Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

As the day goes on today's shave looks better and better.

The edge really didn't seem anywhere near as sharp as the shave indicates it must have been. That seems like a really good sign of a really good edge to me.

Even more so when I know what a lot of bother it was to finally get an edge I liked this much out of this particular razor.

Coticules Rock!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Twelvefret]

Congratulations Jim. Good job with that edge.

I've had a small Coticule since Christmas and really enjoy holding the stone under dripping water and doing X strokes. Early on I made a slurry, but not anymore unless the edge needs it. I have two stones, the Coticule and Thuringian. Pretty cool sharpening devices.

I've veered away from SR use because of the time and effort involved except for weekends. Can't decide which to use today. Maybe the Herder.

I guess my shaving has evolved to where I am just enjoying my collection.

 

[Seveneighth]

As the day goes on today's shave looks better and better.

The edge really didn't seem anywhere near as sharp as the shave indicates it must have been. That seems like a really good sign of a really good edge to me.

Even more so when I know what a lot of bother it was to finally get an edge I liked this much out of this particular razor.

Coticules Rock!

Happy shaves,

Jim

Great job.

Now the question is - was it the coticule or did the bevel get set better? I find that a more even bevel hones better through the progression regardless of the viability of the edge.

In other words - two bevels / both showing a burr - one more evenly honed than the other finishes better.

I can't quantify this, yet, and YMMV.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Congratulations Jim. Good job with that edge.

I've had a small Coticule since Christmas and really enjoy holding the stone under dripping water and doing X strokes. Early on I made a slurry, but not anymore unless the edge needs it. I have two stones, the Coticule and Thuringian. Pretty cool sharpening devices.

I've veered away from SR use because of the time and effort involved except for weekends. Can't decide which to use today. Maybe the Herder.

I guess my shaving has evolved to where I am just enjoying my collection.

Sounds like a good place to be.

Maybe I'll find a Thuringian one day. I'm not very actively looking (used to look a good bit for one). The coticule has helped reduce my HAD by a good bit.

You might find it interesting to use oil on your coticule. I'm very pleased with the edges I've been getting with the oil and with the feel of the oil on the stone. The oil completely washes off with dish soap. On the other hand, I've not tried the coticule under running or dripping water.

From what I've read (which is all I know about any coticules other than the one I've used) different coticules make their own slurry (while you're honing on them) to a lesser or greater degree. As I understand it the slurry increases the speed of removal and makes things go faster, but one wants less and less of the slurry as the razor becomes sharper, and no slurry at the end. Without any slurry at all the stone is able to sharpen to a keener edge.

That also seems right from the little bit I've used my stone.

Great job.

Now the question is - was it the coticule or did the bevel get set better? I find that a more even bevel hones better through the progression regardless of the viability of the edge.

In other words - two bevels / both showing a burr - one more evenly honed than the other finishes better.

I'm sure you're right. The 350 razor had been previously taken to the 1K Chosera for the burr method, but did I do it better this time? Maybe. I really don't know. What I do know is the edge is better.

The edge is actually much better than I thought it was until later in the day, hours after my shave, when I noticed how close and smooth my shave was. However, it's also the case that this was not, after the shave, the most comfortable shave I've ever had. Not that it was an uncomfortable shave, but I noticed some drying and such. However, that could also be due to not using my Cremo Moisturizer until hours after the shave; usually I use it minutes after the shave.

As you say, it's very hard to know (impossible to know) what variable changes make the difference. We're really just making informed guesses and trying to control the variables to some degree.

Good thing it's fun.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's shave was good.

This Boker Red Injun is the other razor I honed on the coticule yesterday. Another good edge.

Hard to beat a kit like today's. Maybe impossible.



Good stuff for my skin.

Good stuff for my skin and for my nose. This is a great "aftershave lotion." Emphasis on lotion.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Now I want to go through my straight razors just to have in one post the status of all of the fourteen in my rotation. There are a few without scales not in the rotation, but they don't count for this project.

The Black Devo and the Red Devo came to me shave ready. I'll leave their edges alone until they are not sharp. The Pipe Razor (front) is exactly to my liking off the Norton Arkansas + the pasted strops. I'll leave it alone until it really needs work.

This little Geneva has had a lot of work. Link. It's off the Norton Ark + the pasted strops. It's okay, but maybe needs its bevel reset. Not an urgent project.

These six razors have edges off the coticule. Top to bottom - Boker Red Injun, wide Torrey, Kukri, 350, narrow Torrey, Double Duck Shorty - they've all been shave tested with one exception.

The narrow Torrey has been honed but not shave tested. How'd I miss that step?

This last group are off the Ark. Top to bottom - Boots, Boker Tree, Real/Best German Hollow Ground, Geo.Felix - I'll have to decide whether to put them to the coticule.

Anyway, they're all organized and sorted. I have an idea what I've got.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My shave earlier today seems to have been another good one.

Counting shaves as I learn I've now used the SR 142 times. The common wisdom is it takes a hundred shaves to learn the razor, but I think that is just getting to a minimum level of competency.

Part of the problem of course is getting and keeping a really sharp edge.

There are a zillion variables.

I'm at the point where it seems my shaves are generally better than they were a dozen or two shaves ago, more consistent but also I think actually closer and smoother and with fewer small patches or groups of whiskers or strays missed.



