Damn Comfortable Shave

[Esox]

It also only cost $13.50 and for some reason that's important.

Cheap at twice the price!

 

[dundak]

Good idea to stick with one razor for a while if you can. Allows you to work on technique, determine effectiveness of your stropping and see how long your edge can hold up.

I tend to use the same razor 5 days of the week then throw in a different one on weekends. When I started I used the same razor for 2 years.


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[Cal]

I read this post and thought about you Jim.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I read this post and thought about you Jim.

My guesses are all over the place on that one, Cal.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Good idea to stick with one razor for a while if you can. Allows you to work on technique, determine effectiveness of your stropping and see how long your edge can hold up.

I tend to use the same razor 5 days of the week then throw in a different one on weekends. When I started I used the same razor for 2 years.

That's very encouraging, sir.

 

[Clay S]

I have a plan. It's not chiseled in stone, but and it's not mushy either it might be as mushy as oatmeal.

View attachment 968133

I'm going to stick with this razor for a while. Only this razor. I'm going to learn it better, and maybe see if I can get it sharper.

This is not a Fixed Four or anything remotely that committed. There are no rules. I can change my mind and even be fickle if I decide to be. It's just an experiment and a project and an idea that sticking with just this one razor for a while might be useful to me

This $13.50 13/16" 360 Kukri was last honed recently enough, link, using my Dilucot Oil Honing method. I've shaved with it at least once since it was honed and enjoyed the shave.

I don't have any particular plan except to stick with it and see what I see, and do what I do, until I decide to change to a different razor. If I get bored with it I am allowed shaves with other razors. Nothing fixed about this except my determination to see where this goes.

View attachment 968138

I got official permission from Big Nurse to do this. That's a very bad sign. Big Nurse also said for everybody to read this thread, linked.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I like the price of the home one, but not the 25gram resolution. The industrial at 1 gram sounds nice. Buying the testing material and using my already owned scales and seeing what results I can come up with sounds like the best bet to me though.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I like the price of the home one, but not the 25gram resolution. The industrial at 1 gram sounds nice. Buying the testing material and using my already owned scales and seeing what results I can come up with sounds like the best bet to me though.

That's an interesting idea. If you go that route please let me know how it works.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Clay S]

That's an interesting idea. If you go that route please let me know how it works.

Happy shaves,

Jim

After thinking about it, realized their scales have a "capture" aspect to them which mine don't, so best I could do would be notice the most pressure applied before applying enough to cut, if I could apply it consistent enough not to be bouncing the reading all over the place.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

After thinking about it, realized their scales have a "capture" aspect to them which mine don't, so best I could do would be notice the most pressure applied before applying enough to cut, if I could apply it consistent enough not to be bouncing the reading all over the place.

Much more difficult then. Too bad.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday my shave was okay.

I felt and was a bit rushed today. Although I did more work today...



Yesterday I did less work, fewer passes, and almost nothing ATG, but I was relaxed and in no hurry at all. I'm sure not all days and all shaves will ever be exactly the same, but hurrying or feeling rushed while shaving isn't the way to go (for me).

I used all this stuff today. I had a smallish cut on my lower lip which came out of nowhere. I don't know why it happened, but it wasn't a big deal. Still, I don't like to cut myself (like anybody does!).

It was not a shave to complain about, but yesterday my shave was significantly better. Same razor. Same prep, etc.

Tomorrow is another day. I'll try to allow a bit more time for my shave.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was not so great. I'll learn from it I suspect.

It was an okay shave in terms of results, but not my most comfortable shave. I'm not sure what was off, but I will examine the edge carefully with my little USB microscopes and other magnifying devices. Could I have gotten a little chip or something? I don't see how, but I'll look. I will consider what else to do to improve or fix the edge + it could have been something else and not edge related, but what?

I've passed the 150 shaves milestone. Cool!

I got several tiny chin nicks. Nothing much, but generally I get none.

Good software helps.

As does a good scent.

I'm not worried a bit about this shave. It's merely an opportunity to learn something I need to learn.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Cal]

It was an okay shave in terms of results, but not my most comfortable shave. I'm not sure what was off, but I will examine the edge carefully with my little USB microscopes and other magnifying devices. Could I have gotten a little chip or something? I don't see how, but I'll look. I will consider what else to do to improve or fix the edge + it could have been something else and not edge related, but what?

