in the mornings and in the evening I prepare the blade for the next day. 10 laps on linen, 30 on leather, 50 on balsa, 20 on leather. It takes a few minutes and the blade is always super sharp each shave. I’ve thought about buying natural stones but this method is so easy, clean, fast, cheap and effective that I just can’t justify the expense. I think I will just stick with what I’m doing. It works.

My advise to anyone who’s on the fence about trying SR shaving is to give it a try. Start with a shave ready razor, either new or from a trusted source on BST. Get yourself a decent horsehide strop and a full method set up of films, acrylic plates, balsa and diamond paste right from the start. Don’t skip the diamond paste like I did in the beginning. If you have the full setup and you can fix any problems that you might run into along the way. Have a crack at doing your own honing. It’s not that hard and it’s a great skill to have. Always use a low angle, light pressure, stretch the skin and move the blade perpendicular to the edge while shaving. Easy, you will be golden. I would also recommend using both hands right from the start. It gives you a lot more options and your muscle memory picks it up pretty quickly even if your off hand protests at first.

After 100 shaves I don’t have a single nick in my strop. I must be the only one to have ever managed this. I started with a decent razor, honed it myself and it’s still my only one. I didn’t break it and it’s still going strong and in great condition.

I’m so glad I gave straight razors a try. I fairly confident that I am a lifelong convert now. I won’t deny that there was a big learning curve at the start but overall it was easier than I thought. I’d recommend that everyone give it a try if you can. Many thanks to everyone here that helped to get me to this point! Your help and advise has been extremely valuable.

81656059-B59B-4FEA-AD22-7FA638C3AA8F.jpeg
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
@Tomo, you were very much like me. I didn't have the advantage of access to a proper shave-ready SR when I started (wish I did), so using the Method got me a reasonably good edge to start my journey. For that we must thank @Slash McCoy .

What I found over time, the edge just kept on improving with only the 0.1um hanging balsa after each shave. Mr. McCoy never told us about that.

Now with over 200 SR shaves behind me, I feel that things are still improving. I wonder if this will never stop.
 
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At some point last week I clocked up my 100th straight razor shave and I wanted to share some of my findings.

Firstly, I really like this form of shaving. Of everything that I’ve tried, the SR gives me the most comfortable shave. For me comfort is the single most important factor. It also happens to give me closest shave which is a very nice bonus.

It took around thirty shaves to get the hang of it and from there it has just kept getting better and better. I’ve developed a proper routine now. Every morning each stroke is virtually the same like some kind of weird, well rehearsed, shaving ritual or ceremony. It’s a great way to start the day and I don’t hit the snooze bar anywhere near as much as I used to. I am still getting improvements but the major breakthroughs are behind me. It’s all minor tweaks now to squeeze the last little bit out of the razor.

I put off learning the SR for a long time for two reasons. Fear of injury and fear of maintenance. When I started out I was fully expecting there to be blood involved but it never really happened. A few tiny nicks that closed up with cold water is all that I ever got. I’ve had much worse nicks learning to use the DE. Of course you need to be careful but if you use common sense and go slow you are unlikely to hurt yourself in any major way.

Maintenance has been a lot easier than I initially thought too. After a lot of reading I decided to become a Method man to start. This was a great decision. By following the instructions it was pretty easy to get a sharp edge right away. This made the shaves a lot more comfortable. I have only used my set of films once and since then just used my 0.1u balsa and strop for maintenance. I shave in the mornings and in the evening I prepare the blade for the next day. 10 laps on linen, 30 on leather, 50 on balsa, 20 on leather. It takes a few minutes and the blade is always super sharp each shave. I’ve thought about buying natural stones but this method is so easy, clean, fast, cheap and effective that I just can’t justify the expense. I think I will just stick with what I’m doing. It works.

My advise to anyone who’s on the fence about trying SR shaving is to give it a try. Start with a shave ready razor, either new or from a trusted source on BST. Get yourself a decent horsehide strop and a full method set up of films, acrylic plates, balsa and diamond paste right from the start. Don’t skip the diamond paste like I did in the beginning. If you have the full setup and you can fix any problems that you might run into along the way. Have a crack at doing your own honing. It’s not that hard and it’s a great skill to have. Always use a low angle, light pressure, stretch the skin and move the blade perpendicular to the edge while shaving. Easy, you will be golden. I would also recommend using both hands right from the start. It gives you a lot more options and your muscle memory picks it up pretty quickly even if your off hand protests at first.

After 100 shaves I don’t have a single nick in my strop. I must be the only one to have ever managed this. I started with a decent razor, honed it myself and it’s still my only one. I didn’t break it and it’s still going strong and in great condition.