It is my impression that the standard established by shaving with the Schick E-2 is hard to reach with the SR, but that's not the standard I'm shooting for.

I want an every day at home self delivered shave like a professional barber can give me.

Thing is, I'm a long way off, but closer than I was, and moving along.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Twelvefret]

You'd be surprised at how the quality of your results would enhanced by using the Schick on some parts. Regardless of which type razor I use, the little Type E gets used daily. It has no equal. I cannot justify going around all day with a fuzzy part of my face just because I refuse to use the Schick.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

You'd be surprised at how the quality of your results would enhanced by using the Schick on some parts. Regardless of which type razor I use, the little Type E gets used daily. It has no equal. I cannot justify going around all day with a fuzzy part of my face just because I refuse to use the Schick.

I know the E-2 shave very well having used it and several other Schicks and other injectors many times.

My face and neck are not fuzzy at all. My shaves are much better than that, even the worst of them. It's just that I know I've still not reached the E-2 shave level with the SR.

For the record even with the E-2 I've not reached the Professional Barbers SR Shave level.

I believe I have a better chance of reaching the PBSRS level using the same tool the professional barbers use + my SR shaves have long been more comfortable than most all of my best safety razor shaves.

I hope that clarifies things somewhat.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Twelvefret]

I know the E-2 shave very well having used it and several other Schicks and other injectors many times.

My face and neck are not fuzzy at all. My shaves are much better than that, even the worst of them. It's just that I know I've still not reached the E-2 shave level with the SR.

For the record even with the E-2 I've not reached the Professional Barbers SR Shave level.

I believe I have a better chance of reaching the PBSRS level using the same tool the professional barbers use + my SR shaves have long been more comfortable than most all of my best safety razor shaves.

I hope that clarifies things somewhat.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I wasn't be critical. Perhaps you think I am. I apologize.

It looks to me the professional in the video clip is using a shavette. I've seen that video before, but it's been several months.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I wasn't be critical. Perhaps you think I am. I apologize.

It looks to me the professional in the video clip is using a shavette. I've seen that video before, but it's been several months.

Oh, no. I didn't think you were being critical. I though I'd been less than clear and given the impression I was being more critical of my shaves than I meant to be.

I thought maybe the barber in the photo might not be using a real straight razor but I wasn't sure. In any case, I experienced shaves by barbers using actual hone-it-yourself straights, and those shaves were really, really great.

Monday's shave was a bit of a gamble.

This narrow Torrey came off a coticule but wasn't shave tested until today's shave. Why it was skipped earlier I don't know. Probably no good reason, but how did it perform?



Like several other coticule edges, this razor doesn't seem very sharp at all. It seems like a dull butterknife (well, not really, but you might get what I'm saying), but somehow it magically shaves me rather well.

I'm impressed.



Nothin much to complain about in today's shave.

Not saying it was a perfect shave, but it was pretty darn good.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[dundak]

That barber is using a Big Fili.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Mail, Etc.



New soap arrived.

Azaleas and Lady B roses (no thorns).

Used to have huge Lady B plants but an idiot gardener I hired cut them down. At least I still have some.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

That barber is using a Big Fili.

Ah, all's right with the world!

 

[Somerled]

That barber is using a Big Fili.

Thats what I thought as well. Distinctive scales gave it away for me.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was excellent but with a caveat.

This blade is the only one of my coticule honed razors with an edge which seems very very sharp. Not that the others don't shave well, but none shave as well as this nor do the others seem as sharp. And yet it gives up nothing in comfort.

It's my Gold Standard Edge. The razor is a Double Duck Shorty.

From a realistic point of view I'm a SR newbie with only 144 shaves under my SR SWB but I'm putting things together as I go along and my shaves seem gradually better and better. Still improving they are.

The caveat to today's shave was a nice slice on my left cheek from the toe! It took a fair bit of styptic pencil work to stop the bleeding. Not a minor cut, but nothing to tell my doctor or my wife about. It's fine now.

I am not wild about the scent of this new soap, but I think I can live with it. Today's brush is so nice! Just a wonderful brush this Stirling is. Soft with plenty of scrub. Huge knot on my face. A lather monster.




Other than the cut, this was a most excellent shave. Gotta be the edge. It's a truly sharp, great in all respects edge. The questions are these.

• Why's this edge better than the others?
• How can I get the others to this level?

Still, it's a great thing to have just one edge like this one.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

The questions are these.

• Why's this edge better than the others?
• How can I get the others to this level?

Thats what I'd like to know.

 

[Cal]

From a realistic point of view I'm a SR newbie with only 144 shaves under my SR SWB but I'm putting things together as I go along and my shaves seem gradually better and better. Still improving they are.

Truly GROSS Jim.

 

[Clay S]

Truly GROSS Jim.

(4*3)^2/1

 

[dundak]

144 shaves is pretty good. You have to realize a lot of guys don’t even shave that many times in a year.

Your honing will improve as you start to pick up all the feedback the stone is giving you and you become more consistent in your technique.

It’s easy to succumb to Hone Acquisition Disorder chasing that perfect edge but in my experience you see diminishing returns once you get above 8-10k. Of course a bazillion guys will chime in and argue otherwise but YMMV as they say.

Just keep chugging away daily and you’ll get the results.


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