What's new

Cartridge to R41 to Cut-Throat

Shave 166 and 1 on the Friodur since honing.
Lathered with a badger brush and Tabac soap. I had high hopes for this shave following last nights honing which I felt in my boots had gone really well.
As soon I started cutting I began to smile, this thing felt sharp! But it also felt very smooth and it whispered down my cheeks and chin like a hovercraft on the thin film of soap. As I was shaving I thought the edge felt very much like a feather blade in my R41 but so much gentler. Pass one rinsed and wow, a great start.
Pass two xtg was the same, gentle and smooth and the razor cut effortlessly upward on my throat.
Pass three atg was lovely, and effortless everywhere. I did a touch up then a cold rinse and what a brilliant shave!
As I splashed the cold water on my face I could tell it was a good one, my face felt next level smooth. Every morning a splash of aftershave feels like firewater but today even the aftershave sting was hardly noticeable.
Not a bit of redness or rashing anywhere. One of the closest most comfortable shaves I’ve ever done.
I was pleased as this is the best result I’ve ever gotten and each time I’ve honed I’ve tried to learn a little more about the hone’s effect on the different steels etc. I’ve varied the films and the pressure and the number of laps and the laps on the strops, both linen and leather. Ive made my mistakes and I’ve butchered my face up on many occasions, but at last I’m seeing a consistent improvement. This was my best result by far and is the best edge I’ve ever shaved with and I’m glad to know that I can get it like this again when it eventually dulls.

Great post, good to read :001_cool:

Luke
 
I’ll give that a go!
Shave 172 and 8 ... another brilliant shave. Super close, super smooth, there’s nothing like a straight razor shave...


Thank you for maintaining and posting this journal. Today I did straight shave #9, and my results haven't yet been delightful. But this thread has helped me see what's waiting for me, and how to get there.
 
Shaved with my Friodur today. I don’t know what makes it such a great blade. It’s my favorite over my Ralph Aust, I believe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thank you for maintaining and posting this journal. Today I did straight shave #9, and my results haven't yet been delightful. But this thread has helped me see what's waiting for me, and how to get there.
Glad your enjoying it thanks for following. If it helps you in anyway I’m glad and although each person’s journey is his own we will all I’m sure have similar puzzles to solve. The first shave is the big hurdle in my own experience so well done walking through that door, it’ll get better fast from here on in I’m sure.
 
Shaved with my Friodur today. I don’t know what makes it such a great blade. It’s my favorite over my Ralph Aust, I believe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I love mine too! Since I got it right it’s been brilliant. I liked it from the moment I got it but once I leaned how to hone the beast it’s been brilliant although as far as learning goes, I know I’ve barely scratched the surface.
 
Last edited:
I love mine too! Since I got it right it’s been brilliant. I liked it from the moment I got it but once I leaned how to hone the beast it’s been brilliant although as far as learning goes, I know I’ve barely scratched the surface.

It just plain holds an edge. I know it’s rostfrei, but so isn’t my Dovo olive wood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I love mine too! Since I got it right it’s been brilliant. I liked it from the moment I got it but once I leaned how to hone the beast it’s been brilliant although as far as learning goes, I know I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Don’t sell yourself short there, you’ll find a hundred posts from different people spread around this site telling you that you can’t get a comfortable forgiving edge from .3mu film. You’ve done it, and on a wide stainless hollow ground no less. You’ve only jumped into one pool, but that doesn’t have any bearing on your swimming ability.
 
Don’t sell yourself short there, you’ll find a hundred posts from different people spread around this site telling you that you can’t get a comfortable forgiving edge from .3mu film. You’ve done it, and on a wide stainless hollow ground no less. You’ve only jumped into one pool, but that doesn’t have any bearing on your swimming ability.
There’s a great positive air about your comments on this thread, and whenever I read them i just feel better about things thank you! I’m trying my best to get things right with what I have on Hand which is a block and a few sheets of cheap film
 
No problem man! It’s great to be humble and open to listening to any suggestions, but don’t sell yourself short when you’ve accomplished something. People sell themselves short because honing and shaving is really such a bottomless rabbit hole but I think just shaving really well and honing your own blades puts you in a tiny fraction of a percentage of everyone out there “wet shaving”.

You may always have that little doubt in the back of your mind about your edges and shaves being as good as you think they are, but that’s pretty normal for anyone who gets obsessive enough to join a forum and research honing tecihniques and equipment endlessly. I think you’ll get a chance to see other edges and look back and be surprised how well you were shaving with high end sandpaper and a strop.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I think what might be helping me get a smooth edge on the films is using your suggestion of progressively lightening the pressure especially over the last 10 laps. Plus I also use a piece of damp notepaper under the film and I think this might be helping. Even with all that it’s definitely rough straight from the films but 50 laps on the linen then leather smooths it right up.
Have you tried the diamond pasted balsa per “The Method “ yet? It will put your edge in the stratosphere of sharpness and comfort and with daily maintenance of 50 laps on the .1u you will have same laser sharp edge every shave.
 
Shave 173 and 9
Used Proraso Green again today and the shorter stiff badger.
I’m deep into the territory where the razor usually needs touching up but it keeps delivering great shaves. Today was no exception.
I did 2 passes, stropped then pas 3 and my touch up and got another brilliant shave especially on my neck which has always been a great but difficult test of sharpness as I can’t always go completely atg because of the length of the blade but I still want bbs there so the blade has to be super sharp. The last honing I did was my best and fingers crossed it seems I’m finally beginning to unlock the often discussed longevity of the stainless steel blade.
 
