Can any razor be buttery smooth?

[alex1921]

Not that unusual. Japanese barbers notoriously honed more on the toe than the heel, at least based on the used razors coming from Japan. Any honing stroke where the toe spends more time on the stone will cause that. Of course over years and years of use.
Thinking about it, I bet they didnt use tape and still the "spine will wear at the same speed as edge and angle will be maintained" mantra didn't prevent the toe to shave badly as you mentioned.

By the way, you do need a sharp and well honed toe. How else are you going to go ATG in front of your ears, unless you have sideburns.

Iwasaki beaten by a barber, will be getting reground at some point.

 

[Empire straights]

Now that I’m more educated about it, I would too! But it was one of those online purchases where you add the extra honing charge. They may not have honed it at all at it came from Dovo like that who knows.

From what I've read it didn't come from dovo ready to shave with. Real hard Arks will give you a sharp crisp edge. I find jnats and really fine coticules give the smoothest edges but that will always come to preference. Charnleys(at least mine) give an Arkansas-like edge but a more buttery feeling edge on skin.

 

[RobertScalchi]

Not that unusual. Japanese barbers notoriously honed more on the toe than the heel, at least based on the used razors coming from Japan. Any honing stroke where the toe spends more time on the stone will cause that. Of course over years and years of use.
Thinking about it, I bet they didnt use tape and still the "spine will wear at the same speed as edge and angle will be maintained" mantra didn't prevent the toe to shave badly as you mentioned.

By the way, you do need a sharp and well honed toe. How else are you going to go ATG in front of your ears, unless you have sideburns.

Iwasaki beaten by a barber, will be getting reground at some point.

View attachment 1682196

That's exactly what I'm talking about! But is there any advantage or reason for honing this way or making the bevels so steep like that?

 

[alex1921]

That's exactly what I'm talking about! But is there any advantage or reason for honing this way or making the bevels so steep like that?

Nope. I think for those barbers, the razor was just a tool and they didnt waste time overthinking technique and I don't know what. Use the razor, once it's beat up you toss it and grab a new one.

 

[RobertScalchi]

A few of my restores. Still perfectly workable. Was just curious to the repetitive theme?

 

[Jud]

The King 1/6K stone will work. I use the 1K to set the bevel and make sure it will shave the hairs on my arm before moving forward. Then to the 6K this is where the largest amount of my time is spent. From there I go to the Shapton Pro 12K. Then to the Suehiro G20 or JNAT, really depends on my time and mood. Some will tell you to Strop with paste, some will say not to. I now just use the leather strop for the first few shaves and paste after to maintain the edge. Would a 3K or 4K would help speed up the time and make a faster polished edge, maybe. Is the comfort level better off the JNAT better then the Suehiro G20, hard to say. Really depends on me, I think. Maybe a Shapton Glass Set or a softer JNAT would be better, it is a rabbit hole that is never ending. As long as you are happy with your edge and shave that is all that matters. Like many have said it is just shaving. Keep your stones are flat and learn your limits of the stones you have.

 

[jason12768]

Due to the crystaline structure of the garets in Coticules, they produce a smooth edge, but not necessarily a sharp edge. Coticules do not produce an edge sharp enough for my coarse beard. If your beard is not coarse, they can be quite nice.

I have a very coarse beard as well, I finish on oil, it bumps up the keenness considerably.
Back in the day, a LOT of the Coticules were used with oil over here in Belgium. Most you'll find that were used on razors were.
No sharpness issues here with my Coticules, even less so with the BBW.
Also, on oil it's a very slow finisher, I do a lot of strokes. Bonus is, you'll never over-hone on a Coticule.

My Coticule's garnets are more skin-friendly than my Escher's quartz, the Escher can feel/be sharper / keener during the shave though.