I’m so glad I gave straight razors a try. I fairly confident that I am a lifelong convert now. I won’t deny that there was a big learning curve at the start but overall it was easier than I thought. I’d recommend that everyone give it a try if you can. Many thanks to everyone here that helped to get me to this point! Your help and advise has been extremely valuable.

View attachment 1123798

congrats on the milestone.

on a similar path myself with some other addictions thrown in.

camo
 
@camoloc, I still need to get you into matching seven-day sets. Imagine having a M7DS of identical vintage SR's that you restored yourself.

that would be all kinds of wickedness!!!

the harder hunt would be finding seven of the same that haven't been jacked up or mauled.

I saw a set on a site that were WB's.....lotsa $$$.

camo
 
Maintenance has been a lot easier than I initially thought too. After a lot of reading I decided to become a Method man to start. This was a great decision. By following the instructions it was pretty easy to get a sharp edge right away. This made the shaves a lot more comfortable. I have only used my set of films once and since then just used my 0.1u balsa and strop for maintenance. I shave in the mornings and in the evening I prepare the blade for the next day. 10 laps on linen, 30 on leather, 50 on balsa, 20 on leather. It takes a few minutes and the blade is always super sharp each shave. I’ve thought about buying natural stones but this method is so easy, clean, fast, cheap and effective that I just can’t justify the expense. I think I will just stick with what I’m doing. It works.

You motivated me to really improve my edge. I have been using the leather strop but have not used the balsa strops regularly. So, I re-pasted the balsa .5, .25 and .1 and got my blade pinging arm hairs again. I will try to make this a daily habit.
 
Well done @Tomo, that is quite an accomplishment. Sounds like you've got a great setup going there. I still use a safety razor when I am traveling, but otherwise I only use my straights. BTW, if you do ever use a safety razor, I bet you find that your technique is light years beyond what it was before you started using a straight.
 
Well done @Tomo, that is quite an accomplishment. Sounds like you've got a great setup going there. I still use a safety razor when I am traveling, but otherwise I only use my straights. BTW, if you do ever use a safety razor, I bet you find that your technique is light years beyond what it was before you started using a straight.
I take the DE on the road aswell and noticed the same thing. As a SR shaver you can’t help but incorporate a bit of skin stretching and left handed action. The results were a lot better. Many of the skills and tricks are transferable.
 
You motivated me to really improve my edge. I have been using the leather strop but have not used the balsa strops regularly. So, I re-pasted the balsa .5, .25 and .1 and got my blade pinging arm hairs again. I will try to make this a daily habit.
The diamond pasted balsas really kick the edges up a notch. When I started with these is when I started to get the really comfortable shaves. There is nothing worse than a dull edge. I was hesitant to hone everyday for fear of grinding down the razor but light strokes on 0.1u diamond don’t seem to take much metal off.
 
Well done @Tomo! Great to hear about your successful SR journey. I am motivated by your own honing skills (and @rbscebu too). Thanks for sharing.

After 3 failed attempts I am in a sorta phobia to try again. I believe I can do it too, perhaps not now but soon. I just needed to read more uplifting & easy SR honing stories...to build confidence.
My films are all used up too...another excuse to procrastinate :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Love to read and see SR story post, especially from a DIY beginning.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I'm down to the last strips of my lapping film. Today I ordered another 3 set at about USD 14 per set plus USD 2 for delivery from China - not using PhilPost. They should be arriving in a couple of weeks and last me for a few years.

A set of lapping films for me is good for about 20 to 30 SR's.
 
I'm down to the last strips of my lapping film. Today I ordered another 3 set at about USD 14 per set plus USD 2 for delivery from China - not using PhilPost. They should be arriving in a couple of weeks and last me for a few years.

A set of lapping films for me is good for about 20 to 30 SR's.
It is hard to argue with films

1. You get a full progression for not much money
2. The grit sizes are known and well graded
3. The hardness is known and they eat through all types of steel
4. The honing surface is always flat and doesn’t dish
5. They are easy to store
6. They are still in production and easily available
7. There is no guess work with slurry.

What’s not to like?

I would love to try an edge prepared on natural stone one day and there is something very cool about preparing an edge in the traditional way. I will probably try them in the future but at the moment I am really enjoying the consistency of the Method edges. Not the same cool factor but very very effective.
 
I'm down to the last strips of my lapping film. Today I ordered another 3 set at about USD 14 per set plus USD 2 for delivery from China - not using PhilPost. They should be arriving in a couple of weeks and last me for a few years.

