Balsa turning green?

[Biltong & Boerewors]

To some extent, I find the more I use the smoother the razor glides over the balsa. However, if I use too much it leaves too much residue on the blade making a mess. This is my 3rd time loading the balsa with diamond paste. I try to guess how much to use and keep rubbing it in until I don't see any smudges on the surface.

Hahaha, you will get shouted at because you didn't read the 300 pages of "The Method".

If you use too much paste, the particles act like little ball bearings, which confirms your observation that it's smoother. The issue is that you don't get the optimal effect of the paste.

The main idea is to use just a little bit, rub it into the balsa, so that it gets imbedded and held in place by the wood, then wipe away all excess. You should use so little, that you should actually not be able to see anything on the wood, apart from maybe a slight greyish tinge. Typically I put about the size of two to three rice grains on and I thin it with mineral oil to make it easier to spread.

Come to think of it, I will probably get shouted at for deviating from the true way because I add mineral oil.

 

[rbscebu]

....

Come to think of it, I will probably get shouted at for deviating from the true way because I add mineral oil.

There is nothing wrong with deviating from the Method. There are no rules in SR shaving. It is just that you shouldn't deviate until you are getting consistently good results from following the Method exactly. Then and only then deviate to see if you can do better for your style of shaving.

 

[Eben Stone]

Hahaha, you will get shouted at because you didn't read the 300 pages of "The Method".

If you use too much paste, the particles act like little ball bearings, which confirms your observation that it's smoother. The issue is that you don't get the optimal effect of the paste.

The main idea is to use just a little bit, rub it into the balsa, so that it gets imbedded and held in place by the wood, then wipe away all excess. You should use so little, that you should actually not be able to see anything on the wood, apart from maybe a slight greyish tinge. Typically I put about the size of two to three rice grains on and I thin it with mineral oil to make it easier to spread.

Come to think of it, I will probably get shouted at for deviating from the true way because I add mineral oil.

Haha, yeah I've read it multiple times.

I probably use 2-3 rice grains worth, but instead of wiping off the excess, I just keep rubbing it in for another 5 minutes, until I can't feel any residue moving around through the glove, or until I'm no longer able to see any smudges. Visually I can barely see where the paste has been applied.

Maybe I just need more practice, but I find it difficult to glide the razor smoothly over the balsa in the hanging position when I haven't applied enough paste.

 

[rbscebu]

Sounds like that is the reason for it. Think it points to the specific base they use, may be prone to oxidation that causes a colour change.
....

You may be correct. It could have something to do with the age of the paste (since manufacturer) and/or the way it is stored.

The main thing is that the greening does not appear to affect the end result. It will be interesting to see if 8t happens again with the next relapping and pasting.

 

[Loner16]

What in the world is "The Method?"

I must have missed that...

Could the green tint be verdegris from copper alloyed into the steel, for a smoother edge?

 

[Eben Stone]

What in the world is "The Method?"

It's a documented step by step procedure for honing that claims both the best possible edge and guaranteed success, within one to three tries, assuming the user can actually follow directions. I tried it, as an absolute beginner, first time honing, and achieved a great edge the first try. Unfortunately, the documentation is not currently located in a single place, it's scattered out across many posts across multiple threads. I'm working on consolidating it into a few wiki pages. Searching for "method honing" will probably get you in the right ballpark.

 

[haggis]

I'm working on consolidating it into a few wiki pages.

Thank you for that. Documenting the conclusions, end-points, or current state-of-the-art of the evolution are a real kindness. It's *also* fun to go back and read the history in the myriad threads and posts but for the process-oriented folk "just the facts" is super helpful.

Editing to add a link to a post with PDF summary doc that @rbscebu kindly put together:

How To Use a Pasted Balsa Strop

I put together my own set of balsa strops today. After lapping them, I pasted them both up and will use them in a couple of days after my next shave. I have found diamond pasted linen has worked for me very well to keep edges keen and ready. I'm interested in seeing how my new set of balsa...

www.badgerandblade.com

(specific to the balsa strops, not necessarily The Method from start to finish)

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

What in the world is "The Method?"