Could it be something to do with the "heavy stropping" experiment?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Could it be something to do with the "heavy stropping" experiment?

Could be, but if it is I'll find out. I don't think that's it, but I don't really know yet.

Good suggestion, Cal.

I've not stropped very heavily as I'm sorta feeling my way into it, and I didn't strop heavily after yesterday's shave or before today's.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Somerled]

I had similar issues with my Hoshi Tombo during FFFMM. One day I would get a nice shave and the next wasn't so good. Even had the edge suddenly appear to go dull on me.
In the end I changed my stropping technique and routine.
Basically I put it down to rolling the edge on my strop.
I've had this happen before as well with other razors.
So, now I've slowed down my stropping strokes and altered the amount I do on pasted linen and clean linen.

It goes something like this before a shave.
6 strokes on CrOx pasted linen.
10 strokes on clean linen.
20 on leather.

After a shave.
10 on clean linen.
20 on leather.

I read a post on the SR forums where it was mentioned that stropping on CrOx, on leather or whatever, can dull the edge if you over do it and less than 10 strokes was recommended.

Doing it the above way seems to keep the edge at its best, for me anyway.
One of the many things I've found out by doing the FFFMM, thanks to Cal for that.

 

[Cal]

6 strokes on CrOx pasted linen.
10 strokes on clean linen.
20 on leather.

A question from the uninitiated Doug: When you say strokes does that mean a stroke on one side of the blade (half a lap?), or both sides (a lap?)?

It strikes me that the more I get to know the less I understand (about this SR lark).

 

[Somerled]

A question from the uninitiated Doug: When you say strokes does that mean a stroke on one side of the blade (half a lap?), or both sides (a lap?)?

It strikes me that the more I get to know the less I understand (about this SR lark).

Sorry, I always count a stroke as both sides - as you say a lap.
That counts whether it's honing or stropping.
Makes sense to do both sides equally, for most things, when you think about it.

I need to say laps instead of strokes to ease the confusion.

 

[Dov Shaves]

Welcome! It's been two years for me and I still look forward to my next day's shave. Remarkable for a guy who hated shaving.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Usually I swim a mile or so. To swim a mile in a 25-yard pool, you have to make 36 round trips...In swimming, the lap refers to swimming from one end of the pool to the next. Without a doubt, it's one end of the pool to the other. It's not back and forth.

I tend to think of round trips because the term lap means sometimes a round trip but other times (in some sports) it means one length (like of a pool).

So, now I've slowed down my stropping strokes and altered the amount I do on pasted linen and clean linen.

It goes something like this before a shave.

• 6 strokes on CrOx pasted linen.
• 10 strokes on clean linen.
• 20 on leather.

After a shave.

• 10 on clean linen.
• 20 on leather.

I read a post on the SR forums where it was mentioned that stropping on CrOx, on leather or whatever, can dull the edge if you over do it and less than 10 strokes was recommended.

Doing it the above way seems to keep the edge at its best, for me anyway.
One of the many things I've found out by doing the FFFMM, thanks to Cal for that.

Doug,

Do you strop like that on CrOx after every shave? On top of the coticule's edges? Maybe I should do that, too?

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Somerled]

Doug,

Do you strop like that on CrOx after every shave? On top of the coticule's edges? Maybe I should do that, too?

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

I do that routine every time I use a razor, only using CrOx before a shave and not after.
I was having real problems in the first half of the month using my Hoshi Tombo every shave.
One shave and the edge was good, next shave it was dull.
I almost threw in the towel on FFFMM over it.

After adopting that routine for the last half of the month the edge has stayed pretty much the same as it was when I created it, and I don't think 6 laps on CrOx is doing my coticule edge any harm.
I see it as just cleaning up and then lightly polishing the edge.
Going to use it for all my razors and see how they go from shave to shave.

 

[Cal]

^^^

Doing it the above way seems to keep the edge at its best, for me anyway.
One of the many things I've found out by doing the FFFMM, thanks to Cal for that.

That post would be good on the FFFMM thread Doug, please.

EDIT
Along with another pic of your lovely HT.