Have you tried the diamond pasted balsa per “The Method “ yet? It will put your edge in the stratosphere of sharpness and comfort and with daily maintenance of 50 laps on the .1u you will have same laser sharp edge every shave.
Hi I haven’t tried balsa strops although I did consider it a while ago but I live in England and couldn’t find a 0.1 micron paste anywhere online so I didn’t bother. How does the pasted balsa compare for you with a lapping film edge or a natural stone edge?
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
Sharper and much more comfortable than 1u or .3u film as a finish. You should be able to find the paste on eBay from China. Amazon carries it and it is probably worth the extra shipping cost because one syringe of each is a lifetime supply. I use .5, .25 and .1. It is as good as any jnat edge I used.
 
I’m usually not one to say I told you so, but within 48hrs someone told you your .3mu film edges can’t be that keen and comfortable.

It never hurts to test something new in the name of science though if you have the spare $20 or so it takes for balsa and paste.
 
I’m usually not one to say I told you so, but within 48hrs someone told you your .3mu film edges can’t be that keen and comfortable.

It never hurts to test something new in the name of science though if you have the spare $20 or so it takes for balsa and paste.
I suppose it might be interesting to see if it’s possible for my face to differentiate the difference between a 0.3u film edge and a 0.1u diamond edge. Is it a nuisance to store all the balsa sheets separately? At the minute I have a wooden box which holds my block, my films in a plastic wallet and my razors.
 
Shave 175 and 11
Again I gave lathered the Proraso Green soap, I’m not a big soap guy but I can’t recommend this stuff highly enough, it does just what it should and more.
I was very pleased again to feel no apparent degradation of the edge during my first two passes, then a quick 25 on the strop and a lovely smooth atg pass followed by a touch up. Quick rinse, 5 laps on the palm, 7 light laps on the linen, 50 laps on the leather and the blade is back in the box ready for tomorrow.
I’m glad I’m getting longer use now from my edges as I slowly learn how to hone and strop and shave and generally maintain my razor.
I’m going to keep to the films for sharpening for now, the edge I’ve got is now smooth and sharp and comfortable and now more durable too. I don’t think Ill bother with the balsa strops after all, good as I’m sure they will be, my next move I think will be learning to use a natural stone.
 
Shave 175 and 12
Yesterday a tub of the Stirling Soap Company’s ‘Margaritas in the Arctic’ soap arrived in the post along with a bottle of Fine ‘Snakebite’. Both are menthol based products so I gave them a try this morning. I swirled the wet badger on the puck, it has a mild zesty citrusy scent. I made the lather on my face using water until it was similar in consistency to my Proraso. I lathered it on and went to work.
The blade cut easily and smoothly on pass one as I took care to avoid a cut on my chin from a couple of days earlier. I re-lathered then did my xtg pass. This was smooth and sharp and the blade sang along well as I stretched the skin taut.
I re stropped then re lathered ready for my atg pass 3, but the soap was now more watery and although I did finish the pass I went back to the puck and reloaded the brush for my touch up pass. This time I made the lather on my palm with a lot less water and it was much much better. It was very thick and very slick and worked well on my last pass. A lovely cold rinse then I gave the bottle of Snakebite a shake, splashed a bit on my palms, braced myself as it has a bit of a reputation, then splashed it on. I haven’t used a menthol aftershave for a good few months. I just used a little. At first it felt lovely and soothing so I quickly splashed on some more. Then bang! My face just lit up. It burned! then burned some more, then it burned even more! Normally a burn lasts a few seconds on me but this just kept on giving. I was sure I must’ve butchered up my face for it to burn like that but on inspection my face was fresh and smooth and irritation free. After a good 5 mins of real intense burning it suddenly froze. Now my face felt really cold. Well all this had the effect of realty waking me right up and painful as it was, it was invigorating and absolutely refreshing so I’m looking forward to using it tomorrow.
 
Shave 176 and 13 on the Friodur since honing.
Lathered with the Sterling soap again and the stiff badger. I didn’t get the lather maximised yet but it was better than yesterday and seems like great stuff. I’m now around double the amount of shaves which I usually get from a honed blade.
This could be due to a few things. Firstly the mid shave strop I think is helping. As the edge is restored before my atg pass I’m getting much smoother shaves and post shave feel. Im also keeping the edge from being too busted before going atg then getting busted up all the more. This I think is helping the edge last longer. Then there’s my post shave routine, 4-5 palm strops to clean the edge then only 7 on linen.
I think my last honing effort was my best to date too, plus as I improve my shaving technique and angles I’m maybe not being as rough on the edge. All of this I think is contributing to the longevity I’m getting atm. Going to be interesting to see how far this edge will go. Another great smooth shave today and a big hot and cold face slapping from the Fine Snakebite. It’s great stuff, it goes on so nicely and feels great then 2 seconds later it just goes crazy. As I type this, in between my fingers are freezing cold.
 
I think my shaves have improved considerably since shaving with a straight almost everyday since May 25.

Two reasons:

1. The last two passes on my neck and submandibular triangle are S-N. Very smooth steady moving swipes.

2. I’m shaving before work and am moving as fast as with a DE, including stropping. So....I’m not so focused and now I’m letting karma do the job.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Top Bottom