I must have missed that...

I am joking about getting shouted at because when you read everything related to The Method, it comprehensively explains the smallest details. Every small step has a good reason for why it's there and if you follow it religiously you are guaranteed to be successful.

Inevitably people being people, someone will always ask if it's ok to do something differently. Some veteran members of B&B understandably get, to put it politely, annoyed, because it has been repeatedly explained.

I, like most men, am not good at reading instructions, because we scan the headlines for the gist of it and as soon as we think we know what to do, carry on until we hit an obstacle. Second time you read a bit more of the instructions, and so on.

I can tell you that after trying my own variations, I ended up doing exactly what I should have done from start and did it exactly as explained. Except for the mineral oil. I have my own reasons for that, mostly because my .1 micron strop got sticky after a while, which may be because of the brand of paste I use. It's the most efficient way, not the cheapest, but when you do it right, you do it once.

 

[Loner16]

I am joking about getting shouted at because when you read everything related to The Method, it comprehensively explains the smallest details. Every small step has a good reason for why it's there and if you follow it religiously you are guaranteed to be successful.

Inevitably people being people, someone will always ask if it's ok to do something differently. Some veteran members of B&B understandably get, to put it politely, annoyed, because it has been repeatedly explained.

I, like most men, am not good at reading instructions, because we scan the headlines for the gist of it and as soon as we think we know what to do, carry on until we hit an obstacle. Second time you read a bit more of the instructions, and so on.

I can tell you that after trying my own variations, I ended up doing exactly what I should have done from start and did it exactly as explained. Except for the mineral oil. I have my own reasons for that, mostly because my .1 micron strop got sticky after a while, which may be because of the brand of paste I use. It's the most efficient way, not the cheapest, but when you do it right, you do it once.

Thanks.. Gotcha!

Who developed "The Method?" Is this the Alex Gilmore method?

 

[haggis]

I, like most men, am not good at reading instructions, because we scan the headlines for the gist of it and as soon as we think we know what to do, carry on until we hit an obstacle. Second time you read a bit more of the instructions, and so on.

Much of my career was spent creating processes and writing instructions and *still* I would plead No Contest to that charge

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

Thanks.. Gotcha!

Who developed "The Method?" Is this the Alex Gilmore method?

I am not sure who developed it, but it was a team effort with a group experimenting and deciding on the best results. When I joined in 2018 it was already well established.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Read all about it here:
EDIT:
I posted the same link that @haggis did but at least I caught it before the editing time limit was up.

Anyway. It's pretty great for a guy starting out, to get some really sharp and potentially comfortable edges. And yes, following the instructions exactly limits opportunities to mess it up. I did it exactly as written for a few months, made a few changes to suit my own needs, and once I discovered the joy of good natural finishers, I pretty much phased it out of my arsenal.

 

[Loner16]

Read all about it here:

How To Use a Pasted Balsa Strop

Having gone into some detail when asked or prompted in many threads, I thought I should comprehensively lay out the method in a separate thread, for reference. Thing 1. The Balsa Strop. Buy 3" wide balsa. Best to buy a 36" length. It is cheaper. Hobby Hut, Hobby Lobby, and other brick and...

www.badgerandblade.com

So, that's "The Method?"

What about we dolts that don't use pastes?

 

[Darth Scandalous]

So, that's "The Method?"

What about we dolts that don't use pastes?

There are many ways to the top of the mountain. As I said in my edited post, I don't really use it any more.

 

[rbscebu]

The Method consists of three parts; setting the bevel using the burr method, refining the edge to shave-ready using lapping films and then further improving the edge with pasted balsa stropping.

Annex II and III of the SR instructions cover most of what you need to know.

Traditional SR Shaving Instructions for Beginners - Rev. F

Attached is a copy of the latest revision of Traditional SR Shaving Instructions For Beginners (Rev. F). It now includes all sections; Shaving Instructions, Pasted Balsa Strops and Lapping Films Honing From Bevel Set to Shave-Ready. It's a big file but a wealth of knowledge.

www.badgerandblade.com