Can a straight razor beat an aggressive SE Artist Club in term of shave quality ?
- Thread starter q345
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I would be hard pressed to find an ac blade equivalent to a 0.1 micron diamond edge. I've tried several and I believe a diamond edge is the sharpest edge that has ever graced my face.
Shave quality is defined? Time to regrow the beard? Face feel?
my time with feather ACs in shavette and cobra was nice, but nowhere as enjoyable an experience
my time with feather ACs in shavette and cobra was nice, but nowhere as enjoyable an experience
The difference between an AC blade and a straight razor is that the straight razor is a lot more forgiving. Even with the sharpest straight razors, in use the straight razor feels like it can tell the difference between skin and stubble, while the AC bladed shavette seems to cut anything in it's path. That's my personal experience at least.
AC shavettes beat straight razors, in my opinion. I may be in the minority, but that’s what I think.
For the record I have over 250 straight razor shaves and now almost 300 shavette shaves under my belt.
I have shaved with a diamond-edged straight, and it was ridiculously sharp, maybe even sharper than an AC blade, but with that extreme sharpness it lost the comfort which was one of the most enjoyable parts about straight razor shaving.
For the record I have over 250 straight razor shaves and now almost 300 shavette shaves under my belt.
I have shaved with a diamond-edged straight, and it was ridiculously sharp, maybe even sharper than an AC blade, but with that extreme sharpness it lost the comfort which was one of the most enjoyable parts about straight razor shaving.
I think a machined blade held rigid and minimally exposed in my Feather AC is probably sharper than what I can get my SR’s with the tools and abilities I have. I can however get them extremely sharp to provide a close comfortable shave. Overall quality? For me it’s a SR, that I maintain to produce the results I require.
IIRC the feather ACs are double bevel with coatings. Very different than a regular straight edge.
wonder if anyone has rehoned a feather from bevel set. I feel like it may have happened back a couple years ago.
wonder if anyone has rehoned a feather from bevel set. I feel like it may have happened back a couple years ago.
Best shave I've had so far is a Feather SS copy from AliExpress with a mild blade (eg a Schick Proline or maybe a Feather Pro Super dulled down a bit after several shaves).
There's something almost magical about the geometry. It not only shaves very close it's also very easy to use. On some parts of my face I can get BBS or close in a single pass.
Saying that, I'm still learning how to hone so there's quite a bit of room for improvement in the edges on my straights. Meantime, my Feather copy sets the standard.
Different types of straight razor all feel different - wedges, full hollow etc - but this is definitely in the same ball park. A great introduction to straights for anyone thinking of trying one for the first time.
There's something almost magical about the geometry. It not only shaves very close it's also very easy to use. On some parts of my face I can get BBS or close in a single pass.
Saying that, I'm still learning how to hone so there's quite a bit of room for improvement in the edges on my straights. Meantime, my Feather copy sets the standard.
Different types of straight razor all feel different - wedges, full hollow etc - but this is definitely in the same ball park. A great introduction to straights for anyone thinking of trying one for the first time.
- Thread starter
- #9
Thanks everyone for replies. Just to emphasize, I am not asking about the entire experience, since I realize many people simply enjoying the 'ritual' of shaving with straight (and honing it), but ONLY about final result, namely how smooth the shave is and how non irritating.
Regarding an opinion that straight razor is more forgiving, I think it depends on technique/skill. I am using Feather SE blade since Classic Cobra appeared, a number of years, and I am easily getting BBS shave with no nicks irritation, even using Professional Super blade. I even got an OK shave with Ikon SE razor which I modified by sawing off lower guard. I thought it make it nearly identical to straight, but somebody wrote here that geometry of cutting edge is quite different between Feather AC and a straight razor.
One thing I didn't try is a Feather manufactured Shavette which uses AC blade. I guess it's still different because of edge geometry mentioned above
Regarding an opinion that straight razor is more forgiving, I think it depends on technique/skill. I am using Feather SE blade since Classic Cobra appeared, a number of years, and I am easily getting BBS shave with no nicks irritation, even using Professional Super blade. I even got an OK shave with Ikon SE razor which I modified by sawing off lower guard. I thought it make it nearly identical to straight, but somebody wrote here that geometry of cutting edge is quite different between Feather AC and a straight razor.
One thing I didn't try is a Feather manufactured Shavette which uses AC blade. I guess it's still different because of edge geometry mentioned above
- Thread starter
- #10
May I ask what is 0.1 microne diamond edge you mentioned?
