Couldn’t Wait

[Twelvefret]

Oh, I need to brag a bit. I sent the 5/8 Salamander to @steveclarkus to check my honing. This was a $8 razor I found for $8 last year. He said the bevel was perfect. As a new honer I was pumped to hear. He did his magic to take it further along.

I had honed the Salamander with a 30, 12, 9, 3, film progression followed by the MMTT Thuringian.

 

[Twelvefret]

Now this is an old one, a John Holler 9/15 with a barber's notch. The edge is smooth as silk after the knock down pass. Very sharp and effective for three passes.

 

[Dzaw]

Oh, I need to brag a bit. I sent the 5/8 Salamander to @steveclarkus to check my honing. This was a $8 razor I found for $8 last year. He said the bevel was perfect. As a new honer I was pumped to hear. He did his magic to take it further along.

I had honed the Salamander with a 30, 12, 9, 3, film progression followed by the MMTT Thuringian.

Always great when a respected mentor provides such a glowing review!

 

[Twelvefret]

Always great when a respected mentor provides such a glowing review!

Yes sir!!

 

[Twelvefret]

This was the first razor I honed. Today it has a MMTT Thuringian stone edge. I suspect this razor was made by Clauss Cutlery in Fremont, Ohio because of the script type and Fremont, O as part of the imprint below Damabcara. The blade is also etched.

This razor has always performed well. My current practice of doing a knock down followed by two more slight passes with a focus on my jaw line and chin is continuing to evolve and provide the kind of shave I am after.

 

[Twelvefret]

At least using my experience, shaving with multiple straights involves an almost endless comparison. There is the comparison of shaves with other razor type and manufactured blades. There is the comparison of day to day shaves, the comparison of different edges produced on different days using different types of honing tools. The variety is endless. Why bring this obvious point up for discussion?

I sent a razor with which I had produced a MMTT Thuringian edge to @steveclarkus, my SR mentor. I love the razor, but felt it lacked the cutting power of other razors in my collection.

First things Steve commented on was that the bevel I had produced was good, so no problems there. Secondly he said the edge felt like 12,000. When I got the Timber Tools Thuringian my expectation was 10-12K, so I was pleased to here Steve's eval.

Steve took the edge up a bit with diamond paste. This AM I got a chance to use the razor and as always with all my razors the first knock down pass tugs. However the second and third become more smooth with the last providing a good ending. I think I could feel the sharper edge and I think where this was most noticeable was on the second and third pass, particularly the 3rd where most of my detail work occurs.

 

[FlScott]

Twelvefret great report and excellent results.

I've been honing away methodically using the burr method, lapping film and now diamond pasted balsa wood and I've been able to achieve some outstanding edges over the last week on six razors. I like to compare two razors with each shave (each gets half of my face) and I've noticed considerable changes in the edges over the last week. Best way to describe the results so far: Smooth, keen and comfortable. I'm beginning to see why Slash and Steve are emphatic about the process.

I have 6 more razors that I'd like to convert this weekend.

Cheers!

 

[Twelvefret]

Feather for the knock down and Salamander for the clean up last two passes. Shaving nirvana this AM.

What I learned is, even the Feather tugs on the first pass. Why would I expect the Salamander or any other SR to be any different. We give manufactured blades a pass and are hard on those we produce ourselves. So, excellent results with the detail passes with the circa 1920 Salamander with stripped Ivoroid branded scales and the @steveclarkus signature diamond edge.

 

[TBoner]

I agree, but I will say that even the tugging is hard to separate from the added auditory feedback of an open blade. What I mean is, because you're hearing so much feedback relative to a DE or even a SE safety razor, it becomes a thing where you start thinking there's some tugging when really it's just tactile experience accentuated by sound. There's always a bit of tugging, no doubt, and I hope when I start honing I can remember how much feel and sound there was with this perfectly honed Genco right from the start and not hold myself to too high a standard. Just comfortable shaves.