A set of lapping films for me is good for about 20 to 30 SR's.
Hi @rbscebu, I am wondering if you can provide some advise about the films you buy from China? I bought from there too but unsure of the quality. I see the lowest grit available is to 0.3micron only. Is it enough for you?
Thanks in advance..
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Hi @rbscebu, I am wondering if you can provide some advise about the films you buy from China? I bought from there too but unsure of the quality. I see the lowest grit available is to 0.3micron only. Is it enough for you?
Thanks in advance..
I buy a set of 7 sheets which go from 30um down to 0.3um. The 0.3um doesn't get used as I go from the 1um film to diamond pasted balsa strops starting at 0.5um. The 30um film is good enough for setting a bevel although I often use a 400/1k synthetic (cheap) for that.

Today a received some Gold Dollar W59's. These are very "cheerful" blades with a 2mm or more smile. I don't like blades laughing or even just grinning at me so my honing today on these blades consisted of:
  • Bread-knife the smile out on the edge of 400 grit synthetic. This left me with a 180deg bevel angle.
  • Removed most of the new edge metal on 400 grit with the spine taped.
  • Removed tape and roughly set the bevel on 1k synthetic. Here it shaved arm hairs - just.
  • Refined the bevel on a Turkish natural (about 4k) that I have. This got the blade to easily shave arm hairs.
  • Tomorrow I'll start my lapping film progression at about 9um and work my way up to 1um. At 1um the edge will be tree-topping at about 5mm.
  • From the 1um film, I'll go to diamond pasted balsa strops; 0.5um, 0.25um and 0.1um, finishing on 0.1um hanging balsa strop.
The above will give me a very comfortable SR edge, but not quite comfortable enough to do a fool's pass. That will take about five or six shaves and more diamond pasted balsa stropping to achieve.

Except for the 400 grit, all my honing and balsa stropping is hand held. You don't need the whetstones to achieve this result, you can instead just use the larger lapping films. I use the whetstones because I have a LOT of metal to remove from the W59's to reset the bevel without the smile.
 
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I buy a set of 7 sheets which go from 30um down to 0.3um. The 0.3um doesn't get used as I go from the 1um film to diamond pasted balsa strops starting at 0.5um. The 30um film is good enough for setting a bevel although I often use a 400/1k synthetic (cheap) for that.

Today a received some Gold Dollar W59's. These are very "cheerful" blades with a 2mm or more smile. I don't like blades laughing or even just grinning at me so my honing today on these blades consisted of:
  • Bread-knife the smile out on the edge of 400 grit synthetic. This left me with a 180deg bevel angle.
  • Removed most of the new edge metal on 400 grit with the spine taped.
  • Removed tape and roughly set the bevel on 1k synthetic. Here it shaved arm hairs - just.
  • Refined the bevel on a Turkish natural (about 4k) that I have. This got the blade to easily shave arm hairs.
  • Tomorrow I'll start my lapping film progression at about 9um and work my way up to 1um. At 1um the edge will be tree-topping at about 5mm.
  • From the 1um film, I'll go to diamond pasted balsa strops; 0.5um, 0.25um and 0.1um, finishing on 0.1um hanging balsa strop.
The above will give me a very comfortable SR edge, but not quite comfortable enough to do a fool's pass. That will take about five or six shaves and more diamond pasted balsa stropping to achieve.

Except for the 400 grit, all my honing and balsa stropping is hand held. You don't need the whetstones to achieve this result, you can instead just use the larger lapping films. I use the whetstones because I have a LOT of metal to remove from the W59's to reset the bevel without the smile.
Wow...thanks for a detailed explanation. I understand a bit better now. I have some films left, some Chinese whetstones from 1000k to 10000k, balsa wood and diamond paste up to 0.25um only. Where did you get your 0.1um paste?. I will try again...
"Bread-knife" wow...indeed a lot of work on the W59 smiley.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Wow...thanks for a detailed explanation. I understand a bit better now. I have some films left, some Chinese whetstones from 1000k to 10000k, balsa wood and diamond paste up to 0.25um only. Where did you get your 0.1um paste?. I will try again...
"Bread-knife" wow...indeed a lot of work on the W59 smiley.
I found my 0.5um, 0.25um and 0.1um diamond paste on Amazon. 3 x 5g tubes cost a little under USD 35 plus shipping. With my usage rate, they should last me about 20 to 30 years.

There is no need to bread-knife the W59 if you are happy with the smiling edge that it comes with.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
My three new Gold Dollar W59's. As received, they are sharp. They shave arm hair. That is NOT shave ready.

From top to bottom; as received, after bread-knifing and bevel set.
IMG_20200712_080700.jpg
If these three hone up well, and they should, I'll order another four to make a M7DS of them.
 
couple of questions as I received one a W59 in a lot, not sure about it yet.
  • are you going to keep the logo on the blade face?
  • which of those 3 is your favorite, and why?
  • the top one was breadknifed flat?
  • how is stropping or the honing flip?
 
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