Is it another type of SE blades? Does it has the same slot pattern as AC or it requires a different razor?
It's a method for finishing a straight razor. It's very small diamonds suspended in grease. It can be rubbed onto balsa or linen. It's about a 200,000 grit finish.
A razor finished on diamond paste can easily cut the hair on your arms or legs just being slowly pulled through the air above your skin. It's a sharpness test called tree-topping.
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks a lot for the explanation. I can only guesstgat bringing a straight razor to such sharpness is a very elaborated work. I assume one bring arazorformultiple honing stages on differnf hones increasing grit gradually, which not only time consuming but requires considerable skills and experience and last but not least investinga motor money in these honing materials.
Straight forward and minimally funds if you use films and these pastes. Look up method honing here.
other honing paths are more resource front loaded.
other honing paths are more resource front loaded.
- Thread starter
- #16
Hi, thanks a lot for your reply,
It looks like the link itself is missed under 'here'.
Can you please, repost it?
P.S.
I did some search and somebody menetioned the thread by Blix named "Lapping film. ..", I can't find it on the forums.
My apologies, no link from here, i just meant the site.
here is the main link
www.badgerandblade.com
While i dont use this method, it works well.
here is the main link
Newbie Honing Compendium
I find myself often linking just a few threads rather than give a long winded explanation that takes me 15 minutes to type on my phone. So, here are my favorite threads to suggest that newbies read if they are interested in making their razors sharp. Lapping film, try it. Setting the Bevel...
www.badgerandblade.com
While i dont use this method, it works well.
Artist club razors give better shaves (smooth and sharp) and are low maintenance. SR has style and grace and shave great. You need to have a collection of SRs and few artist clubs. If starting out get a straight first.
- Thread starter
- #19
Got it, Thanks a lot
As well as lapping film, if you want to learn about how to do the diamond dust on balsa, go to the honing forum and look up The Method as posted by Slash McCoy.
It's what you do if you want to go above say a Naniwa 12. Its seems like a lot to set it all up in the first place, but whatever, it's a hobby.
You make your own paddles. three of them. you buy a backing plate of acrylic and top plates of balsa wood. say eight inches long, a few inches wide and an inch thick. glue the balsa on the acrylic backing plate for stiffness. put a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper on a flat surface, maybe your kitchen counter, lap the balsa on that.
on the three paddles spread a tiny bit of diamond paste with your fingertip. .5 microns, written as .5u, then .25u then .1u.
hone your straight on our normal level, say a Nani12. then you hold the .5 paddle up in the air and strop, not hone, on it. meaning spine leading, like on a leather strop. 50 laps on each paddle.
Now your straight is extremely sharp. Next morning you strop on leather, shave, clean it, then strop on the .1u paddle and put it away.
you do that forever. you never hone again. you do daily stroppings on balsa instead. the straight stays sharp, always same same, forever. It will be a paste finish, so maybe not as comfy as a jnat or a black ark, but pretty comfy. And it's about as sharp as you can get a straight, imho. If you're really into sharp, that's good.
Read the whole Method description. my summary misses bits.
It's kinda interesting to set it all up and watch it work.
It's what you do if you want to go above say a Naniwa 12. Its seems like a lot to set it all up in the first place, but whatever, it's a hobby.
You make your own paddles. three of them. you buy a backing plate of acrylic and top plates of balsa wood. say eight inches long, a few inches wide and an inch thick. glue the balsa on the acrylic backing plate for stiffness. put a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper on a flat surface, maybe your kitchen counter, lap the balsa on that.
on the three paddles spread a tiny bit of diamond paste with your fingertip. .5 microns, written as .5u, then .25u then .1u.
hone your straight on our normal level, say a Nani12. then you hold the .5 paddle up in the air and strop, not hone, on it. meaning spine leading, like on a leather strop. 50 laps on each paddle.
Now your straight is extremely sharp. Next morning you strop on leather, shave, clean it, then strop on the .1u paddle and put it away.
you do that forever. you never hone again. you do daily stroppings on balsa instead. the straight stays sharp, always same same, forever. It will be a paste finish, so maybe not as comfy as a jnat or a black ark, but pretty comfy. And it's about as sharp as you can get a straight, imho. If you're really into sharp, that's good.
Read the whole Method description. my summary misses bits.
It's kinda interesting to set it all up and watch it work.