 

[Twelvefret]

I agree, but I will say that even the tugging is hard to separate from the added auditory feedback of an open blade. What I mean is, because you're hearing so much feedback relative to a DE or even a SE safety razor, it becomes a thing where you start thinking there's some tugging when really it's just tactile experience accentuated by sound. There's always a bit of tugging, no doubt, and I hope when I start honing I can remember how much feel and sound there was with this perfectly honed Genco right from the start and not hold myself to too high a standard. Just comfortable shaves.

Volume can indicate too steep an angle, think spreading butter with a knife on toast.

A GEM Micromatic SE razor provides more audibles than a Schick or DE razor. I consider the MMOC to be a good tutor for using a shavette or SR.

There is tugging that new users get and tugging that is normal regardless of the razor or user on some areas where the growth is thick and coarse.

 

[Twelvefret]

I had prepared the John Holler 9/16 using a Coticule and Thuringian under dripping water, 60 x strokes. First pass went well and second pass better. Since it's Micromatic Monday, the BMMOC got third pass honors.

 

[TBoner]

Love the MMOC. I used vintage GEMs for most of a year a while back, and I still use them occasionally. I like the feel of the stiffer blade.

 

[Twelvefret]

Love the MMOC. I used vintage GEMs for most of a year a while back, and I still use them occasionally. I like the feel of the stiffer blade.

Yes sir, you can't beat a GEM and they were four years ahead of Gillette's first TTO. This one is a first generation without the blade bumps. Made in 1930.

 

[Twelvefret]

I forget what a wonderfully sharp and comfortable edge this little Lewis-Strenger can be on a days growth. Lewis-Strenger was located in Portland, Oregon. Portland Building Ads - Portland, Oregon: L.D. Heater Music Co., Part 1

Bone scales appear to be hand carved, maybe not. The blade is just North of 4/8. It has my favorite full concave or shoulderless grind. To say this razor is sharp is an understatement.

 

[ScottChapin]

I forget what a wonderfully sharp and comfortable edge this little Lewis-Strenger can be on a days growth. Lewis-Strenger was located in Portland, Oregon. Portland Building Ads - Portland, Oregon: L.D. Heater Music Co., Part 1

View attachment 987403

Bone scales appear to be hand carved, maybe not. The blade is just North of 4/8. It has my favorite full concave or shoulderless grind. To say this razor is sharp is an understatement.

Nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlScott]

[QUOTE="Twelvefret, post: 10227927, member: 120881" The blade is just North of 4/8. It has my favorite full concave or shoulderless grind. To say this razor is sharp is an understatement.[/QUOTE]

My favorite and sharpest razors are 4/8 blades. It seems that they are woefully underappreciated on the forum.

 

[Twelvefret]

Nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you, Scott.

 

[Twelvefret]

[QUOTE="Twelvefret, post: 10227927, member: 120881" The blade is just North of 4/8. It has my favorite full concave or shoulderless grind. To say this razor is sharp is an understatement.

My favorite and sharpest razors are 4/8 blades. It seems that they are woefully underappreciated on the forum.[/QUOTE]
@steveclarkus encouraged me in obtaining 4/8 width blades when I first started. I found he is spot on. Recently I've read where two users feel the near one inch blades are hard to use. Personally, the 15/16 Herder is not difficult to use, just to be fair.

 

[Dzaw]

So they say a 5/8” hollow is like a sports car and a 8/8” wedge is like a tractor trailer truck.

I found the 4/8” off pasted balsa sort of akin to dropping a Chevy small block into an old 240 z - super light, super maneuverable, and more than enough power to get in trouble fast if you aren’t properly careful!

 

[Twelvefret]

I've gone back to flattening my blade more and doing three passes. Today I wanted to do a Daily Double, so I used a 1920's New type

Gillette for a second pass on sides only. The rest and clean up was with the 136. Torrey referred to this razor as the 136, but etched Our 136 on the blade.